Cities are on the frontline of the Energy Crisis. EPP-CoR members met in Brussels and discussed challenges being faced by cities to respond to the crisis, their commitments and measures being taken to save energy during the 2023 Conference of the Covenant of Mayors.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of Central Macedonia (Greece) said that many cities and regions have adopted more ambitious targets than their national governments in their national energy and climate plans. In this regard he said "The revision of the National Climate and Energy Plans in 2023 provides an opportunity to engage local and regional authorities in climate and energy governance." Tzitzikostas also spoke on the need to speed up the energy transition and promote the implementation of the European Green Deal with a place-based approach. He also spoke on the various legislative work conducted by the CoR as well as other tangible initiatives spearheaded by cities and region "With our Green Deal Going Local initiative, we are leading the way in this direction."
Rafal Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw (Poland) said "We have to be courageous, we need to involve our citizens, we need to lead by example starting from ourselves, we need to take care of vulnerable people addressing energy poverty and we need direct funds. Europe cannot make it without the local and regional authorities. Don't ask what the climate can do for you but what you can do for climate. Clear actions happen on a local level, they happen on the ground and with concrete actions of citizens and local and regional authorities."
Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź (Poland) spoke on financial challenges being faced by local authorities to implement green deal projects. "We are struggling to continue the revitalization and green transformation of Łódź that I began over a decade ago. Since 2012, we have modernized 160 educational buildings and 28 medical and social welfare buildings. We managed to improve energy efficiency of 226 buildings from the city's budget. Unfortunately, the energy and economic crises are making this harder each year." Zdanowska said that without EU, national and regional funds no city will be able to stay close to its inhabitants by answering to their general needs.
Following the Covenant of Mayors 2023 high-level event on the energy crisis, the CoR National Ambassadors and the European Commission came together to discuss local and regional priorities on key issues closely linked with the Covenant, including the revision of National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), the challenges to tackle energy poverty with a view to speed up the inclusion of energy poverty in the Covenant of Mayors framework, and the Cities Mission as a key sister initiative to support the transition to climate neutrality by 2030.
Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and CoR COTER commission Chair said "As LRAs, we are steadfastly committed to delivering the EU's Green Deal objectives on the ground. In addition the Mission cities have committed to an accelerated path to climate-neutrality in urban areas. We are undaunted by this challenge on account of the dramatic benefits we know it will bring – for the liveability of our cities and public health, for their economic prosperity and for the sustainability of our way of life. But to deliver we will require targeted and innovative forms of funding and financial support, a more inclusive, co-design approach to EU policies and more practical support for implementation."
Markku Markkula, President of Helsinki Region said "Espoo is an excellent example of a city creating new ways to engage the whole city community, including industry, schools, and other citizen communities to address climate change. Increasing RDI financing on EU, national, regional and local levels is an essential prerequisite for accelerating the transformation towards carbon neutrality." Markkula added that the Mission should encourage industrial carbon handprint measures: new products, services and systems which public and private sectors can, through innovative procurement, embrace and thus reduce their carbon footprint.