ICLEI joined a coalition of 54 civil society stakeholders, businesses, and organisations representing cities and regions from across Europe to urge European Heads of State and Government to prioritise the transition to a climate-neutral, green, fair, and social Europe when defining the EU’s 2024-2029 Strategic Agenda. 

In the letter ICLEI and partners emphasise the importance of integrating key factors such as competitiveness, energy, security, and global engagement within a forward-thinking strategy that ensures the lasting wellbeing of all Europeans.  The letter outlines several elements coalition partner consider to be key for inclusion in the next Strategic Agenda: 

• Maintain the priority of a climate-neutral, green, fair, and social Europe: Accelerate the European Green Deal by setting an ambitious 2040 target, improving climate resilience, and boosting labour rights and social and civil dialogue.
• Put public funding and economic governance on the agenda: Establish a long-term EU Fund aimed at achieving a socially just and competitive transformation towards net zero and a circular economy.
• Urgently prioritise social and democratic concerns: Strengthen the social dimension, create quality jobs, and tie strong eco-social conditionalities to public funds.
• Place clean transition partnerships at the core of the EU’s approach to foreign policy: Strengthen Europe’s geopolitical position, international stability and global decarbonisation efforts through mutually beneficial clean transition partnerships. 

The letter led by E3G, CLG Corporate Leaders Group, SOLIDAR, and the Climate Action Network Europe (CAN-E) can be accessed here. Make sure to sign up to the ICLEI webinar exclusive for network members with experts from E3G and the Deputy Mayor of Wroclaw, Poland dissecting the election results and their impact on cities, towns and regions. Join us for “Empowered Cities: Navigating the EU elections and the Green Deal” on 20 June 11:00 - 12:00 here.