by Mauro Petriccione, Director-General for Climate Action (CLIMA), European Commission

In the context of vast human and economic damage from the global pandemic, the European Green Deal’s focus of long-term resilience, nature protection, quality of life and sustainability remains more important than ever, and the need to stop – and eventually reverse, if we can – climate change and biodiversity loss is no less pressing. The environmental and climate crisis has not gone away and will not go away while we fight COVID-19.

At the same time, the current health crisis and the measures necessary to manage it will cause almost unprecedented economic damage, and the efforts required to repair and recover will be equally unparalleled. What sense would it make to exert this effort and to spend massive resources only to return to the “business as usual,” fossil-based economy that we have been trying hard to radically transform? The need to transform is especially clear, as we will not have another opportunity to change our economy and society in the right direction anytime soon, because of the unique amount of resources that we need to employ now to repair and recover. This will not be able to be repeated for a long time.

The European Green Deal, together with the digital agenda, already set out what we need to repair and recover, namely investment in: secure and clean energy (and we are most competitive in renewable energy); in new industrial technologies that would increase our productivity and competitiveness (keeping in mind that green technology is where we are more competitive already); and in creating new jobs in activities and sectors that are climate resilient. We will need a fast growth strategy to cope with the economic effects of this health crisis; we have a growth strategy in the Green Deal and the digital agenda. We must use them and speed up their implementation.

Achieving the ambitious targets that the European Commission has set out for mitigating and adapting to climate change and for protecting the environment under the European Green Deal – and its associated actions and timeline – will only be possible with the involvement and efforts of all levels of government.

Cities, in particular, are crucial for effective climate action and for the European Green Deal architecture. More than 70% of European citizens live in cities, and urban areas are responsible for most emissions and air pollution. However, cities are also indisputable pioneers with respect to innovation, climate ambition, resilience and sustainable development. They are also home to diverse and often vulnerable populations – such as refugees and migrants, low-income citizens, and others – who must be proactively included in climate policies and initiatives to ensure that the European Green Deal leaves no one behind and is built on a strong European Social Pillar. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen specifically pointed this out when she expressed that “people are at the core of the European Green Deal.”

Cities hold three of the world’s greatest assets for climate action: flexibility, ingenuity and proximity to citizens. Mayors never cease to amaze us in their enthusiasm to test and implement the bold solutions needed to reach ambitious climate goals. However, to accomplish this, they must be able to count on the support from other governance levels, including the EU.

Through various programmes, funding mechanisms, and initiatives, the EU is supporting and empowering cities around the world to be in the driver's seat of the European Green Deal and of sustainable development. This is why we are planning the immediate expansion of the International Urban Cooperation programme (IUC), in addition to establishing a brand new European Climate Pact and bolstering the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. These are all examples of on-the-ground, delivery-oriented and voluntary initiatives to pursue global green policies, which build hope from the ground-up.

The IUC facilitates city-to-city and region-to-region cooperation, thereby enabling cities to learn from one another and test whether – and how – ambitious climate action applied across the world can be adapted to diverse local contexts. Through its events, the IUC facilitates direct exchange between EU representatives and local and subnational leaders around the world. This enables local governments to express their needs, devise solutions and share success stories to improve lives here and now. The IUC will continue its work under its second phase after early 2021 – which will be known as the International Urban and Regional Cooperation programme (IURC) in recognition of action by subnational regional levels of government.

In addition to this, the Commission will also launch the European Climate Pact by the end of 2020. Through an ongoing process continuing until 27 May, public consultation is open, granting everyone an opportunity to be heard and help shape this unique initiative. Through the Pact, all stakeholders, subnational authorities and citizens will share information, launch grassroots activities and display solutions that others can follow.

Also in 2020, the Commission will increase its financing of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy: a public-private partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies that seeks to reduce city emissions, make cities climate-resilient and ensure all residents have access to clean energy. More than 10,200 cities are signatories to the Global Covenant, and have jointly committed to a 35% reduction in emissions compared with a 2030 business-as-usual (BAU) scenario. In addition, Global Covenant cities’ commitments to address climate risks will help to protect communities and business from disasters such as storms and heatwaves, and help attract and retain investment.

As the European Commission unveiled the European Green Deal, President von der Leyen pointed out that, “By showing the rest of the world how to be sustainable and competitive, we can convince other countries to move with us.” This thread – that Europe will support and inspire other global regions – runs throughout the European Green Deal. City-to-city cooperation and promotion of local climate action has become a pillar of the EU’s strategy.

The European Commission, and the Directorate-General for Climate Action that I lead, will continue to work with cities of the world in the implementation of the European Green Deal. I have talked to many mayors by now, and I can tell that it will be them, from cities big and small, who will deliver door-to-door the low-emission, healthier and resilient economy we are designing together.

Mauro Petriccione, Director-General for Climate Action (CLIMA), European Commission

Header image courtesy of the Directorate-General for Climate Action, European Commission