The Green City Accord is a new European Commission initiative to accelerate the implementation of the EU environmental directives in the areas of air quality, water and wastewater, waste, noise, and biodiversity and nature. The Accord will be developed in coordination with city experts and launched over the course of 2020.

The aim of this new initiative is to mobilise cities that are ready to become environmental leaders. In order to participate in the initiative, cities publicly announce their commitment to taking further action in the above-mentioned fields.

On 31 January 2020, in the context of the CITIES Forum 2020 in Porto (Portugal), a 'working corner meeting' will be held, which will be the first open gathering for city representatives on the Accord. This meeting will welcome all interested city delegates to share their first-hand expertise, insights and perspectives on the main challenges they face in addressing environmental concerns at the city level and in implementing the EU's environmental directives.

The meeting, organised by ICLEI, EUROCITIES and CEMR, will begin by presenting the development of the Green City Accord process in the months ahead and drawing links to the European Green Deal. Participants will then jointly explore how a European-wide cities campaign for action in the above-mentioned fields can be designed to enhance local development and lead to greater sustainability overall.

Local government officials attending the CITIES Forum 2020 in Porto are strongly encouraged to join the working corner meeting, which will be held on 31 January from 9:00-10:30, in Pillar Hall, Alfandega.

For more information on the working corner meeting, click here.