Environment

With the rising prices of energy, the majority of the world felt the consequences of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. The local authorities especially have been the first in line to deal with the crisis. To reflect on that matter, the Covenant of Mayors will organise a conference.

“Cities on the frontline of the energy crisis” will be held in the heart of the European district in Brussels on the 30^th of March. The goal of the event is to gather the cities and their representatives to discuss how their efforts in changing the energy infrastructure can help in the future. Investing more in green and local energy might be crucial, especially in the light of the climate change.

Local solutions to a global crisis
So far, it has been the households and small and medium businesses that have suffered the most from the energy crisis. The rising prices and inflation have significantly impacted their way of living. However, moving from overconsumption towards a more sustainable future not only battles the ecological problems, but is also a way to show support to Ukraine. Getting rid of dependence to Russian gas has been the main target of many leaders in coordination with the REPowerEU Plan.

Because the mayors and their local governments are the closest to the citizens, the Conference of the Covenant of Mayors 2023 will give these authorities the opportunity to proudly display their responses to the current events. At the same time, it will offer a chance to reflect on what the European institutions and national governments can do to help the people more. 

The future of European energy
Those participating in the event can expect to meet and chat with high-level representatives from European cities and their institutions. Among those that have confirmed their attendance is the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and the EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson. They will talk about how European institutions and state governments can assist local and regional attempts to reduce Russian gas dependency and energy consumption in the future.

Mayors and representatives of several European cities will join the moderated panel discussions on agenda. The focus will be on the challenges the local authorities had to encounter, energy savings in the context of REPowerEU, and reflections on the first winter since the beginning of the energy crisis. The government representatives will also discuss their (immediate) reactions towards the crisis, the measures they have implemented, their impact on citizens and, most importantly: What can be done next?

Register to the conference before March 23rd here.