Guidance on Covenant of Mayors action categorisation

This document provides guidance on how to use the new action categorisation framework introduced in the MyCovenant platform in September 2026. The new framework builds on the three pillars of the Covenant of Mayors (climate change mitigation, adaptation and energy poverty) and introduces key type measures (KTMs) as a common entry point across the three pillars. KTMs enable a holistic understanding and categorisation of the types of interventions used to achieve climate objectives, encompassing physical, technological, economic, governance and knowledge-based approaches. For the mitigation pillar, the framework also revises and simplifies the areas of intervention (AoIs) to strengthen alignment with the baseline emission inventory (BEI) to better track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The removal of policy instruments (PIs) from the framework streamlines the reporting process, as their essence is captured by the KTMs and AoIs.

This guidance complements existing MyCovenant reporting documents and the 2025 SECAP Guidebook complementary document 4 “How to plan mitigation, adaptation and energy poverty actions” by offering detailed definitions of KTMs and AoIs, as well as practical tips and examples for reporting specific types of actions, including energy-related actions, cross-cutting actions and integrated approaches. The document aims to support signatories in accurately and consistently reporting their climate actions, thereby enhancing the quality of data across the Covenant of Mayors community and supporting peer learning.