Cities and the climate: Why do investments and a sustainable future matter?

As centers of human activity, cities are on the front lines of the fight against climate change. They are home to more than half of the world's population, consume more than two-thirds of energy and are responsible for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions. It is logical that the competences of local authorities include activities related to the implementation of 70% of climate change mitigation measures and 90% of climate change adaptation measures. They are responsible for over two-thirds of public investment and in many cases are directly involved in providing social services to their residents. And climate and energy-related projects not only save costs and limit damage from extreme weather events, but also provide one of the few sources of investment in improved urban environments and quality of life.

However, despite the high ambitions of the European Union, the results so far do not give much cause for enthusiasm. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of coordination between the EU, governments and municipalities. Policies and funds for them are concentrated in individual sectors, which reduces their overall effectiveness. The financing of the activities in the municipalities is subordinated to the priorities and time frame of the European funding, and projects of essential importance for the local communities remain outside the scope of the programs. Local sustainable energy plans, even with the best intentions, rarely find actual implementation and have become a tedious administrative requirement with no practical effect. Overcoming these problems is essential to speed up progress and achieve meaningful results – and the funds are there, but they need to be managed effectively and according to the needs of the localities, which the EU and governments often do not know.

In this context, the Ministry of Environment and Water of Bulgaria organized an international conference "Climate policies as an opportunity for investment in the development of the urban environment" as part of the accompanying program of the 61st session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Sofia (the full program of the event can be found here, pre-registration is required for participation). The event will bring together mayors and deputy mayors from some of the most active cities in Bulgaria, led by Sofia, Burgas and Gabrovo, who will have the opportunity to discuss how they can better manage their climate policies with both representatives of the Bulgarian government and with leading experts from the IPCC and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD). The co-organizers are the Ministry of Energy, EnEffect and Climate Coalition and NSORB, and the focus will be on the two leading initiatives ("missions") of the EU, which are currently attracting ideas and funding for the implementation of innovative projects for urban development:

1. Climate-neutral and smart cities: This mission aims to support the achievement of climate neutrality by 2030 in 100 European cities, which will become an example for all other settlements in Europe. This includes promoting clean energy projects, sustainable urban mobility and efficient use of resources in urban environments, while aiming to visibly improve the quality of life of citizens. The two Bulgarian cities included in the mission are Sofia and Gabrovo. We will learn what their projects are during the conference; whether there is support from the state - also. In Romania, for example, the government has already provided 1 billion euros to implement the investment concepts of the five selected cities.

2. Adaptation to climate change: This mission aims to support at least 150 European municipalities and regions in achieving climate resilience by 2030. The mission focuses on developing strategies and solutions that enable communities to anticipate, prepare and to respond to extreme weather events. 13 Bulgarian cities - including Burgas - are part of it, and the National Trust Ecofund has already completed one of the first projects on the topic, with results that will be presented during the event.

Photos from the conference held: "Adaptation to climate change in urban environments - deployment of local capacity and national policies".

Why the municipalities - haven't we looked at weak local projects and leakage of funds?

In fact, both the best and the weakest projects are in cities – simply because they are where the politics happen. However, it cannot be denied that the legacy of city-led climate initiatives is solid. For example, the "Covenant of Mayors" unites over 10,000 municipalities across Europe have declared their commitment to meet and exceed EU targets. Since its inception in 2008, this initiative has grown into the world's largest movement for local climate and energy action, promoting cooperation and knowledge exchange between cities. Bulgarian cities are also actively participating - historically, nearly one fifth (49) of the municipalities have joined it, which at least declares a desire to achieve ambitious climate goals. In certain cases, there is also significant and demonstrable progress - which was proven by one of the most prestigious European awards "Green Leaf", won by the Municipality of Gabrovo. Recently, the European Energy Award system was introduced in Bulgaria, with which municipalities receive not only recognition for their efforts in the field of energy and climate, but also access to one of the most advanced energy management systems, which implies continuous improvement and innovation in municipal practices. Currently, Sofia, Gabrovo and Dobrich are the three cities that are included in this initiative.

Unfortunately, however, in many cases reality does not correspond to good intentions and political declarations. Although municipalities demonstrate activity and commitment, the systematic implementation of municipal energy programs is still rare, and science-based development of climate plans is exotic. There are many objective obstacles to this – although public investments in sustainable energy are significant in volume, they are targeted at certain sectors, and in many areas financing opportunities remain unavailable. With each passing day, the risk that the funds under the NRSP, a large part of which were directed in this direction, will be lost due to delayed reforms and lack of transparency increases, and the proposed solutions often contradict the principles of decentralization. To overcome these obstacles, it is essential to speed up legislative preparation, ensure clarity in funding rules, establish workable quality control mechanisms, and provide technical assistance to municipalities. Local authorities will thus be better able to use their proven capacity to manage sustainable energy projects, which – in case of real monitoring of implementation and proof of results – will ultimately lead to more effective climate action.

In this regard, one of the main objectives of the conference is to overcome the existing gaps in coordination and to create a specialized platform to improve cooperation between different levels of government. Such a platform could facilitate the decentralization of resources to cities, using the accumulated experience of local governments to implement climate and energy policies more quickly and efficiently. Rigorous mechanisms for quality assurance, monitoring of implementation and the achievement of demonstrable results can be established at national level, including by applying the existing methodologies of the Covenant of Mayors and the European Energy Prize.

The mayor of Gabrovo, Tanya Hristova, is a long-time member of the board of the Agreement of Mayors.

The event will conclude with a statement to the IPCC session highlighting the critical role of cities in the implementation of climate policies. A call will be made to provide the necessary resources and support to enable cities to implement their policies and measures effectively. This seemingly symbolic action actually represents an important step forward, mostly because of the understanding of the importance of the process: because, placed in the current context, participation in global and European climate diplomacy is not a waste of time, but a direct investment in urban development.