Subnational governments deliver 70 % of climate mitigation measures and 90 % of climate adaptation policies. Their contribution must finally be recognised to avert the climate emergency The European Committee of the Regions adopted a resolution on COP26 setting out its climate demands two weeks before UN's climate negotiations in Glasgow. As the world faces unprecedented heat waves, floods, hurricanes and sea level rises, EU local leaders called on the UN and national governments to formally acknowledge, monitor and encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by cities, local governments and regions worldwide. Higher climate ambition, transparency and accountability in reducing GHG emissions and climate finance for the most vulnerable are the three key aspects on the table in Glasgow.

The United Nations' climate summit is to kick off in Glasgow in less than two months. Six years after the signature of the Paris Agreement, national governments are to provide concrete answers on how they plan to meet their climate targets. As the world goes through unprecedented heat waves, fires and floods, COP26 will put the spotlight on the need for higher climate ambition to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. The formal inclusion of local and regional governments and their climate contributions remains a key demand that EU cities and regions will put forward in Glasgow, in close cooperation with international networks of sub-national government actors.

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union have joined efforts to bring together local and regional authorities, Member States' permanent representations, the European Commission and the European Parliament to discuss how to ensure that the Renovation Wave accelerates the social and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic while greening a sector that accounts for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the EU. The third CoR multilevel climate and energy dialogue provided an open exchange platform between different levels of government to build bridges for the full involvement of local and regional authorities in the design and implementation of national resilience and recovery plans. ​

Il Patto dei sindaci è stato varato nel 2008 dalla Commissione europea per aiutare le città e le regioni a conseguire gli obiettivi dell'UE in materia di clima ed energia per il 2020. Il Patto sta rafforzando il suo ruolo allineando il suo impegno in materia di clima all'obiettivo dell'UE di raggiungere la neutralità climatica entro il 2050, insieme all'istituzione di una nuova Camera degli ambasciatori nazionali per sostenere la diffusione del Patto in tutti gli Stati membri. Unico membro italiano della Camera è Roberto Ciambetti (IT/ECR), presidente del consiglio regionale del Veneto che guida la delegazione italiana al CdR . Il Patto dei sindaci conta oltre 10 000 firmatari che ricevono assistenza tecnica e orientamenti in materia finanziaria per elaborare e attuare piani per l'energia e il clima che contribuiscano a mantenere l'aumento della temperatura globale al di sotto di 1,5°C, la maggiore ambizione dell'accordo di Parigi sul clima.