Covenant of Mayors

2014 Green Capital City: Which Covenant Signatory will it be?

2012-05-16 16:40:24

Three Covenant of Mayors cities have been shortlisted to be crowned 2014 European Green Capital. The ceremony which will announce the lucky winner is to take place on 29 June in the Palacio Montehermoso in Vitoria-Gateiz, Spain, European Green Capital of this year and Covenant of Mayors signatory city.

The keys to a successful energy day

2012-05-15 09:34:39

As part of their commitment to the Covenant of Mayors, European cities and towns organise so-called « energy days » on a yearly basis to raise awareness of sustainable energy issues and engage with their citizens.

Covenant of Mayors to boost EU-China urbanisation partnership

2012-05-08 17:46:42

“Our experience in building sustainable energy concepts with cities dates back to 2007 with the creation of the Covenant of Mayors,” said European Commissioner Günther Oettinger at the opening session of the EU-China urbanisation partnership held last Thursday in Brussels. The high-level event gathered 500 participants out of which 200 Chinese delegates. Twenty Chinese mayors, including leaders of Beijing, Shenzhen and Chengdu were present to discuss with their European peers. The mayors of Heidelberg and Malmö recalled the crucial role to be played by the Covenant of Mayors in this new cooperation endeavour. The “wealth of experience” acquired through the Covenant of Mayors will prove instrumental in the framework the EU—China partnership and of the EU-China Mayor’s Forum, stated Commissioner Oettinger.The first EU-China Mayors’ Forum is to be organised later this year in the framework of the partnership. This Forum aims at bringing together European and Chinese mayors to enhance peer-to-peer co-operation and share experience and best practices. Cities will soon be invited to take part.In view of the upcoming Forum, Mercedes Bresso, President of the Committee of Regions, called on the China Association of Mayors to sign an agreement with the EU. A similar initiative has already been taken with the US Conference of Mayors. The appeal of the Covenant of Mayors indeed stretches far beyond EU borders, as evidenced by the European Commission’s decision to extend the initiative to Eastern and South Mediterranean partnership countries.Launched in February 2012, the EU-China urbanization partnership aims at creating an open platform where EU and Chinese decision makers and stakeholders share experiences and develop joint solutions to address the economic, social and environmental challenges brought by the unprecedented rising rates of urbanisation in Europe and especially in China. The urbanisation partnership is meant to enhance cooperation in areas such as urban planning, energy supply and demand management, development of ‘green’ digital cities, mobility, inclusion of migrants and management of water and waste.

Finland: Mayors of the six biggest cities challenge the others to join the Covenant of Mayors

2012-05-07 17:43:34

The Covenant of Mayors initiative featured high on the agenda of the 6th Finnish Climate Conference, organized on 3-4 May in Tampere. A panel with mayors from the biggest Finnish cities – all of which are signatories to the Covenant – challenged their counterparts to join the initiative and commit to ambitious CO2 reduction targets. Participants debated the everyday challenges of local climate policies such as the creation of more compact cities and the crucial role of urban planning and sustainable transport solutions. Enhanced cooperation with key stakeholders, better structured and continuous work on climate and energy issues were mentioned as key benefits of joining the Covenant of Mayors.

ESOLi conference: Covenant of Mayors Signatories share experience in intelligent public lighting

2012-05-04 15:29:47

On the occasion of the ESOLi conference, held on 17 April with the support of the Association of Municipalities of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Region, a room full of participants listened with interest to the presentations delivered by Covenant of Mayors Signatories about energy saving public lighting projects all over Europe.

Smart energy and sustainable ICT

2012-05-03 16:11:44

Co-organised by the Covenant of Mayors Office, the Smart Energy and Sustainable ICT conference begins today, 3 May 2012 in Brussels. Scheduled to run until this Friday, it will seek to provide participants with a series of insightful debates and discussions on the themes of Sustainable ICT, Smart Grids and Smart Cities.

Covenant Signatories invited to team up with Chinese cities

2012-04-25 11:27:54

This Thursday, 3 May, will see the launch event of the EU-China Partnership on Sustainable Urbanisation. This high level conference, organised by the National Development and Reform Commission, Friends of Europe and the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union, will be hosted at the Concert Noble, Brussels, with the objective of confronting Chinese and European perspectives on how to build better cities. All the European mayors invited to speak at this event are Covenant Signatories, and the Covenant of Mayors Office would like to formally extend an invitation to all other signatory cities interested in attending the event.

French Nord Pas-de-Calais Region joins as Covenant Territorial Coordinator

2012-04-16 16:57:17

The French region of Nord Pas-de-Calais has joined the ranks of Covenant of Mayors Territorial Coordinators. As part of this new role, the regional administration commits to assisting local authorities from its territory in complying with the Covenant of Mayors requirements. Signatories from the Nord Pas-de-Calais region range from large urban communities including Lille Métropole or Dunkerque Grand Littoral, to smaller municipalities, such as the communes of Lambersart and Merville.

Romanian signatories elect their « Covenant ambassadors »

2012-04-12 12:31:19

Romania is the latest in a series of European countries to set up its own “Club” of Covenant of Mayors Signatories. As part of the launch event, three members of this newly-created club have been elected to represent Romanian signatories in exchanges and discussions with national and European institutions.

Covenant of Mayors held up as example during European Summit of Regions and Cities

2012-04-11 10:10:59

Ahead of the fast-approaching Rio+20 summit, the Covenant of Mayors has again been portrayed as an inspiring model of European cooperation worthy of widespread replication across the globe.