Home to around 70% of the EU’s population, cities in Europe unequivocally have a central role to play in providing solutions to what is one of the 21st century’s biggest global problems, in particular as crowded urban areas are especially susceptible to the impacts of climate change.

The Declaration testifies to the commitment of cities to ensuring that action is undertaken at the local level and that the climate change challenge is brought into the hearts and minds of the citizens they represent. Cities are best placed to speak with their citizens on global matters such as climate change, and to show how changes made at the local level in all areas of public life, from waste management, to public transport, to cultural events, among others, can contribute to facing this global challenge.

Speaking at the event, Jean-Marc Ayrault, President of Nantes Métropole and Chair of the Eurocities Working Group on Climate Change and Energy remarked, “It is now the right time to accelerate our actions on combating climate change. This can be a contributing factor in facing today’s economic crisis. We, the cities, strongly believe that we cannot delay the fight against climate change.”

Also commenting, Eurocities President Gérard Collomb, Mayor of Lyon said, “With this Declaration, we are sending a strong message to the EU and national governments that cities are profoundly engaged in combating climate change. But, we need to consider the different levels of capacity existing in different cities. And, we are looking to other levels of governance to work together to support cities’ actions.

Specifically, the Declaration outlines cities’ commitment to implement a strategy to fight against climate change, by: