The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is looking forward to the COP25 climate summit in Madrid as an opportunity to formally acknowledge the key role of the EU’s cities and regions in strategic climate governance and ensure their adequate engagement in reducing greenhouse emissions. First Vice-President Markku Markkula will lead the CoR delegation in Madrid along with the ENVE Commission chairs Cor Lamers (EPP/NL) and Jean-Noël Verfaillie (RE/FR). Members of the CoR's Commission for Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) also outlined that the local and regional level is key to the success of the European Green Deal.

As climate change and decarbonisation become the priority of the new European Commission under the 'Green Deal', the European Committee of the Regions has adopted a set of opinions related to Europe's climate agenda. Amongst them are recommendations to address the clean energy transition in coal regions and the involvement of local and regional authorities in the 2030 National Energy and Climate Plans (NCPS). In a plenary session stamped by the future of cohesion policy, members support a separate fund for coal regions yet involving local and regional governments in investment decisions. EU cities and regions want to move forward the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and recall that Europe will not reach climate neutrality by 2050 without upgrading the current climate and energy targets.

Bucharest has hosted the 24th meeting of the Commission for Environment, Climate change and Energy of the European Committee of the Regions. Measures to move forward the implementation of the Paris climate agreement, the role of cities and regions in delivering the EU’s clean energy package and the Sustainable Development Goals were the three main topics on the agenda. In partnership with the European Commission, the Romanian EU Presidency and the Association of Romanian Municipalities, the CoR is also taking part in the 12th SET PLAN conference 'Making the energy transition happen locally' from 12 to 14 June 2019.

Energy poverty and the fight against global warming have starred at the 23rd meeting of the Commission for Environment, Climate change and Energy (ENVE) of the European Committee of the Regions. The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris climate agreement locally, along with explicit support for coal regions, were also on the discussion table. Ahead of the European elections in May, the ENVE Chair Cor Lamers stressed the need to 'live up to the expectations of our youth on the climate emergency we live in.'