FAQ

General information

What is the Covenant of Mayors?

The Covenant of Mayors is the first and most ambitious European Union initiative launched by the European Commission directly targeting local authorities and their citizens to take the lead in the fight against global climate change. Since 2008, the Covenant of Mayors has developed into the leading movement for local authorities ready to step up their ambitions on sustainable energy and climate change. By joining the Covenant of Mayors, a local authority voluntarily commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving climate resilience through the implementation of a Sustainable Energy (and Climate) Action Plan.

What commitments do Covenant signatories have to fulfill?

The commitments for Covenant Signatories are linked to the European Union’s Climate and energy policy framework. These include the European Union’s climate and energy package for 2020 for signatories who have joined between 2008 and 2015 and the European Union’s 2030 climate and energy framework as well as the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change for signatories joining after 2015.

Signatories who are working within the 2020 timeframe (Covenant of Mayors 2020) and/or adaptation (Mayors Adapt) are invited to renew and extend their commitments from their current mitigation and/or mitigation to the - to the 2030 commitments (Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy) with a new council deliberation and a 2030 adhesion form.

Signatories who have signed up to the Covenant of Mayors between 2008 and 2015 have made the voluntary commitment to go beyond EU's 2020 targets of 20 % in terms of reduction in CO2 emissions.

Local authorities who signed up to Mayors Adapt the Covenant of Mayors on Adaptation - between 2014 and 2016, made the political commitments to act to adapt to climate change.

Since October 2015, local authorities commit to reduce their CO2 emissions (and possibly other greenhouse gas) by at least 40%, increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change and provide secured access to sustainable and affordable energy by 2030.

For Eastern Partnership countries the CO2 reduction target is set as at least 30%.

Why is it free to sign up for the Covenant of Mayors?

The point of departure for the Covenant of Mayors was a call from European cities that was endorsed and supported by the European Commission. As the Covenant of Mayors is a bottom-up initiative and a voluntary commitment by municipalities to meet ambitious targets set by themselves, it is of no cost to join the Covenant of Mayors fulfil the targets and duly report in line with the Covenant methodology.

What do the Covenant signatories get in return?

The European Commission has committed to supporting local authorities involved in the Covenant of Mayors and providing public visibility for them.

Firstly, the Commission has implemented and funded the Covenant of Mayors Office (CoMO), which assists Covenant signatories with any questions via the Helpdesk and promotes their local actions via the Covenant’s communication channels. The CoMO also co-ordinates the work with third parties and negotiates the support of relevant stakeholders.

Secondly, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission works in co-operation with the CoMO to provide mprehensive technical guidelines and templates in order to assist signatories in their delivery on the Covenant of Mayors commitments as well as to monitor implementation and results of signatories’ Action Plans.

Thirdly, the European Commission has committed to mobilizing financial facilities and political support at EU level.

Based on surveys, existing Covenant Signatories find multiple reasons to join the movement, which include:

• Make a public statement of their ambitious commitment to CO2 reduction.
• Create or reinforce the dynamic on CO2 reduction in their territory.
• Benefit from encouragement by and examples of other pioneers.
• Share the expertise developed in their own territory with others.
• Make their territory known as a pioneer.
• Publicize their achievements to the Covenant community and beyond via the Covenant website.
• Improve quality of life for their citizens.
• Benefit from widespread technical support.
• Reinforce collaboration with citizens and local stakeholders on their territory through the development and monitoring of their action plans.

What do Covenant signatories have to deliver?

Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy

To translate their commitments into action, local authorities commit to:

• Prepare and submit a Baseline Emission Inventory (BEI) that quantifies the CO2 emitted in the signatory's territory.
• Prepare and submit a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) that measures the level of risk by analyzing potential climate hazards and assessing the vulnerabilities on the signatory’s territory.
• Submit a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP), approved by the municipal council within the described timeframe (one year for SEAPs and two years for SECAPs) following their official decision to join the Covenant of Mayors initiative, which outlines the measures and policies they will implement to achieve their targets.
• Submit regularly - every two years after submission of their action plan - monitoring reports assessing the progress of their action plan.

Covenant of Mayors & Mayors Adapt (commitments before 2016)

For Covenant of Mayors and/or Mayors Adapt signatories, the commitments and associated reporting requirements remain as defined in the initial Commitment Text (signed when joining):

• CoM signatories are therefore committed to submitting a Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) within one year after the formal signing and then a monitoring report every two years.
• Mayors Adapt Signatories are committed to developing a local adaptation strategy and/or mainstreaming adaptation into existing relevant plans within two years of signing up to MA and then submit a monitoring report every two years.

Signatories accept the suspension of their membership in the initiative in case they do not submit the above-mentioned documents (SEAP/SECAP and monitoring reports) within the established deadlines. As soon as signatories submit their requested documents, they are reintegrated as members of the Covenant of Mayors. Suspension details.