Eurocities members are climate leaders. Many cities have plans and targets aligned to limiting temperature rise to 1.5C, and often they are more ambitious than their national governments. With 75% of Europeans living in urban areas, cities are at the core of climate action for mitigation and adaptation. Actions such as decarbonising heating and cooling, retrofitting buildings, increasing active mobility and low carbon transport, and developing adaptation and resilience plans for extreme weather events, among others, are all being implemented at city level. Cities are also taking action to facilitate behavioural changes that contribute to a more climate-friendly lifestyle.
Key policy messages:
- Cities are climate leaders and central to meeting global recommendations to limit temperature rise to 1.5C, through ambitious local plans and working with citizens, business and civil society to achieve sustainable change.
- We call on the Commission to urgently revise the EU 2030 GHG reduction target to ensure that it is consistent with the IPCC recommendations for keeping global temperature rise below 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
- Cities need a seat at the table negotiating and developing global, EU and national climate mitigation and adaptation policies, given the vital role of the local level in delivering effective GHG reductions in collaboration with citizens and businesses.
- We call for an ambitious EU long-term strategy that commits Europe to accelerating the energy transition and achieving zero carbon by 2050 at the latest, and ensure that the EU’s resources and funding fully support this.
- We need EU leadership globally to ensure that subsequent COPs fully take into account IPCC recommendations and ensure that nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are in alignment with the 2030 and 2050 reduction levels recommended by the IPCC.
