On Tuesday 14 May, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) published a briefing on the key role played by local and regional authorities in tackling climate and environmental issues.
The CoR stresses the need for these authorities to work closely with national governments and international organisations. The committee explains that this is because their involvement on the ground would enable them to develop initiatives and implement technical and organisational changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect and restore nature and help citizens adapt to the effects of climate change.
The CoR also calls for the green transition to be placed at the heart of all political decisions. To this end, the committee advocates multi-level governance systems, guaranteeing the participation of local and regional authorities in international strategies and national climate and environment plans.
In addition, the CoR calls for sound regulatory frameworks and direct access to funding for these authorities, enabling them to carry out integrated cross-sectoral actions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and international agreements, such as the Paris Agreement. Other demands include greater integration of the polluter pays principle into environmental legislation and tighter control of pollution at source.
Tallinn, European Green Capital 2023. The example of the Estonian capital Tallinn and its “Tallinn 2035” urban strategy illustrates this vision. The European Green Capital 2023, Tallinn has put in place an ambitious strategy, adopted in December 2020, to create greener and more inclusive urban spaces. With clear objectives such as carbon neutrality, adaptation to climate change and innovation in health and mobility, the city is at the forefront of Estonia’s ecological transformation.
As the Committee of the Regions points out, initiatives such as GoGreenRoutes, urban gardens and a 13 km “pollinator highway” demonstrate Tallinn’s commitment to biodiversity. The fact that public transport has been free since 2013 and the objective of enabling every citizen to reach the necessary infrastructure in 15 minutes by “soft transport modes” - i.e. with low carbon emissions - demonstrate the importance of sustainable mobility.
Read the note: https://aeur.eu/f/c8n (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)