ENERGIE-CITES OFFICIALLY BECOMES A COVENANT OF MAYORS’ "SUPPORTING STRUCTURE"

Foto: ENERGIE-CITES OFFICIALLY BECOMES A COVENANT OF MAYORS’ "SUPPORTING STRUCTURE"; autors: ENERGIE-CITES OFFICIALLY BECOMES A COVENANT OF MAYORS’ "SUPPORTING STRUCTURE"

Energie-Cités has joined the group of twenty or so Covenant of Mayors’ Supporting Structures composed of regional and provincial public administrations and local authority networks already engaged in relaying the initiative.



Following the agreement signed between Eckart Würzner, Mayor of Heidelberg and President of Energie-Cités, and the European Commission, the European association Energie-Cités undertakes to support its members as they join the initiative and take local measures aimed at guaranteeing a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions on their territory.



As part of its commitment, Energie-Cités will:

- Reinforce its promotional actions in favour of the Covenant of Mayors as regards its members as well as any city or partner organisation,

- Publicise its members’ initiatives and action plans as a source of inspiration for other cities,

- Develop the exchange of experience and expertise as well as the availability of tools aimed at preparing and implementing action plans,

- Create a "Covenant of Mayors" task force composed of Board members in order to relay the expectations of the cities engaged in the initiative and put forward proposals.



A network very much involved in the Covenant

Over 65 Energie-Cités town and city members are already involved in the Covenant of Mayors and are working on their Action Plan. Many others are in the process of joining the Covenant.

- Several collective members of Energie-Cités in Poland (PNEC), Bulgaria (Eco-Energia) and Ukraine (EECU) acting as Supporting Structures in their respective countries are promoting the Covenant of Mayors.



It is an ambitious gamble but Energie-Cités knows it can count on the political commitment of its members and on the technical expertise of their services as well on an institutional framework that benefits from the European Commission’s support.



This commitment is the best possible contribution to the success of COP15 which should be determinant for the post-Kyoto period.