The origins of the Covenant of Mayors
The new EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy brings together thousands of local governments voluntarily committed to implementing EU climate and energy objectives. The Covenant of Mayors was launched in 2008 in Europe with the ambition of bringing together local governments voluntarily committed to meeting and exceeding EU climate and energy targets. The initiative not only introduced a bottom-up approach to addressing climate and energy action for the first time, but quickly surpassed expectations. The initiative now brings together over 7.000 local and regional authorities in 57 countries, drawing on the strengths of a global multi-stakeholder movement and the technical and methodological support offered by dedicated offices.
The Signatories' Vision
The signatories share a vision for 2050: accelerating the decarbonization of their territories, strengthening their capacity to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change and enabling their citizens to access safe, sustainable and affordable energy.
The commitments of the Signatories
Signatory cities commit to supporting the implementation of the EU target of a 40% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 and the adoption of a common approach to addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation. To translate their political commitment into practical measures and projects, Covenant Signatories undertake to submit, within two years of the local council's decision, a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) outlining the key actions they intend to undertake. The plan will include a Baseline Emission Inventory to monitor mitigation actions and a Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment. The adaptation strategy can be part of the SECAP or developed and integrated into a separate planning document. This bold political commitment marks the beginning of a long-term process in which cities commit to reporting annually on the progress of their plans.
The Covenant of Mayors Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto
With Municipal Council Resolution No. 1 of 10.01.2019, the Municipality of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto has joined the new European Commission initiative of the Covenant of Mayors for Energy and Climate, committing to activate actions and initiatives in its municipal territory to achieve the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to the 2011 baseline. With DDG dated 26 October 2018, the Sicilian Region – Department of Energy and Public Utilities – Department of Energy, of the General Manager, approved the “Programme for the distribution of resources to the Municipalities of Sicily for the drafting of the Action Plan for Sustainable Energy and Climate” (PAESC), in order to promote the energy and environmental sustainability of Sicilian municipalities through the “Covenant of Mayors” (Covenant of Mayors – PAC New Regional Initiatives).
The activities envisaged by the regional call are the following:
- Energy Manager Activities;
- Characterization of electricity consumption at municipal sites, preliminary audits, and diversification prospects, with particular reference to the possibility of reducing consumption through the implementation of renewable energy sources;
- Preparation of the CO2 Emission Inventory update and drafting of the Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability Assessment document;
- Drafting of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan;
- Updating monitoring data for at least two years;
- Staff training activities on energy efficiency and climate issues;
- Raising public awareness of the energy and environmental planning process.
Coordination of PAESC actions with stakeholders
The Municipal Administration intends to activate a consultation process for the Sustainable Energy and Climate Plan's Actions with stakeholders (associations, trade associations, and citizens). Therefore, the Action Sheets have been published on a dedicated digital platform to allow all citizens to consult and express their opinion (through voting and comments) on the Plan's actions, as well as fill out a form to propose a new action of their own interest.