EU Covenant of Mayors Signatories commit to taking action on climate and energy in line with European objectives, aiming to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 while making their territories more resilient to climate change and alleviating energy poverty.
Why Join
Local governments play a leading role in securing Europe’s sustainable, resilient and inclusive future. Joining the EU Covenant of Mayors empowers them to fulfil this role, as they gain the recognition, methodology and connections that take their energy and climate action to the next level.
Join the EU Covenant of Mayors to:
- Validating local ambition as a key part of EU policy;
- Showcasing the collective impact of local action;
- Granting local leaders visibility and a voice on the EU and global stages;
- Getting direct access to EU decision-makers;
- Elevating local leadership in European and global climate action.
- Aligning local ambition with the EU’s climate and energy objectives;
- Responding to European and global standards;
- Accomodating national specificities and requirements;
- Building on strong scientific foundation and evaluated by a third party;
- Promoting an integrated approach to planning across policy areas.
- Learning from and exchange with peers;
- Engaging in multilevel dialogue with key EU, national and regional stakeholders;
- Linking up with other EU and global initiatives and access their services, support systems, resources and tools.
Who Can Join
Any European local authority can become a signatory of the EU Covenant of Mayors – regardless of its size or where it stands in the development and implementation of its energy and climate policies – as long as it is represented by an elected local council or an equivalent decision-making body composed of elected members.
Supra-local authorities
Supra-local authorities falling into the categories below can join as individual signatories:
- County councils
- Metropolitan areas
- Greater cities
These authorities can join the initiative as Covenant signatories if the adhesion is linked to the development and implementation of a sustainable energy and climate action plan for the whole territory they administer.
Local public entities aggregating municipalities / local authorities
Union of municipalities, local action groups, communities of municipalities and similar entities can join the EU Covenant of Mayors by creating a group of signatories. Each municipality / local authority, part of the local public entity, shall adhere to the initiative. The local public entity will be granted access to the initiative (and the platform) once all its municipalities / local authorities have completed the adhesion process.
How to Join
Step 1Present the EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy initiative to your local / municipal council. In order to ease the council’s discussions, you can download the Commitment document here. | Step 2Once an official resolution has been adopted by the council, mandate the mayor - or equivalent representative of the council - to sign the Covenant Commitment document. | Step 3After signature, complete your information online and upload the duly signed Commitment document. Please take note of the next steps, outlined in the Annex to the Commitment document and in the FAQs. |
Need help? Contact our Helpdesk at info@eumayors.eu.
After Joining
 | 1. Communicate Share your commitment with your community and local media! To help with this, our CoM-munication Starter Pack will be available soon. |
 | 2. Make a Plan The next big step will be to develop your Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP), which should be completed within two years after commitment. For this, you will need to: a) set your mid- (and long-) term mitigation (GHG emissions reduction), adaptation and energy poverty targets; b) measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and develop a GHG inventory; c) assess climate change risks and vulnerabilities; d) define mitigation, adaptation and energy poverty actions. For this process, find all the guidance you need here. Consult our FAQs or contact our helpdesk if you have any questions. |
 | 3. Submit your plan and track your progress You can track your progress through one of our two official platforms, MyCovenant or CDP-ICLEI Track. Remember to regularly report your actions’ progress and monitor your emissions inventory. |
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4. Celebrate your wins Mark the milestones you hit by sharing the Covenant certificates and badges you receive after each big achievement. |
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5. Share your story Gain visibility on the European stage by sharing successful actions in your city, getting featured in our CoM-munity Stories, thematic campaigns or events.
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 | 6. Get involved Participate in EU Covenant of Mayors’ activities and workshops at international, EU and national levels to gain knowledge, connect with peers, and engage in dialogue with national and EU institutions. |
 | 7. Stay up to date Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on LinkedIn and check out our website to stay up-to-date with latest activities and opportunities from the Covenant and partner initiatives. |
Renew Your Commitment
In early 2021, the EU Covenant of Mayors renewed its commitments to reflect the latest evolutions of the EU policies (mainly the EU Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package, the EU Climate Pact, the 2030 Climate Target Plan and the EU Adaptation Strategy) and strengthen its position as the movement of local authorities leading for change.
The revised commitment text calls Mayors and local leaders to jointly and inclusively a) renew their climate ambitions, and b) step up their actions in a mid- and longer-term perspective in a joint effort to keep global temperature rise below 1.5℃, considering climate change as a global emergency of our times.
You joined the initiative before 2021 and have not yet upgraded your commitment to 2050?
We strongly encourage you to raise your ambition and renew your Covenant commitments – to match the latest version of the Covenant Commitment Document - at your earliest convenience, according to your municipal planning cycles.
To do so,
- Present the EU Covenant of Mayors Commitment document to the municipal council (or equivalent decision-making body) and get it signed by your Mayor (or other competent political representative), alongside mid-term GHG reduction targets.
- Once officially adopted, there is no need to register again. Simply go to your online signatory’s profile in MyCovenant, update your data, upload the signed Commitment document, enter your midterm targets, save and click on the dedicated ‘renew’ button.