Brussels, 03/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - At a ceremony on Tuesday 4 May, to be attended by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain, and European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, more than 500 European mayors will sign the Covenant of Mayors. With this, the number of signatories will rise to more than 1600 cities, local and regional authorities in 36 countries, representing 120 million citizens, committed to cutting CO2 emissions by more than 20% by 2020 through energy savings and the increased use of renewables. In signing the declaration, the mayors pledge to analyse how much CO2 their cities emit at the moment, outline how they will reach the goal, evaluate the action taken, raise awareness among citizens and share best practice.
Thus, among the cities which have already signed the Covenant, the city of Heidelberg (Germany) has reduced its CO2 emissions by nearly 40% from public buildings through energy monitoring stations and the “Energy Teams” in the city's schools; the city of Riga utilises the methane gas produced in the city's waste tip to produce electricity; and Antwerp uses a refurbished industrial warehouse as a showcase for sustainable building and a demonstration centre for citizens.
Local authorities have a key role in mitigating climate change, the European Commission says in a press release. Over half of greenhouse gas emissions are created in and by cities. Eighty per cent of the population lives and works in cities, where up to 80% of energy is consumed.
The Covenant of Mayors is an initiative supported by the European Commission, which, along with the European Investment Bank (EIB) launched ELENA, the European assistance mechanism at local level for investment in sustainable energy, at the end of December (see EUROPE 10041).
For more information on the Covenant of Mayors and the ceremony, go to: http://www.eumayors.eu (E.H./transl.rt)