On 29-30 March, Mayors part of the European Covenant of Mayors came together in ICLEI Member Brussels (Belgium) to discuss local climate and energy action in times of crisis. ICLEI Europe president Martin Horn, Lord Mayor of Freiburg (Germany), travelled to Brussels as a Covenant of Mayors board member with a strong message to EU leaders. In order to implement the objectives set in key EU sustainability frameworks, such as the EU Green Deal, Mayor Horn stressed the need for more direct support to municipalities in the form of investment, as well as more agile EU funding frameworks.

Highlights on the agenda included the European Covenant of Mayors “Cities on the frontline of the Energy Crisis” High-level Conference, and a subsequent meeting of the Covenant’s National Ambassadors to EU Member States. Addressing key EU Policy Makers and Mayors from across Europe, including the Mayors of Pedreguer (Spain), Lodz (Poland), and ICLEI Member Grenoble (France) on “Disruptive measures in times of crisis”, Freiburg’s Lord Mayor presented swift actions taken in Freiburg to address the energy crisis. From reducing lights at the local Christmas market to developing a new carbon neutral neighbourhood with social housing in Freiburg, the Mayor stressed that local governments know what is needed, but require additional support for a successful and fair transition. Calling for turning the crisis into an opportunity, Mayor Horn urged for the national and EU level to support municipalities in the implementation and financing of energy infrastructure projects. The Mayor also emphasised the transformative power of exchange and cooperation between local governments in making their needs heard in EU and international sustainability policy processes, facilitated through the city's role in ICLEI and the Covenant of Mayors. 

Kicking off the Covenant of Mayors High-Level Conference was a meeting of the Covenant of Mayors Board. The event was preceded by a meeting between ICLEI President Martin Horn and the Chair of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) ENVE Commission, Rafal Trzaswkowski. The meeting took place at the occasion of strengthened cooperation between ICLEI and the CoR under the new ICLEI - CoR Action Plan 2023/24. The Action Plan is setting out concrete activities over the next two years and builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between ICLEI and the CoR. More information here.