A message from COP28: Multilevel governance is the way to go

In the upcoming revision of the European Union's Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, there's a push for more inclusive multilevel dialogues. Recent analysis reveals a lack of proper engagement mechanisms of local and regional authorities in member states' National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), despite Article 11 of the Governance Regulation mandating multilevel dialogues on climate and energy.

At a global level, the importance of multilevel governance has also come to the forefront as a pressing matter. At COP28, a new initiative, the Coalition for Higher Ambition on Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP), stressing local governments' role amid ambitious climate goals, was endorsed by over 70 parties at COP28. 

Amidst calls for ambitious targets like the EU's proposed -90% emissions goal for 2040, such initiatives emphasise the pivotal role of local governments in global climate action.

Multilevel governance at COP28

COP28, held in Dubai from November 30th to December 12th, emphasised the crucial role of local governments in advancing global climate action. The conference spotlighted two significant events focused on cities and regions.

The first one was the Local Climate Action Summit (LCAS) co-hosted by the COP28 presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies which brought over 300 elected representatives of cities and regions to discuss how to strengthen mechanisms for multilevel governance as well as how to make finance fit for purpose when it comes to locally implemented projects. The highlight of the LCAS was the launch of the Coalition for Higher Ambition on Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP)  on climate action which has been endorsed by over 70 parties.

Here is more information on CHAMP and here you can visit the official website.

The second important appointment was the second ministerial on urbanisation co-hosted by COP28 Presidency, UN-Habitat and the High-level Climate Champions. The event greatly increased his weight with more than 50 ministers present to discuss with local representative counterparts on multilevel governance and finance.

Have a look at our publication "Multi-Level Governance in (Climate) Action – Co-creating policy solutions" to tackle climate change to get a better understanding and some good examples.

The Covenant will continue to bring forward the message. The next appointment is the event “Translating the EU green deal to local action” organised in Brussels by the Belgian EU Presidency on 15 March. 

How the Covenant of Mayors Europe contributed

The Covenant of Mayors has been present in the background, following the negotiations, as well as in the forefront, for example by facilitating the invitation of Mayors at the LCAS.

The Covenant of Mayors with the support of colleagues from the Covenant East and the Committee of the Regions, organized the session “Decentralised power: Cities rethinking the future of energy in Ukraine and beyond” moderated by the DG Energy senior advisor Eero Ailio. The session delved into the struggle of Ukrainian cities to secure energy supply as well as the need to look forward and find solutions for sustainable and resilient energy systems. Experiences were shared by representatives from the Ukrainian cities of Kiev, Dolyna and Khmelnytskiy, in dialogue with counterparts from the cities of Bologna, Italy and Turku, Finland.