On the road to climate neutrality: Lithuanian Municipalities Forum held in Tauragė

For two days, participants exchanged experiences, shared good practices, and explored solutions on sustainable mobility, green finance, energy transition, short food supply chains, and local innovation. The event, organised by the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania and Tauragė District Municipality, together with the EU Covenant of Mayors, also tackled the barriers holding municipalities back and identified national-level decisions that can accelerate change.

With ministries, city leaders and researchers around the table, the forum offered a clear view of how ambitious climate goals are being transformed into local action. Focusing on the needs, challenges and success of cities and municipalities in Lithuania, the Forum allowed mayors, municipal directors, and local specialists to learn from each other and get inspired with relevant and replicable tools and solutions.  

Opportunities and discussions for cities

The forum was attended by heads of municipalities, representatives of ministries, the European Commission Representation in Lithuania, the Science Council, Kaunas University of Technology, the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, and other experts from various fields.  The participants visited the company "Tauragės šilumos tinklai", the Circular Economy Education Centre, and other places that allowed them to see in practice how climate neutrality ideas are transformed into concrete projects in the municipality. 

The Forum focused on:  

• Climate change challenges for Lithuanian cities
• Concrete tips to become a climate-neutral municipality
• Legal regulatory changes for municipalities: Energy-saving agreements and efficiency plans
• Overview on Sustainable mobility in Lithuania  

The panel discussions gathered representatives from cities, ministries, the European Commission in Lithuania, companies and local organisations. The wide range of speakers made the conversation diverse and focusing on all the aspects of the climate and energy transition for cities.  

The municipalities of Tauragė, Jonava, Vilnius, and Plungé were among the speakers, sharing their best examples and practices with other cities. This peer-to-peer exchange allowed participants to learn from each other and explore solutions for local challenges. exchange of examples between peers     

The EU Covenant of Mayors as enabler for municipalities  

In Lithuania, local governments are turning climate ambition into concrete action. Climate neutrality is not only an environmental ambition, but is also a driver of regional development, quality of life, public health, and economic attractiveness.  

Hosted by the Tauragė District Municipality, the event was the occasion for the municipality to showcase its ideas and advancement. Tauragė is a signatory of the Covenant of Mayors since 2021, and is part of the 100 Mission Cities looking into climate neutrality by 2030. The municipality hosts one of the largest wind farms in the Baltic Region, and is decarbonising its district heating.  

In Lithuania, 17 cities are signatories of the EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, translating ambitious climate and energy commitments into locally relevant solutions.