​​​​The Covenant of Mayors was launched in 2008 by the European Commission to support cities and regions with delivering the EU's 2020 climate and energy targets. The Covenant is now reinforcing its role by aligning its climate pledge to the EU's objective of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 together with the launch of a new Chamber of National Ambassadors to support the rollout of the Covenant in each Member State. The Covenant of Mayors counts more than 10,000 signatories that receive technical support and financial guidance to design and implement energy and climate plans that contribute to keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5℃ - the highest ambition of the Paris climate agreement. ​ ​​

While national governments fall short in agreeing on carbon neutrality objectives, local and regional representatives shared their will to commit and deliver ambitious climate policies during the meeting of the European Committee of the Regions commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy. At the COTER Commission meeting that took place today at the European Committee of the Regions, local and regional leaders and representatives of the European Commission exchanged their views.

Leading members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) met the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel on 2 July during a brief visit to Tel Aviv intended to strengthen cooperation.

The city of Ramallah and the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities on 30 June hosted a meeting of the executive board of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM), to discuss how cities and regions can collaborate to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Local and regional leaders, working together in the context of the Union for the Mediterranean, also considered ways to develop the blue economy in the Mediterranean and to deepen integration and economic relations between local and regional authorities throughout the Mediterranean.