JRC support to the Covenant of Mayors - assessment report

On the occasion of the 5^th anniversary of the Covenant of Mayors, the JRC has published an assessment report of this initiative, which involves more than 4600 local authorities in the field of sustainable energy development and climate mitigation.

The JRC has provided scientific and technical support to this initiative since its launch, based on its expertise in both fields, sustainable energy and climate mitigation. It has, for instance, developed the methodology and guidelines for setting up local greenhouse gas inventories and defining appropriate sustainable energy actions for the signatories.
The JRC has also defined the monitoring methodology for assessing the signatories' progress towards their targets and has supported them in their efforts to increase their capacity and operational performance. The JRC is also responsible for the review and analysis of the submitted Sustainable Energy Action Plans and emission inventories of the CoM signatories.
In addition, JRC scientists operate a helpdesk service to the signatories, aimed at increasing their capacity and operational performance.

Background information

The Covenant of Mayors was launched by the European Commission in 2008, following the adoption of the EU Climate and Energy Package, to endorse and support the efforts deployed by local authorities in the implementation of sustainable energy policies.
Adherent towns, cities and regions voluntarily commit to reducing their overall CO2 emissions by at least 20% compared to 1990 reference levels by 2020, through the implementation of the measures described in their Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs).
The initiative includes almost 5 000 signatories, representing more than 160 million citizens (40% of the EU-27 urban population). Additionally, about 700 signatories committed to reduce emissions by more than the 20% threshold.

JRC report: The Convenant of Mayors in figures – 5-year assessment