ICLEI and the European Committee of the Regions present new Action Plan expanding cooperation on local sustainability and climate action

Today, ICLEI Europe President, Lord Mayor of Freiburg, Martin W.W. Horn, and the Chair of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) ENVE Commission, the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski presented the ICLEI - CoR Action Plan for the years 2023/24. This document delineates concrete activities for the coming years in line with the joint priorities set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ICLEI and the CoR, including cooperation towards localising the EU Green Deal in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), local climate action and resilience, biodiversity and circular economy.

Emphasising the importance of this cooperation for the coming years, Martin W.W. Horn, President of ICLEI Europe said: “The successful implementation of the EU Green Deal and reaching the objectives of the Paris Agreement ultimately rests on local and regional governments and their ability to drive sustainable transitions locally. With European Elections and a pivotal UNFCCC Climate COP28 upcoming, we are joining forces to make the voices of local and regional governments heard in key EU and international climate and sustainability processes.”

Whereas the ICLEI - CoR MoU defines joint principles for cooperation, such as promoting multilevel governance and strengthening the recognition of local and regional governments on international level, the Action Plan 2023-2024 identifies and sets out activities and objectives of cooperation over fifteen key cooperation areas over the course of the two years. This includes amongst others:

• cooperation on localising, implementing and replicating the EU Green Deal and sustaining the European Green Deal after the 2024 European elections;
• representing the local and regional government positions at and in international processes and governance frameworks, including SDGs, the G7 Urban 7 process, UN CBD COPs, UNFCCC COPs, Desertification COPs;
• cooperation on the implementation of EU Climate law, the EU Adaptation Strategy, and the EU Missions on ‘Climate-neutral and smart cities’ and on ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’;
• cooperation on a Just Transition and the inclusion of justice and equity in local and regional sustainability and climate neutrality strategies;
• supporting Ukrainian regions and cities via the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine led by the CoR and supported by ICLEI.

Key milestones of the joint agenda include not only the UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) from 30 November - 12 December 2023 and the CBD COPs in 2023/2024, but also the 10th edition of ICLEI’s flagship “European Sustainable Cities and Towns” Conference in October 2024 in Aalborg (Denmark).

For more information on the CoR, click here.