La Comisión Europea creó el Pacto de los Alcaldes en 2008 para ayudar a las ciudades y regiones a alcanzar los objetivos climáticos y energéticos de la UE para 2020. A fin de reforzar su papel, el Pacto ha decidido adaptar su compromiso climático al objetivo de la UE de alcanzar la neutralidad climática antes de 2050 y ha puesto en marcha una nueva Cámara de Embajadores Nacionales para respaldar su implantación en todos los Estados miembros. El Pacto de los Alcaldes cuenta con más de 10 000 signatarios que reciben apoyo técnico y orientación financiera para diseñar y aplicar planes de energía y clima que contribuyan a lograr la mayor ambición del Acuerdo de París sobre el Cambio Climático: mantener el aumento de la temperatura global por debajo de 1,5 °C.

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.