During the ENVE Commission meeting convened in Brussels, Hanna Zdanowska, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) Rapporteur on the ecological transition, held an exchange of views with local and regional authorities (LRAs). She said that the effects of climate change have a local dimension."In urbanized areas, a number of problems that contribute to the deepening of the greenhouse effect accumulate, both on the macro and micro scale. At the same time, solutions to the negative effects of global warming should be sought on a local scale." In this regard she outlined the necessity to apply a territorial approach and involve LRAs in the decision-making process of pro-climate actions.
Zdanowska, who is Mayor of Łódź, emphasized that local governments need direct EU funding, since without financial resources most of the necessary and expected environmental investments will not be implemented. The Rapporteur added that the green transition is not possible without the involvement of local communities, business, and universities. "Integrated planning that actively engages residents of villages, cities and regions as well as other stakeholders is of key importance. In the everyday practice of green solutions, economic entities - enterprises and households - have the most to say."
Next steps: The opinion is planned to be adopted by the ENVE commission on 31 May 2022 and later by the CoR during the plenary session of 29-30 June 2022.
Priorities of the French Presidency connected to the implementation of the European Green Deal
Members of the ENVE Commission also held a debate on the priorities of the French Presidency connected to the implementation of the European Green Deal. Markku Markkula, President of Helsinki Region welcomed the French Presidency's commitment to accelerate climate neutrality measures, scale-up biodiversity protection, and push forward the shift towards the circular economy. He stressed that Putin's attack on Ukraine pushes cities and regions in all parts of the EU to speed up the process of renewing energy systems – to be based on renewables and independent of external energy supply. Markkula appealed for a more policies based on a bottom-up approach and for financing to support the local and regional measures on the ground.
Markkula, who is the CoR Rapporteur on 'European Missions' also expressed the EPP-CoR's commitment to focus on ecological sustainability and building more resilient societies. "The first of the five European Missions aiming for Climate Neutral Cities by 2030 attracted a huge interest: altogether 377 European cities applied to become pioneers in achieving the ambitious sustainability and climate neutrality targets, already by 2030. For this development, new societal and technological innovations are crucial."