On the eve of the European elections, many local authorities gathered in Brussels on 15 March for a conference hosted by the EU presidency. The aim was to reaffirm the commitment to the European Green Pact and to underline the key role of regional and local governments in its practical implementation.

During the event, the Declaration of European local and regional leaders was formally delivered, calling on the European Commission and Member States to take into account their needs, barriers and opportunities when developing the legislative and support framework.

Their demands include the following:

  • Need to establish effective multi-level governance processes to harmonise the different existing planning and monitoring instruments and to make access to all available resources easier and more flexible.

  • Need to establish appropriate support platforms for competence and capacity building.
  • Need for direct and accessible funding and compensation mechanisms for the fulfilment of objectives.
  • Proposal for the creation of the working group “The Green Deal Goes Local” as a central axis to coordinate all these efforts.

Local authorities are playing an increasingly important role in the transition to a decarbonised and climate-resilient territory. There are currently numerous initiatives and resources for this, however, as evidenced at the congress, their complexity and lack of cohesion prevent them from being fully effective.

In Global Factor we have been supporting local entities for 20 years to make the most of all these resources by offering specialised advice. If you have any questions, or would like us to support you in the implementation of local climate action and energy transition policies in your municipality or region, please do not hesitate to contact us.

See the full statement at the following link: https://www.abbflanders.be/content/files/1150-26610-sylvester-green-deal-declaration-2-75a5b026003bea3a.pdf

Source: Global Factor

Global Factor is an international group with 20 years of experience, specialised in offering global, original, and innovative solutions in the fields of climate change adaptation and mitigation, carbon footprint, sustainability, circular economy, renewable energies, climate neutrality and carbon markets. Global Factor has an interdisciplinary team with a presence in 8 countries and has participated in more than 2,000 projects for more than 700 public and private clients and counterparties, international organisations and non-profit entities in 51 different countries.