Navarra's Covenant of Mayors Management Portal: a new tool to manage the transition

Navarra’s Covenant of Mayors Management Portal is not just a platform—it is a gateway to sustainable development for municipalities, citizens, and regions alike. This web serves the following purposes: 

1. A Management Tool: It enables local entities and Local Action Groups to track and register actions aimed at fulfilling their commitments in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and combating energy poverty.
2. A Communication Channel: It bridges the gap between municipalities and citizens, highlighting local climate action progress and fostering transparency. The platform provides comprehensive insights at municipal, regional, and inter-municipal levels, making it an essential resource for drafting ecological transition plans and strategies.
3. A complementary tool to MyCovenant: All data can be exported in formats compliant with the Covenant of Mayors Office requirements and reporting.

Nasuvinsa-Lursarea is the entity that has designed and launched the portal. Together with the Government of Navarre, it coordinates the Covenant of Mayors initiative, which already has 213 town councils adhering to the initiative (78.3% of the municipalities and 90.8% of the population).

What makes the portal unique? 

The portal is structured into five key sections, each designed to empower users with actionable insights: 

Municipal Commitments

• Discover the number of municipalities that have joined the initiative and approved their Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs).
• Click on any municipality to access its SECAP and diagnostic documentation. 

Planning

• Explore detailed, interactive information on the measures outlined in each SECAP.
• Analyse data at municipal, regional, or inter-municipal levels. 

Local Climate Actions

• A showcase of climate initiatives being implemented by municipalities.
• Many of these actions are replicable and transferable to other regions.
• Each initiative includes a detailed fact sheet for easy reference. 

Progress Tracking 

• Visualise the scope of minimum commitments required by the Covenant of Mayors.
• Track the number of municipalities reporting actions aligned with their plans. ---
• Budget Execution Statistics: monitor the financial progress of measures by strategic line.
• Evaluation of the impacts produced by the actions, mainly in terms of reduced consumption and emissions (work in progress). 

Access to Funding

One of the most significant barriers identified in forums and studies on the Climate and Energy Transition (CET) is the lack of financial resources available to local entities for climate action. To address this, Navarra’s tool includes a dedicated section that compiles all regional and national funding opportunities relevant to the implementation of SECAPs. This resource is complemented by the support of Lursarea-Nasuvinsa’s technical team that assists local entities in adapting their projects to meet the requirements of various funding options. This dual approach ensures that municipalities not only identify funding opportunities but also maximise their chances of securing financial support.

Figure 1. Status of adherence to the Covenant of Mayors in Navarre (1. Municipal Commitments). 

Figure 2. Actions carried out in the municipality of Lizoain-Arriasgoiti (3. Local Climate Actions). 

Figure 3. Graphical analysis of the number of actions implemented by strategic line, budget implemented type of actions implemented and degree of compliance with the SECAPs (3. Local Climate Actions). 

Figure 4. Support for the implementation of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) (5. Access to Funding).

Continuous Improvement

Local climate action requires a process of continuous improvement to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Similarly, this tool is designed to evolve and expand over time. Future enhancements include: 

• A Repository of Best Practices: A collection of inspiring, replicable, and scalable initiatives to guide municipalities in their climate efforts.
• Municipal-Level CO2 Sequestration and Storage Metrics: Incorporating parameters related to biodiversity, sustainable agricultural practices, and forestry management. The transition to zero emissions must be fair; this type of data can help to balance territories based on their ecosystem services, especially the capture and storage of greenhouse gases.

Funding and Support

Since its launch, the portal has been co-funded by the LIFE Programme (through LIFE-IP Nadapta-CC and LIFE PLAN4CET projects) and the Government of Navarra. These funds have supported human resources and technical assistance for the development of SECAPs, with an investment of approximately 500,000 euros. 

Why this matters

Navarra’s tool is more than just a monitoring platform—it is a comprehensive support system for municipalities navigating the complexities of climate action and funding. By addressing financial barriers and fostering continuous improvement, this tool empowers local entities to accelerate their transition toward sustainability. 

Let’s celebrate this innovative approach and explore how it can inspire other regions across Europe! 

For more information, visit the portal and explore how Navarra is leading the way in ecological transition. 

Photo: NASUVINSA's team, by Nasuvinsa-Lursarea.

This article is a contribution from a Covenant partner, written by Aitor García Galar, Sustainability technician at Nasuvinsa-Lursarea.