CoR addressed four draft opinions on the green recovery from the Covid-19 crisis

Local and regional authorities want to ensure green recovery and stronger climate commitments

On Friday, 26 March 2021, the Commission for the Environment, Climate change and Energy (ENVE), part of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), held an online meeting to discuss the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and to ensure that it is green and inclusive as well as that it brings along higher climate ambition ahead of the UN’s climate summit in Glasgow in November.

4 draft opinions were presented and debated during the meeting

During the meeting four draft opinions were discussed:

• safe and sustainable chemicals for a toxic-free environment – to highlight the role of regions in the implementation process of economic policy based on green solutions by focusing on health and to improve competition through innovation,
• an EU strategy for energy system integration – it has a role in the economic recovery of local and regional governments to achieve energy efficiency and energy systems integration,
• protecting the maritime environment – working with EU municipalities and regions to save seas and water basins,
• stepping up Europe's 2030 climate ambition towards COP26 – the main goal is to create a balance between the EU climate target for 2030 and what cities and regions can achieve today.

Juan Espadas, Mayor of Seville and Chair of the CoR's ENVE Commission and Green Deal Going Local working party, opened the meeting by suggesting: "Ahead of COP26, the European Union must not only set a clear example in setting up climate targets to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, but also provide concrete solutions to properly involve local and regional authorities.

The Edinburgh Declaration on biodiversity shows that this path is possible and I hope we will achieve a similar involvement of cities and regions for Glasgow. Without local and regional authorities there is no climate transition and therefore their role must be fully taken into account."

Members approved the improved partnership arrangement between the CoR and DG ENER, which outlines collaborative efforts to ensure the Renovation Wave's successful implementation.