Mohamed Ridouani, Mayor of Leuven and President of the Energy Cities network, a partner organisation of EUSEW<\/a>, highlights the pivotal role of municipalities in implementing the European Green Deal<\/a> and emphasises the need for adequate resources and support.<\/p>\n
In the past five years, the European Union has established the legislative framework to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and initiate the European Green Deal.<\/p>\n
2024 marks the commencement of the implementation phase for the EU’s climate and energy policies, where municipalities are poised to play a significant role.<\/p>\n
As Mayor of Leuven, I am proud to say we are among those municipalities leading the way towards achieving those objectives.<\/p>\n
Through initiatives like Leuven 2030, the city has rallied its community around the shared goal of climate neutrality, as evidenced by the submission of the Climate City Contract<\/a> to the European Commission in 2023.<\/p>\n
Almost every Directive or Regulation part of the European Green Deal has elements that concern local authorities.<\/p>\n
A new publication<\/a> by Energy Cities and Eurocities provides a detailed analysis, but, as an example, a lot of effort is going to be needed at the local level regarding mapping, planning, building management, and renovation.<\/p>\n
A 2022 study shows that each municipality in the EU would need around 2.5 additional full-time positions<\/a> only to decarbonise their built environment.<\/p>\n
Some solutions have already been put on the table. The EU Social Climate Fund<\/a> could be an opportunity for cities to finance their investments for a just and equitable transition.<\/p>\n
EU legislation, such as the Energy Performance of Building Directive<\/a>, suggests that Members States provide training for local authorities.<\/p>\n