To ensure that the European Climate Pact, as an innovative governance tool and an umbrella initiative, is true enabler for cooperation between LRAs and the EU institutions as well as stimulate the creation of local climate pacts across the EU; the establishment of Green Recovery Forum could be one example of this cooperation.
To proposes that climate neutrality policy and territorial resilience become the backbone of a climate-neutral recovery strategy, ensuring that all funds invested in the recovery of Europe's economies also strongly contribute to accelerating the transition to climate neutrality biodiversity protection and increasing territorial resilience within the foreseen framework. In this regards, to also calls on specific activities for developing the relevant criteria and measurements and supporting local and regional authorities in deploying them
To ensure a direct access to EU funds for LRAs for both recovery from the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and for combating the climate crisis;
To further support this initiative through the launch of the CoR4Climate Pact project including identification of Green Deal Ambassadors, conceived to be focal points for information and dissemination of best practices related to the Green Deal including the role of the Green Deal as an accelerator for the social and economic recovery after the COVID-19 crisis; as well boost on communication on the Green Deal; and take stock of the Green Deal commitments of CoR members and promote peer-to-peer learning opportunities;
To further promote the Covenant of Mayors towards a reinforced political backing and a stronger embedment of the Covenant in the national energy and climate frameworks;
To further develop a permanent Multi-level Green Deal Dialogue with LRAs and other stakeholders in the framework of the European Climate Pact as well permanent dialogue between the CoR and the European Commission on the Renovation Wave initiative
To call on the European Climate Pact to support LRAs on specific sectors such as: sustainable mobility, energy efficiency in buildings, renewables, the circular economy, promotion of responsible and sustainable consumption, nature and biodiversity regeneration and the development of green and blue infrastructure, form of tourism that is sustainable, welcoming and inclusive, healh sector, green hydrogen, digital technologies, implementation of adaptation strategy, food production and land management, education
To establish a system of locally determined contributions to complement the NDCs
This opinion produced a significant impact and influenced the proposal made by the Commission on the European Climate Pact. It has permitted to reinforce the cooperation with the European Commission on the European Climate Pact.
Mr. Trzaskowski, rapporteur of the opinion, spoke at the official launch event of the European Climate Pact on the 16 December 2020, next to EVP Franz Timmermans
The CoR 4 Climate Project was launched to facilitate the inter-institutional cooperation, increase the engagement of CoR members at local and international level and to reinforce their capacity to succesfully implement solution at local and regional levels. This project encompass mainly 3 components: the Green Deal implementation network (CoR Ambassadors for the Climate Pact, National ambassadors for Covenant of Mayors, Technical Platform for cooperation on Environment); more systematic Green Deal profiling and reinforced Green Deal communication;
The launch of the network of CoR ambassadors for the Climate Pact is also a concrete example of the increased cooperation with the European Commission following the adoption of the opinion.
The opinion mentions several times the crucial role of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and specifically the need for "reinforced political backing". The European Commission has expressly followed the CoR opinion by extending the Political board of the Covenant of Mayors initiative. In the same vein, the creation of the chamber of National Ambassadors for the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, composed of 27 CoR members (1 per country) follows the opinion that calls to further strengthen the initiative;
Following the mention of the Under2Coalition in the opinion, the CoR and the Under2Coalition signed a new action plan 2021-2022 to facilitate the cooperation.
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
- stresses that the Climate Pact should be first of all an enabler for cooperation between the LRAs and the European institutions. It should serve as an innovative governance tool, to develop ideas, channel field information into the EU decision-making process, improve implementation of EU policies and coordinate action to combat climate change, while simultaneously tackling the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic;
- underlines therefore that the Climate Pact should also act as an "umbrella" initiative with its own branding for the existing and future local climate pacts or locally driven partnerships, working towards clear climate goals with civil society, businesses and other relevant stakeholders. It should help to create citizens' support for climate policies, facilitate exchanges of best practices, replication and scale up of the most successful European initiatives, and stimulate the creation of local climate pacts across the EU;
- welcomes the EC Communications on The EU budget powering the recovery plan for Europe and Europe's moment: Repair and Prepare for the Next Generation. In the context of the ongoing pandemic, climate neutrality policy and territorial resilience must become the backbone of a climate-neutral recovery strategy, ensuring that all funds invested in the recovery of Europe's economies also strongly contribute to accelerating the transition to climate neutrality biodiversity protection and increasing territorial resilience within the foreseen framework;
- points out that this innovative transversal approach of the Green Deal and the economic recovery requires a brand new approach to capacity-building in LRAs, targeting all sectors and pushing for more integrated management. The Climate Pact should be the opportunity to create a Green Deal culture all across LRAs and build citizens' awareness of, and involvement in, all the concerned policy areas;
- stresses that LRAs should have direct access to European funds (from the European budget as well as from other European financial institutions such as the EIB) for both recovery from the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and for combating the climate crisis;
- plans to launch the CoR4Climate Pact project to further support this important initiative. The project would include the identification of Green Deal Ambassadors, conceived to be focal points for information and dissemination of best practices related to the Green Deal including the role of the Green Deal as an accelerator for the social and economic recovery after the COVID-19 crisis.