At the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO) 2026 in Guimarães, Portugal, the EU Covenant of Mayors joined this year’s discussions on how cities can strengthen climate resilience through more integrated, practical and locally grounded approaches.
Its contribution focused on two closely connected questions: how can local energy systems make cities less vulnerable to external shocks, and how can digital tools help local authorities plan for climate risks in a more informed and lasting way? Through the “Resilience of Local Energy Systems” pitch, linked to the Covenant’s Homegrown Energy engagement action, and the workshop “Empowering cities with digital tools: roadmaps for accelerating climate resilience and risk-informed planning”, the EU Covenant highlighted how local renewable energy and risk-informed planning can help cities reduce vulnerabilities and prepare for future climate impacts.
Homegrown Energy: local renewables as a pillar of resilience
Through the “Resilience of Local Energy Systems” pitch, the EU Covenant of Mayors presented its Homegrown Energy engagement action, which supports cities and regions in developing locally driven approaches to renewable energy production, ownership and management.
The pitch placed a clear message at the centre: locally produced renewables and community energy can reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, strengthen energy independence and make local energy systems more secure, affordable and resilient to external shocks.
Connected to the European Commission’s AccelerateEU initiative, Homegrown Energy shows how local renewable solutions can help municipalities advance their climate and energy goals while reducing exposure to future price volatility.
Turning data into long-term resilience
The workshop “Empowering cities with digital tools: roadmaps for accelerating climate resilience and risk-informed planning” focused on how cities can make better use of digital tools to understand climate risks, prioritise investments and embed resilience into long-term planning.
A central takeaway was that digital tools are more useful for local governments when they are accessible and linked to clear policy choices: where to prioritise investments, which communities and assets are most exposed, and how to embed risk-informed decisions into local planning.
The discussion also stressed that digital solutions need the right institutional conditions in place. Clear governance, cross-sectoral coordination, long-term ownership and maintenance are essential to move beyond isolated pilots and integrate data into everyday planning and decision-making.
Building resilience from the ground up
The Covenant’s contributions at EURESFO 2026 highlighted practical ways for cities to accelerate implementation and prepare for future climate risks through local energy systems, better use of data and more risk-informed planning.
Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that local authorities have the knowledge, tools, partnerships and enabling conditions they need to reduce vulnerabilities, make more informed decisions and embed resilience into long-term local action.
The discussions in Guimarães were also a reminder of the value of peer exchange: when cities share experiences, challenges and practical solutions, Europe as a whole becomes better prepared to face increasingly complex climate risks.
Details
- Publication date
- 7 July 2026