IP/10/486

Brussels, 3 May 2010

EU conference: 500 cities pledge to reduce CO2 by more than 20%

More than 500 European mayors will commit tomorrow to cut CO2 emissions by more than 20% by 2020. By signing the Covenant of Mayors, they pledge to save energy, foster renewable energy and raise awareness among their citizens. They will sign the declaration in the presence of EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain. The Covenant of Mayors is a Commission initiative, supported both by the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions.

Günther Oettinger, Commissioner responsible for energy said: "The Covenant of Mayors has become a key element of the EU sustainable energy policy. Regions and cities are demonstrating that climate mitigation is one of the best economic recovery strategies. Investment into the reduction of CO2 emissions and energy efficiency creates jobs which by their nature cannot be delocalised." At the Covenant of Mayors Ceremony in the European Parliament, more than 500 mayors will sign the declaration. The Declaration commits them to analyse how much CO2 they emit at the moment, outline how they will reach the goal and evaluate their actions. They also commit themselves to raise awareness among citizens and to share best practice. The city of Heidelberg for example has reduced its Co2 emissions by nearly 40% in 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 showcases sustainable building and demonstration centre for citizens. Local authorities have a key role in mitigating climate change. Over half of greenhouse gas emissions are created in and by cities. 80% of the population lives and works in cities, where up to 80% of energy is consumed.

Background: The Covenant of Mayors is an annual conference that has been initiated by the European Commission in 2009. With more than 500 Mayors signing the declaration this year, the number of signatories will raise to more than 1600 signatories in 36 countries representing 120 million citizens. The European Commission is supporting the initiative by organizing the conference, fostering best practice on the website and helping local authorities to finance their energy actions through programmes such as ELENA which provides funding of Euro 15 million in 2010.

1

More information on the Covenant of Mayors and the ceremony: http://www.eumayors.eu/ Annex: List of Mayors singing the declaration

2

Annex

Local Authorities Signing the Covenant of Mayors

Albania ZAPRESIC

SHKODER Cyprus

Austria LARNACA LEFKARA LAXENBURG PARALIMNI WOLFURT Czech Republic Belarus JESENÍK POLOTSK Estonia Belgium KURESSAARE HASSELT RAKVERE CITY GOVERNMENT ANTWERPEN GENK France GENT LEIEDAL KORTRIJK SIVRY BREST MÉTROPOLE OCÉANE CHAMONIX MONT-BLANC Bosnia and Herzegowina COUDEKERQUE-BRANCHE COULAINES SARAJEVO ECHIROLLES CEDEX METZ Bulgaria BAYONNE CAEN BALCHIK CHAMBERY VARNA ECHIROLLES VARNA GRANDE-SYNTHE LA BASTIDONNE Croatia L'HAŸ-LES-ROSES SETE ZAGREB SÈTE DUGA RESA JASTREBARSKO Germany KLANJEC RIJEKA BÖHL-IGGELHEIM VELIKA GORICA FÜRSTENFELDBRUCK

3

HAMBERGEN LÖRRACH MUNICH OSTERHOLZ- SCHARMBECK BOMBA TELTOW WILLICH BORGO SAN GIACOMO

Greece BORRELLO PATRAS BOTTICINO ACHARNES AGIA VARVARA AGIOI ANARGYROI BRANDICO AGIOS DIMITRIOS DI SOPRA AGIOS STEFANOS ANO LIOSIA ASPROPYRGOS BRUGHERIO THERMI NEA VYSSA CALICE AL CORNOVIGLIO PAIANIA PALAIO FALIRO, ATHENS PANORAMA SERRES CANEGRATE SYKIES CANOSA SANNITA YMITTOS CARNATE

Italy CARONA CARONNO PERTUSELLA AGRATE BRIANZA CARUNCHIO ALBANO S. ALESSANDRO CASALBORDINO ALBINO CASALINCONTRADA CASALNUOVO MONTEROTARO ALTINO CASIRATE D'ADDA ARZAGO D'ADDA ATESSA CASOLI ATRI CASTEL FRENTANO BARBARIGA CASTELFRANCO EMILIA CASTELNUOVO DELLA DAUNIA BELLUSCO CASTELNUOVO MAGRA CASTELNUOVO RANGONE CASTIGLIONE MESSER MARINO CASTRO BISTAGNO CAZZANO DI TRAMIGNA

4

CAZZANO S. ANDREA GAMBERALE CELENZA SUL TRIGNO CELENZA VALFORTORE GAVARDO CERISANO CESENATICO GISSI CHIETI GIULIANOVA CINISELLO BALSAMO CIVITALUP ARELLA CIVITELLA MESSER RAIMONDO GRONE COLLEDIMEZZO GUALDO TADINO COMISO GUARDIAGRELE KUNSILL LOKALI COMUNITA' MONTANA DEI LAGHI BERGAMASCHI LA SPEZIA COMUNITÀ MONTANA DI LANCIANO VALLE SABBIA LENNA CONCORDIA SULLA SECCHIA LENTELLA CORTENUOVA LONGHENA CORZANO MACLODIO MAIRANO CRECCHIO MARANELLO MARANO PRINCIPATO CUSIO MARCALLO CON CASONE DELLO MEDOLLA DOGLIOLA MIGLIANICO MOIO DE CALVI FALLO MONTAZZOLI FARA SAN MARTINO MONTEFERRANTE FILETTO MONTELAPIANO FOGGIA MONTENERODOMO MONTEODORISIO FORMELLO FORMIGINE FOSSACESIA MOZZAGROGNA FRANCAVILLA AL MARE ODOLO FRESAGRANDINARIA

5

OLTRE IL COLLE SAN DONATO MILANESE ONETA SAN FELICE SUL PANARO SAN GIOVANNI ILARIONE ORSOGNA SAN GIOVANNI LIPIONI ORVIETO SAN PAOLO ORZINUOVI SAN PAOLO D'ARGON ORZIVECCHI OSTRA VETERE SAN POSSIDONIO PAGLIETA SAN SALVO SAN VITO CHIETINO SANTA BRIGIDA SANTA MARIA IMBARO PENNADOMO SANTO STEFANO DI MAGRA PERANO SANT'OMERO PERTICA ALTA PERUGIA PESCARA SCHIAVI DI ABRUZZO PESSANO CON BORNAGO SOAVE SOLIERA PIETRAMONTECORVINO POGGIOFIORITO SULBIATE POLLUTRI TALEGGIO POMPIANO TASSAROLO TERAMO TORNARECCIO PROVINCE OF PERUGIA QUADRI TORREBRUNA QUINZANO D'OGLIO TORRICELLA SICURA TORRITA TIBERINA REZZATO TORTONA RIPA TEATINA TORTORETO ROCCASPINALVETI TRAVEDONA MONATE ROÈ VOLCIANO TREGLIO TUFILLO ROSETO DEGLI ABRUZZI ROTA D'IMAGNA UBOLDO SAN BONIFACIO

6

VACRI BALZAN HAL-GHAXAQ VAL CAVALLINA IKLIN MARSASKALA PEMBROKE VALTORTA SAN GILJAN SANTA LUCIJA VARESE LIGURE SLIEMA TA' XBIEX XAGHRA, GOZO MDINA KALKARA VILLA SANTA MARIA SAN PAWL IL-BAHAR VILLACHIARA VILLALFONSINA Montenegro

VILLANUOVA SUL CLISI PODGORICA VIMERCATE Netherlands

VIRGILIO HEERHUGOWAARD VITTUONE VOBARNO Norway STAVANGER

ZEVIO Poland LODZ Latvia DZIERŻONIÓW JEKABPILS CITY COUNCIL LUBIANKA RACIECHOWICE Lithuania Portugal KAUNAS PANEVEZYS BEJA VILKAVIŠKIS REGION FERREIRA DO ALENTEJO MUNICIPALITY SANTIAGO DO CACÉM SANTO AMADOR Macedonia Romania SKOPJE CRAIOVA GIURGIU AVRIG Malta BISTRITA RM. VALCEA BIRKIRKARA VASLUI QRENDI SAN LAWRENZ Slovakia SANTA VENERA SWIEQI MOLDAVA NAD BODVOU XEWKIJA

7

FINESTRAT Spain GARGANTILLA DE LOZOYA

GATA DE GORGOS ABRERA GAVÀ AGRES GELIDA AGUILAR DE SEGARRA GRANJA DE ROCAMORA ALCALALI GRANOLLERS ALCOCER DE PLANES JIJONA ALCOI LA ROMANA ALMASSORA L'ALFAS DEL PI ALMORADI LES FRANQUESES DEL VALLÈS ALQUERIA DE AZNAR LES MASIES DE VOLTREGA ARENYS DE MAR LLEIDA ASPE BARCELONA LLIÇÀ D'AMUNT BENIARRES LOS MONTESINOS BENIDORM MARTORELL BENIFALLIM MONTORNÈS DEL VALLÈS BENIFATO MURO DE ALCOY BENIMARFULL NAVÀS BENISSA NULES BERGA ONDA BIAR ONDARA BURRIANA ORBA CALDES DE MONTBUI ORDIS CALDES D'ESTRAC ORIHUELA CALLOSA DE SEGURA PALAU-SOLITÀ I PLEGAMANS CALP PALLEJÀ CANYELLES PARCENT CARDEDEU PARETS DEL VALLÈS CASTELLÓN PEDREGUER CENTELLES PETRER CORBERA DE LLOBREGAT PINOSO DAYA VIEJA PREMIÀ DE MAR EL CAMPELLO PUERTO LUMBRERAS EL RAFOL D'ALMUNIA REUS ELCHE RIBESALBES ESPARTINAS RIUDECANYES ESPLUGUES DE LLOBREGAT ROJALES FAMORCA SALINAS FIGUERES SANT CUGAT CITY HALL

8

SANT CUGAT SESGARRIGUES SANT JOAN DESPÍ SANT LLUÍS (MENORCA) SANT QUIRZE DEL VALLÈS SANTA COLOMA DE GRAMENET SANTA EUGENIA SANTA MARIA DEL CAMÍ SANTANDER SELLA SENTMENAT TERRASSA TOLLOS VALENCIA VALL D'ALBA VILADECANS VILA-REAL VILASSAR DE DALT VILASSAR DE MAR VILLENA VINARÒS VITORIA-GASTEIZ

Sweden

BORÅS FINSPÅNG JOKKMOKK VÄXJÖ

Ukraine

LUTSK MOHYLIV-PODILSKY

United Kingdom

ABERDEEN

9

Supporting Structures signing the Covenant of Mayors

CLIMATE ALLIANCE COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN MUNICIPALITIES AND REGIONS ENERGY-CITIES EUROCITIES FEDARENE

LOCAL AUTHORITIES NETWORK (BELGIUM) UNION OF BULGARIAN BLACK SEA LOCAL AUTHORITIES (BULGARIA) UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN CROATIA REGION SJÆLLAND (DENMARK) VERBAND REGION RHEIN-NECKAR (GERMANY) ASSOCIATION COORDINAMENTO AGENDE 21 LOCALI ITALIANE () ASSOCIAZIONE BORGHI AUTENTICI D'ITALIA (ITALY) CITTASLOW INTERNATIONAL (ITALY) (ITALY) PROVINCE OF CHIETI (ITALY) PROVINCE OF LA SPEZIA (ITALY) PROVINCE OF MILANO (ITALY) PROVINCE OF MODENA (ITALY) PROVINCE OF PESCARA (ITALY) PROVINCE OF ROME (ITALY) PROVINCE OF TERAMO (ITALY) PROVINCE OF TORINO (ITALY) PROVINCIA DI BENEVENTO (ITALY) REGION ABRUZZO (ITALY) LOCAL COUNCILS' ASSOCIATION (MALTA) BALEARIC ISLAND GOVERNMENT (SPAIN) PROVINCE OF ALICANTE (SPAIN) PROVINCE OF BARCELONA (SPAIN) PROVINCE OF CASTELLÓN (SPAIN) ASSOCIATION OF ENERGYEFFICIENT CITIES OF UKRAINE

10