COP25 did not reach an agreement on the rules for the full implementation of the Paris agreement. Regional indicators within the Paris rulebook and the call for multilevel collaboration did not make it to the final decision either. Nevertheless, Madrid demonstrated that cities and regions worldwide are firmly committed to higher climate ambition and action. The delegation of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) strongly defended the pivotal role cities and regions play in tackling global warming and the need to formalise their role in global climate governance. Glasgow is to host COP26 in December 2020 with expectations focusing on higher climate commitments and multilevel action. Click here to access the CoR's COP25 photo album.

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.

​In a debate with Finland's Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen, EU's local and regional representatives called on the EU to ensure all regions and their citizens benefit from the digital and ecological transitions that are shaping our societies. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted on 9 October two opinions requested by Finland's Presidency of the Council of the EU, which focus on tackling the digital divide and ensuring cohesion and solidarity for all Europeans.