Climate Action in Cities: Covenant of Mayors @COP17, Durban

06.12.2011 - On Friday, 2 December, during COP17 in Durban, the European Union Stand Programme hosted a presentation organized by the Directorate-General Climate Action on the topic of “Climate Action in cities”.

The significance of urban development for transition towards a low-carbon and climate resilient society was the main focus of the event. An introduction was given by the DG Climate Action, and it was followed up by local level activities on climate mitigation in the European Union. Climate Alliance contributed to this event by showing the commitment of the European cities in the framework of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM). Also the new extension of the Covenant of Mayors Initiative to East – engaging Eastern Partnership and Central Asian cities – was introduced.

The lively discussion focused on key questions regarding political commitments that need to be pursued, the practical development of the sustainable energy action plans (SEAPs) and the implementation of the necessary measures for achieving the CO2 reduction targets.