What is the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy?
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership. It includes cities, local governments, and partners committed to combating climate change. The GCoM is built upon the commitment of over 10,000 cities and local governments. These cities hail from 6 continents and 138 countries, representing more than 800 million people.
The global board is co-chaired by European Commission Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Ex-Officio Members include UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif, and the Executive Director of the Global Covenant of Mayors.
Increasingly, cities and local governments across the globe are heeding the call to act. With nations working towards the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, cities’ involvement could not be more urgent.
By becoming part of the alliance, your local government can help drive climate action by working with local governments/regional networks, national governments, and international institutions.
Our mission
We serve cities and local governments to raise the bar on climate. We envision a world where committed mayors and local governments – in alliance with partners – accelerate, ambitious, measurable climate and energy initiatives that lead to a low-emission and climate-resilient future.
History
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy formally brings together the Covenant of Mayors and the Compact of Mayors,
The Covenant of Mayors was created in 2008 to implement the EU’s ambitious climate and energy targets by bringing together local governments voluntarily committed to address climate change. In 2015, Covenant signatories have voluntarily pledged action to support the implementation of the EU’s 40% greenhouse gas reduction target by 2030 and have adopted a joint approach to tackling climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The Compact of Mayors is a global initiative supporting mayors and city officials who pledge to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to climate change, and track their progress transparently. The Compact was launched in September of 2014 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Michael R. Bloomberg.
In June 2016, the Covenant of Mayors and the Compact of Mayors, came together to form the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, bringing together global city networks that are committed to fighting climate change and providing sustainable energy for all.
