COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS European Climate Pact
Date: 2020-12-09
Institutions: Directorate-General for Climate Action, European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU initiative, adaptation to climate change, climate change, environmental protection, greenhouse gas, pollution control measures, reduction of gas emissions

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 9.12.2020  COM(2020) 788 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS European Climate Pact  
 
 
 1. Introduction 

The European Union is determined to lead the way to accelerate climate  and environmental 
action  on  all  fronts.  In  December  2019,  the  European  Commission  presented  the  European 
Green  Deal 1  –  our  plan  for  transforming  the  EU  into  a  fair,  healthy,  sustainable  and 
prosperous  society.  A  resilient  economy  that  works  for  people  and  for  nature.  Net-zero 
greenhouse gas emissions. Economic growth decoupled from resource use and pollution. 

Five years after the Paris Agreement on climate change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable 
Development, 2  we  have  not  moved  fast  enough  to  prevent  irreversible  and  catastrophic 
climate change. Science tells  us we have to  act  urgently to  stand a chance of achieving the 
Paris climate goals, notably to limit global warming to well below 2°C and to pursue efforts 
to limit such warming to 1.5°C. For this, we have to speed up our efforts to repair the way 
we  interact  with  nature,  protect  people’s  health  and  well-being  from  climate  and 
environment-related risks, and guarantee a healthy and thriving planet for us and those who 
come after us.  

The  European  Green  Deal  is  a  response  not  only  to  science,  but  also  to  demands  for 
stronger  action  coming  from  citizens.  Public  opinion  surveys  show  that  nine  out  of  ten 
Europeans see climate change as a serious problem3 and feel that protecting the environment 
is  personally  important  for  them.4 The  many  solutions  outlined  in  the  Green  Deal  can  only 
succeed if designed in  a socially  just and  fair way  and if citizens, communities, companies 
and organisations play their part, alongside government policies and regulation.  

This is why the European Commission is launching a European Climate Pact, to make sure 
that everyone can help build a greener Europe and support the achievement of the Sustainable 
Development  Goals.  Proposed  in  the  Political  Guidelines  of  the  President  of  the  European 
Commission, the Climate Pact will bring together “regions, local communities, civil society, 
industry and schools. Together they will design and commit to  a  set  of  pledges  to  bring  
about  a  change in behaviour,  from  the  individual  to  the  largest multinational.”5  

The Climate Pact will provide a space for working together to tackle climate change and 
environmental  degradation  and  to  grasp  the  opportunities  that  come  with  decisive  action 
and sustainable lifestyles. The Pact will connect people from all walks of life to improve their 
understanding of the challenges, to invite all Europeans to participate and benefit, to develop 
solutions big and small and to trigger and scale up positive change. The European Climate 
Pact  will  keep  on  growing  and  evolving  over  time,  spurred  by  the  engagement  and 
creativity of all the citizens and stakeholders that will become part of it.  

1 https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en 
2 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld 
3 Special Eurobarometer 490: Climate Change (2019): https://ec.europa.eu/clima/citizens/support_en  
4 Special Eurobarometer 501: Attitudes of European citizens towards the environment (2020): 
https://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data/dataset/S2257_92_4_501_ENG 
5 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/political-guidelines-next-commission_en.pdf 

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The  Pact  will  empower  the  many  in  Europe  who  share  these  aspirations  and  are  ready  to 
contribute  and  reach  out  to  those  who  have  been  less  involved  so  far.  During  the  public 
consultation  held  to  help  shape  the  Pact,  the  Commission  received  more  than  3,500 
contributions, many from citizens in all 27 EU Member States and beyond.6 The Commission 
will  continue  to  listen  to  citizens,  communities,  civil  society,  companies  and  other 
stakeholders.  

 1.1. Why a European Climate Pact? 

The  climate  crisis  is  not  a  future  problem  –  we,  humans,  have  already  changed  the  Earth’s 
climate  and  degraded  the  majority  of  its  ecosystems.  The  past  five  years  have  been  the 
warmest on record. The impacts of climate change are now beyond dispute: droughts, forest 
fires, storms, floods and other extreme weather events are on the rise globally.  It has had a 
major  impact  on  demographic  trends.  The  change  will  be  more  radical,  with  unpredictable 
consequences if we fail to reduce urgently our ecological footprint and emissions. Its effects 
will fundamentally transform our world, hitting the most vulnerable groups in the world and 
in our societies first.7  

The  EU  institutions  have  an  important  role  to  play  in  shaping  policy  and  legislation  to 
implement  the  European  Green  Deal.  The  Commission  also  recently  proposed  a  higher 
ambition  for  emissions  reduction  for  the  next  decade, 8  and  presented  its  approach  to 
sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals.9  

We are not starting from scratch. The Climate Pact will work alongside numerous existing 
initiatives,  networks  and  movements.  Young  climate  activists  have  captured  the  world’s 
attention and shaped the discussion on climate change. Under the EU Covenant of Mayors for 
Climate  and  Energy, 10  local  governments  are  leading  the  way  at  municipal  level,  often 
showing  more  ambition  and  tangible  action  than  their  national  governments  in  engaging 
citizens  and  stakeholders  in  their  territories.  The  European  Circular  Economy  Stakeholder 
Platform 11  and  Multi-stakeholder  platform  on  Sustainable  Development  Goals 12  brought 
stakeholders  together  to  inspire  change  in  the  way  we  produce  and  consume.  Industrial 
alliances  and  other  business-related  initiatives  have  also  helped  define  the  needs  and 
appropriate solutions for industry when engaging in the green transition.  

6 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12219-European-Climate-Pact/public-consultation 
7 “Overview of natural and man-made disaster risks the EU may face”, on how Member States and the EU assess and 
address the risks, including on climate change. Union Civil Protection Mechanism helps coordination of Member States 
assistance in emergencies: https://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/civil-protection/european-disaster-risk-management_en  
8  Stepping  up  Europe’s  2030  climate  ambition:  Investing  in  a  climate-neutral  future  for  the  benefit  of  our  people, 
COM/2020/562  https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/eu-climate-action/2030_ctp_en 
9 Delivering on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – A comprehensive approach, 17 November 2020, SWD(2020)400 
final 
10 https://www.covenantofmayors.eu 
11 https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform 
12 https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/international-strategies/sustainable-development-goals/multi-stakeholder-platform-
sdgs_en 

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In the spirit of the European Green Deal, the Commission as an institution is also committed 
to leading by example and becoming climate neutral by 2030. A detailed plan for greening 
the European Commission, our own institutional pledge, is planned for early 2021.13  

Research  and  innovation  play  an  essential  role  in  developing  and  promoting  the  use  of  the 
solutions  needed  to  reach  the  EU’s  climate  ambition. 14 Companies,  big  corporations  and 
small  businesses  alike,  are  adopting  new  business  models  and  deploying  innovative 
technologies  to  operate  more  sustainably.  Community  energy  projects  throughout  the  EU 
contribute to the deployment of renewables, foster participation and engage citizens.15 Social 
partners are developing joint solutions to ensure a just transition to climate neutrality. 

Reducing  emissions  and  adapting  to  a  changed  climate  will  require  us  all  to  change  our 
habits. Many of these changes will improve the way we live, move around, cool or heat our 
houses, produce,  and  consume. Much of the knowledge needed and many  proven solutions 
already exist. These solutions can come from organisations or individuals, both directly (our 
behaviour and activity in our communities) and indirectly (encouraging peers, businesses or 
political  leaders  to  take  climate  action).  The  Climate  Pact  will  give  such  solutions 
prominence and visibility to help inspire others. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how fragile our society and economy are in the face of 
systemic  shocks.  Climate  change  and  environmental  degradation  are  other  major  shocks 
unfolding globally, equally pressing and compromising our health and welfare. Over the next 
two years, governments around the world are expected to spend around EUR 10 trillion16 
borrowed  from  future  generations  to  respond  to  the  COVID-19  crisis.  This  is  the 
moment  to  protect  our  climate  and  nature  and  to  channel  this  spending  into  rebuilding  a 
society  as  envisioned  in  the  European  Green  Deal.  It  may  seem  that  many  of  the  solutions 
needed  to  recover  from  COVID-19  and  to  fight  climate  change  depend  mainly  on 
government action but much also depends on our daily decisions. The Climate Pact will seize 
this moment and the potential of individual and community action to help Europe recover. 

 1.2. What is the Climate Pact? 

The European Climate Pact is a Commission initiative to engage with different stakeholders 
and  civil  society  with  the  aim  to  commit  them  to  climate  action  and  more  sustainable 
behaviour. It will offer ways for people and organisations to learn about climate change, 
to develop and implement solutions, and to connect with others to multiply the impact 
of those solutions. The Pact will create a lively space to share information, debate and act on 
the  climate  crisis.  It  will  offer  support  for  a  European  climate  movement  to  grow  and 
consolidate. 

13 It will build on work undertaken by the Commission in implementing the Eco Management and Audit System (EMAS) 
since 2005 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm. 
14 Horizon 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en  
15 “Energy communities: an overview of energy and social innovation” 
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC119433/energy_communities_report_final.pdf 
16  https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/FM/Issues/2020/09/30/october-2020-fiscal-monitor 

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The European Climate Pact will focus on spreading awareness and supporting action. 

At its launch, the Pact will invite people and organisations to learn and to commit to specific 
actions by becoming Climate Pact Ambassadors. During the first year, the Pact will expand 
its  activities  to  provide  also  the  opportunity  to  launch  and  join  climate  action  pledges, 
exchange  experiences,  and  explore  the  aggregated  impact  of  joint  actions.  As  the  Climate 
Pact will be an open initiative, it will offer varied opportunities for engagement, tailored to 
the needs of its supporters. 

Under  the  lead  of  the  European  Commission,  a  dedicated  Secretariat  will  support  the 
implementation  of  the  Pact.  Lead  by  principles  of  multilingualism,  inclusiveness  and 
participation, starting in 2021, the Secretariat will help the Commission in:  

  informing  and  communicating  with  those  already  active  in  climate  action  as  well  as 
those ‘indifferent’ or ‘hard to reach’, identifying and displaying good practices that can 
help  accelerate the necessary changes, and  managing the Pact’s online platform,  which 
will evolve as the Pact grows; 

  engaging  with  citizens  and  stakeholders  and  facilitating  meaningful  participation, 
networking and co-creation of actions, e.g. by capturing local climate narratives, stories 
and ‘can do’ attitudes and (co-)organising various types of participatory events. A Pact’s 
Knowledge Hub will support climate initiatives with expert knowledge and peer-to-peer 
support; 

  supporting the setting up of Pact’s governance and implementation, ensuring links with 
relevant initiatives, groups and institutions,17 appraising and invigorating the initiative. 

The  success  of  the  Pact  could  be  measured  with  number  of  pledges  or  ambassadors.  More 
importantly,  its  success  will  be  reflected  through  the  level  of  acceptance  or  demands  for 
climate and environmental initiatives across the society.  

 2. Awareness 

Climate  change  is  happening  here  and  now.  The  droughts,  forest  fires,  sea  level  rise,  land 
degradation, and massive floods are already reaching us in one way or another. The impact 
can be direct e.g. through health effects, damaged property,  destruction of cultural heritage, 
lost  crops,  or  indirect  e.g.  through  climate-induced  migration,  threats  to  food  security,  or 
disrupted trade and investment flows. While everybody is at risk, these impacts hit the poor 
and the vulnerable harder. This raises important issues of justice, democracy, equity, equality 
and solidarity.  

Despite the scope and the gravity of climate change, there are still climate deniers, doubters 
and action delayers. It is important to engage in a constructive and open dialogue based on 
scientific  evidence.  Getting  the  facts  right  is  a  key  first  step  to  combat  disinformation  and 

17 Such as European Economic and Social Committee and Committee of the Regions  

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dispel  myths.  Talking  clearly  about  nature  and  climate  change  is  a  powerful  invitation  for 
action: at home, at school, in the news, and in the workplace.  

The Pact will help spread knowledge about climate action that is scientifically sound, and 
provides a practical basis for everyday life choices. Along with the organisations wishing to 
join, the Commission will develop and make available a variety of communication materials 
accessible  to  all  and  tools  to  bring  the  Pact  to  life.  The  Pact  will  build  on  the  wealth  and 
diversity of initiatives already in place in Europe, showcase existing solutions for inspiration 
and  learning,  and  help  networks  of  climate  supporters  and  communities  realise  their  own 
climate ambition or join forces with others. 

The Commission will further facilitate and raise awareness through: 

  Welcoming  Climate  Pact  Ambassadors  of  diverse  backgrounds  and  occupations. 
Ambassadors,  will  commit  to  climate  action  and  engage  in  debates  with  people  in 
their communities and networks about the options for action. Why this is urgent. Why 
everyone  matters.  The  Commission  will  provide  Ambassadors  with  recognition, 
communication  materials  and  networking  opportunities  for  exchanges  and  will  help 
them expand their outreach in and beyond Europe. 

  Translating  scientifically  sound  information  into  options  for  action  that  bring 
immediate, multiple benefits to people and communities, for example by piloting an 
initiative inviting climate scientists to visit the schools or higher education institutions 
they  attended.  The  Commission  will  look  for  ways  to  make  research  results  more 
accessible  to  the  wider  public,  by  adopting  guidelines  for  EU-financed  research 
projects to follow in their dissemination and communication activities. 

  Promoting  climate  literacy  and  integrating  climate  science  and  solutions  into 
educational  programmes  in  schools,  vocational  education  and  training,  higher 
education and life-long learning.  

-  The  EU’s  new  Education  for  Climate  Coalition 18  will  mobilise  expertise, 
provide  resources  for  networking  and  support  creative  approaches  with 
teachers, pupils and students.19 

-  The  Commission  is  mobilising  its  eTwinning  and  the  School  Education 
Gateway  communities,  bringing  together  several  thousand  teachers  and 
schools,  and  the  nascent  Blue  Schools  network  to  promote  green  education, 
skills and behaviour change.  

-  The  Commission’s  Learning  Corner20 will  contribute  by  providing  learning 
materials  for  children,  teenagers  and  teachers  developed  by  the  EU 

18 Achieving the European Education Area by 2025 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0625 
19 https://ec.europa.eu/education/sites/education/files/document-library-docs/eea-communication-sept2020_en.pdf 
20 https://europa.eu/learning-corner/home_en 

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institutions,  and  the  European  Youth  Portal21 will  help  raise  young  people’s 
awareness on the Climate Pact and call to action.  

-  The  Commission  will  also  propose  a  European  Competence  Framework  to 
help develop and assess knowledge, skills and attitudes on climate change and 
sustainable development. 

  Debunking  climate  myths  and  countering  climate  denial  and  misinformation, 
following lessons learned from the example of COVID-19. For this, the Commission 
will use its Action Plan against Disinformation22 and the relevant actions outlined in 
the European Democracy Action Plan.23 

  Animating  online  and  offline  get-togethers  and  events  in  different  EU  languages 
and targeting a diverse audience, to instil a sense of community of purpose in climate. 
Each corner of Europe has brilliant climate stories to share: the Pact will support and 
encourage  local  and  regional  exchanges  and  dialogues  to  gather  this  wealth  of 
experience as a basis to inspire action. The Pact will also build on the increased use of 
online  events  as  low-cost,  low-emission  and  more  inclusive  alternatives  to  raise 
awareness of the climate crisis and the opportunities, it brings. The Commission will 
hold  an  annual  event  to  take  stock  of  progress  and  promote  ideas,  actions  and 
solutions.  

  Encouraging  actions  that  consider  social  sustainability,  social  wellbeing,  inclusion, 
equality,  diversity,  accessibility  and  affordability  for  all  and  that  aim  to    reach  the 
most vulnerable individuals and areas. 

Using existing multi-stakeholder initiatives to raise awareness. Several existing platforms24 
can  help  spread  information  for  example  about  the  impact  of  energy  consumption  and 
production,  buildings  and  climate  change,  and  facilitate  exchange  of  experiences,  solutions 
and good practices.  
European Climate Pact Ambassadors 

Mission 

Pact  Ambassadors  will  lead  by  example  in  climate  and  environmental  protection  action, 
and  become  a  proactive  bridge  between  civil  society,  stakeholders  and  the  European 
Commission.  

21 https://europa.eu/youth/EU_en 
22 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/tackling-online-disinformation; 
23 https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/edap_communication.pdf 
24 E.g. Coal Regions in Transition, Clean Energy for EU Islands, Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, EU Energy 
Poverty Observatory and the Renovation Wave’s Open Platform. More information on these platforms on the Pact website. 

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Who can become an Ambassador? 

Anyone  can  apply  to  become  an  Ambassador. 25  Organisations  can  also  suggest  a 
representative  who  would  become  an  Ambassador  on  their  behalf.  Striving  for  gender 
balance amongst Ambassadors will be important for offering role-models in climate action.  

How to become an Ambassador? 

Applications will be possible through the Pact website. Candidates will be asked to briefly 
describe the scope of their (planned) activities and experience. The Ambassador function is 
suited to people who are committed to climate and environmental action and adhere to the 
Pact’s  values.  Ambassadors  will  be  endorsed  through  an  objective,  transparent  process 
based  on  applicants’  merits  and  motivation  for  one  year  with  the  possibility  of 
prolongation. 

Why become an Ambassador? 

Ambassadors will be featured on the Pact website and in the Commission’s social media 
channels, and will be able to use the Pact’s platforms and communication materials. They 
will be part of the Ambassadors’ network, which will offer opportunities for peer-to-peer 
exchanges, discussions and trainings.  

 3. Action 

The  Climate  Pact  will  encourage  democratic,  science-based,  hands-on,  transparent, 
locally  grounded,  inclusive  and  long-lasting  action on climate change  by individuals  and 
organisations.  

 3.1. Encouraging participation 

Many  people  feel  they  have  too  little  influence  over  crucial  decisions  such  as  how  to  fight 
climate  change.  Processes  such  as  citizen  dialogues  and  assemblies26 show  that  involving 
people  directly  in  important  and  complex  discussions  creates  co-ownership,  unlocks 
technological and social innovation, and optimises decision-making. As the EU raises its 
climate targets,  the Pact  will link with  all levels of government  as well as civil  society and 
Europe’s citizens  directly, by launching democratic debates that include the perspectives of 
people in all their diversity.  

Participation  in  the  Pact  will  contribute  to  a  climate  movement  across  Europe’s 
communities and regions and emphasise the social bonds inspired by common, peer-to-peer, 
community-led action on climate to improve our health and local environment.  

25 While the initial scope of the Pact starts with the EU territory, there are already good EU-driven initiatives involving 
outreach outside the EU, such as the EU Climate Diplomacy Weeks, beach clean-ups and other activities organised by EU 
Delegations around the world, e.g. https://ec.europa.eu/info/events/eu-beach-cleanup-2020_en 
26 https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/our-work/opinions-information-reports/opinions/european-climate-pact-exploratory-
opinion 

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Pact participants, either individuals or organisations, will get involved in different ways. For 
instance, they will be able to register their  climate initiatives  and pledges on the Climate 
Pact’s online platform or to join initiatives of others. Pact participants will be able to express 
interest  in  the  work  of  others  and  connect  with  them  to  generate  additional  action  and 
momentum in a spirit of community. There is a clear interest: more than 80% of respondents 
to the public consultation on the Climate Pact expressed interest in  making a climate action 
commitment.  

The Pact will look into possible cooperation with the ‘Count Us In’  global  campaign and 
platform27 that  aims  to  get  1  billion  people  to  take  action,  and  similar  or  complementary 
initiatives,  aimed  at  encouraging  people  to  take  climate  action  in  their  everyday  life  and 
demonstrate the collective impact of individual actions.  

In  particular,  the  Pact  will  invite  young  people  to  continue  bringing  climate  and 
environment issues to the top of the global agenda. They arguably have the biggest stake in 
climate action, as the decisions we make today shape the world they will live in as adults and 
leave  behind  for  their  children.  To  foster  involvement  in  climate  policy  even  more  and 
support youth action on climate, the Commission will engage in regular dialogues with young 
people  and  offer  them  a  prominent  space  in  the  Pact.  For  this  purpose,  it  will  co-create, 
together with young people, a structured engagement programme as part of the Pact. 

For the Pact to remain an open, inclusive and ambitious initiative, people and organisations 
wishing to take part by registering a pledge have to respect the Pact’s values. 

 The Pact’s values 

1.  Science, responsibility and commitment. Participating in the Pact will entail positive 
climate  action,  inspiring  or  encouraging  others  to  join.  Participants  will  contribute 
with concrete, science-based, trustworthy actions with clear and, ideally, measurable 
outcomes to show impact.  

2.  Transparency. Pact participants will commit to sharing relevant information on their 
actions,  methodologies  and  results  with  other  Pact  participants  and  with  the  public. 
This  will  help  participants  and  others  to  track  progress,  make  improvements,  learn 
from or join each other’s initiatives, and understand the overall impact of the action 
taken. 

3.  No  greenwashing.  Pledges  will  be  registered  in  such  a  way  as  to  demonstrate  that 
participants’ commitments are concrete, public, and transparent. The Commission will 
develop  an  appropriate  way  to  monitor  progress,  with  different  levels  of  scrutiny 
depending on the participant’s capacity.28  

27 https://www.count-us-in.org  
28 The approach will take into account other relevant frameworks and initiatives, such as the life cycle perspective or the 
initiative on substantiating green claims launched as part of the European Green Deal: 
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/smgp/initiative_on_green_claims.htm 

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4.  Ambition  and  urgency.  To  achieve  the  climate  and  environmental  aims  we  need  to 
challenge  long-standing  behaviours  and  assumptions,  quickly  and  decisively.  While 
every little step counts, Pact participants will also aspire to transformative solutions, 
including  visionary  projects,  experimentation,  innovative  ways  to  cooperate,  and 
healthy competition for results. 

5.  Action  tailored  to  local  contexts.  Discussions  and  action  will  be  adapted  to  local 

contexts and target groups. The closer to people’s day-to-day reality, the better. 

6.  Diversity and inclusiveness. Anyone, from any background or profession, will be able 
to take part.29 The Pact will aim to pull down barriers to climate action. This includes 
the  barriers  resulting  from  personal  characteristics,  such  as  gender,  age  and 
disabilities. It will help Pact participants to be at the centre of debates such as those on 
the  future  of  Europe.  In  developing  the  Pact,  the  Commission  will  rely  on  the 
creativity and variety of views arising from democratic and participatory mechanisms.  

 3.2. Making the best use of digital tools  

To boost participation, the Pact will use information technology to provide innovative ways 
to  attract  people,  and  implement  actions,  taking  account  of  the  need  to  ensure  universal 
accessibility for all.30 For instance: 

  The Pact will promote the use of the latest available digital technologies and services 
(such as sensors, Artificial Intelligence, data) to deliver the best results and accelerate 
the green transition.  

  The  Pact  will  use  its  online  platform  and  other  digital  tools  to  enable  people  to 
innovate and explore  solutions for  sustainable changes in behaviour at individual 
and collective level. For instance, the Pact will explore initiatives such as the use of 
integrated IT systems developed by EU-financed research. These systems may enable 
local  communities to  use mobile phones to  capture data31 on air quality,  soil health, 
wildlife or climate, and pair it automatically with observations from Copernicus,32 in 
order  to  correlate  citizen  data  with  wider  European  trends,  help  climate  change 
adaptation decisions or effective emission and pollution reduction actions. Copernicus 
shows how our planet and the local environment are changing due to climate change 

29 Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 outlines actions relevant also to the Pact: https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-
and-fundamental-rights/gender-equality/gender-equality-strategy_en 
30 The European disability strategy 2010-2020 aims at increasing the accessibility to goods and services to people with 
disabilities. A new Strategy on the Rights of Persons with disabilities 2021-2030 is under preparation, to ensure that persons 
with disabilities can enjoy their rights and participate fully in society   
31 The European Data Portal harvests the metadata of Public Sector Information available across European countries and will 
also be relevant for the Pact. https://data.europa.eu/europeandataportal/ 
32 https://www.copernicus.eu/en 

9 

 
 
 
 
and can provide objective and reliable data to inform decisions, raise awareness and 
direct actions.  

  Online,  interactive  citizen  dialogues,  aligned  for  example  with  the  Conference  on 
the Future of Europe dialogues,  will invite attendees  to  contribute their views, ideas 
and expectations as  to  what  a zero  emissions  and zero pollution33 Europe  means for 
their community and everyday lives. 

  The  Commission  will  encourage  and  support  spaces  enabling  individual  and  team 
competitions, target setting and sharing of progress, such as applications enabling 
individuals and organisations to submit pledges. The Commission has already piloted 
similar  mechanisms  for  the  Social  Biking  Challenge 34  and  the  European  Cycling 
Challenge.35  

 3.3. Building on and supporting existing initiatives 

The European Climate Pact will build on and support the multitude of initiatives that are 
emerging or already exist. To this end, the Commission will set up a knowledge hub, which 
will pull together relevant information and expertise and make it available both through the 
Pact’s online platform and through specific support services. The knowledge hub will support 
existing  and  emerging  initiatives  by  helping  them  scale  up,  replicate  what  already  works, 
build capacity by offering knowledge and know-how, and move from learning to doing.  

The  knowledge  hub  of  the  Pact  will  act  together  with  the  “competence  centres  for  social 
innovation” 36  which  will  support  the  scaling-up  and  replication  of  innovative  projects 
financed under the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation. It aims at raising 
awareness  about  the  potential  of  social  economy  in  tackling  environmental  challenges 
through grass root projects. The upcoming Action Plan on Social Economy due by the end of 
2021 will also seek to enhance social innovation.  

The  Pact  will  provide  an  overview  of  available  finance  or  finance  needed37 for  climate-
related  initiatives,  including  for  smaller  grassroots  projects  from  various  sources  (e.g.  EU, 
Member  States,  philanthropies,  private  sector).  The  purpose  will  be  to  help  mobilising 
support  for  grassroots  climate  initiatives  that  require  only  a  small  amount  of  resources  but 
have  the  potential  to  spread  throughout  the  communities  involved  and  produce  major  and 
positive impacts.  

Horizon  Europe  missions,38 partnerships  and  projects  co-created  with  stakeholders  and 
citizens  will  provide  arenas  for  collective  deliberation  and  goal  setting,  and  for  making 
climate-related pledges. The missions on ‘Adaptation to Climate Change Including Societal 

33 The Zero Pollution Action Plan for air, water and soil will contribute to the Pact’s objectives, e.g. through dedicated 
stakeholder initiatives https://ec.europa.eu/environment/strategy/zero-pollution-action-plan_en 
34 https://mobilityweek.eu/eu-initiatives/social-biking-challenge/ 
35 https://civitas.eu/event/european-cycling-challenge  
36 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=629&langId=en&callId=604&furtherCalls=yes  
37 The renewed sustainable finance strategy to be adopted by the Commission early 2021 will provide the appropriate 
framework to support this initiative 
38 https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en 

10 

 
 
Transformation’39 and ‘Climate Neutral and Smart Cities’40 will provide space for all relevant 
actors,  in  particular  citizens,  to  participate  in  the  co-design,  co-implementation,  and  co-
evaluation of the solutions needed, informed by the best available science. 

Initially  the  Climate  Pact  will  prioritise  actions  focused  on  green  areas,  green  mobility, 
efficient  buildings  and  training  for  green  jobs,  within existing and relevant  Commission 
support mechanisms. These four areas offer immediate benefits not only for the climate, but 
also for the health and wellbeing of citizens. The Pact will expand over time to other areas, 
such  as  sustainable  consumption  and  production,  the  quality  of  soils,  healthy  food  and 
sustainable diets,41 oceans, rural and coastal areas and others. The Climate Pact website42will 
keep up to date an overview of EU initiatives, actions and awards supporting climate action, 
starting with the four priority areas. 

3.3.1. Green areas 

Europe needs  more  green areas to  build resilience in  the face of climate  and health threats. 
The Commission has already announced its support for planting three billion extra trees in 
Europe by 2030 in its new Biodiversity Strategy.43 We need trees and other green spaces in 
cities  because  green  urban  areas  both  absorb  emissions  and  reduce  excessive  temperatures, 
while  in  rural  areas  they  provide  multiple  benefits  for  biodiversity,  agriculture  and 
ecotourism.  However,  trees  need  long-term  care  and  management  after  planting.  The  Pact 
will  support  local  communities,  organisations  and  individuals  committed  to  new  tree-
planting  and caring initiatives, for instance through increased visibility and information. It 
will link up with EU-supported agricultural plans in Member States and a range of EU funds 
(cohesion  funds,  LIFE  programme,  etc.)  and  platforms  (the  new  European  Urban  Greening 
Platform announced as part of the Biodiversity Strategy).  

Local  governments,  in  particular,  can  design  urban  landscapes  that  make  space  for  urban 
forests,  parks  and  gardens  to  grow.  Due  to  restrictions  imposed  under  COVID-19,  an 
increasing number of mayors have recognised the importance of expanding local green urban 
areas  for  citizens’  wellbeing  –  in  addition  to  the  well-known  benefits  in  terms  of  emission 
reductions and adaptation to climate change.  

The  Pact  will  pay  attention  to  the  particular  role  of  rural  areas 44 in  ensuring  a  balanced 
territorial distribution of the population and as stewards of resilient landscapes with healthy 
ecosystems, avoiding overpopulation of cities. 

The Pact will: 

39 https://ec.europa.eu/info/horizon-europe/missions-horizon-europe/adaptation-climate-change-including-societal-
transformation_en 
40 https://ec.europa.eu/info/horizon-europe/missions-horizon-europe/climate-neutral-and-smart-cities_en 
41 The Commission will develop with stakeholders, by Q2 2021, an EU code and monitoring framework for responsible 
business and marketing conduct in the food supply chain 
42 https://europa.eu/climate-pact  
43 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/strategy/index_en.htm  
44 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12525-Long-term-vision-for-rural-areas 

11 

 
 
 
1.  Provide  information  to  mayors  and  local  and  regional  authorities  drawing  from 
existing  resources,  networks  and  platforms  such  as  the  EU  Covenant  of  Mayors  for 
Climate and Energy,45 the European Green Capital,46  the Green  Leaf Networks, the 
Green City Tool and the Green City Accord;  

2.  Offer  local  authorities  solutions  to  restore,  protect  and  enlarge  green  urban  areas. 
Solutions  will  build  on  existing  policies  and  initiatives,  draw  on  findings  from 
Horizon  Europe  research  projects,  such  as  nature-based  solutions  that  maximise 
quality job creation ,business opportunities and climate resilience;  

3.  Provide  a  forum  for  dialogue  and  cooperation  between  communities,  businesses, 
landowners  and  local  governments,  to  ensure  that  enough  land  area  is  returned  to 
vegetation so that everyone can reap the many benefits it offers in terms of climate, 
health and ecosystems. 

3.3.2. Green mobility 

We all need to move around efficiently – and we can do so while improving our health and 
our  environment.  A  substantial  proportion  of  emissions  linked  to  our  personal  actions  is 
determined by the transport options we have and the mobility choices we make. Bolstered by 
digital solutions and greater accessibility, public transport, cycling, walking and other forms 
of  clean  mobility  have  the  potential  to  make  our  cities  and  towns  cleaner  and  create  new 
opportunities for jobs and innovation. 

This massive movement towards green mobility is already underway. Many European cities 
and their residents are looking into safer, healthier and cheaper mobility options such as 
improving  cycling  infrastructure,  developing  vehicle-sharing  schemes,  or  procuring  green 
buses, vessels and trains. In rural areas, distances are generally more significant than in urban 
areas, while public transport tends to be less frequent and confined to more densely populated 
areas.  Against  this  background,  the  Pact  will  promote  innovative  solutions  that  leave  no 
place  behind,  including  practices  like  electric  carpooling  or  car-sharing,  urban  and  long-
distance  cycling  infrastructure,  and  transport  on  demand.  This  concerns  also  the  specific 
transport  needs  of  women,47 the  accessibility  requirements  for  persons  with  disabilities  and 
older  persons  but  also  avoiding  residential  segregation  by  making  public  transport  services 
available to all. 

The  European  Climate  Pact  will  display  and  support  the  many  options  we  have  for  getting 
around  efficiently  and  in  healthier,  less  polluting  ways  and  encourage  local  and  regional 
authorities  to  use  cohesion  funding  to  move  to  greener  mobility.  It  can  link  up  with  other 
initiatives  such  as  the  Clean  Bus  Platform,48 which  supports  cities  to  purchase  clean  buses 

45 Progressively, links with global counterparts could be promoted in the context of the Global Covenant of Mayors. 
46 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/ 
47 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC117687/kjna29833enn_1.pdf  
48 https://cleanbusplatform.eu 

12 

 
 
 
together, the CIVITAS network of ‘cities for cities’ dedicated to cleaner urban mobility49 and 
the European Platform on Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans,50 which helps cities decarbonise 
their  transport.  The  impact  of  Pact  pledges  on  green  transport  can  be  amplified  through 
European  Mobility  Week,51 the  Urban  Mobility  Awards,  the  Urban  Mobility  Days  and  the 
European Year of Rail (2021). 

In the context of these initiatives, the Pact can be the meeting point for stakeholders, city 
or regional pledges to: 

1.  Collectively  purchase  zero-emission  means  of  transport,  such  as  electric  buses  or 

hydrogen buses; 

2.  Collectively increase the length  and quality  of safe  cycling infrastructure  while also 

reducing road fatalities in cities; 

3.  Embrace  innovative  mobility  and  logistics  solutions  and  design  participatory  and 
sustainable urban mobility plans with tailor-made combinations of solutions to reduce 
emissions and air pollution; 

4.  Encourage  a  combination  of  transport  options  that  offer  travellers  carbon  neutral 

choices for travel within the EU especially over shorter distances.  

3.3.3. Green buildings  

At  home,  at  work  or  during  our  spare  time  we  spend  a  great  deal  of  our  time  indoors:  in 
buildings, heated and cooled using fossil fuels or which may not be well insulated; in places 
which may be ill-suited to withstand major heat or cold waves. If we consider the whole life-
cycle  of  design,  construction,  use,  renovation  and  demolition,  the  building  sector  is  the 
single  largest  energy  consumer  in  the  EU  (40%),  the  largest  raw  materials  user  (50%  of 
extracted  materials)52 and  thus  one  of  the  largest  greenhouse  gas  emitters  (36%  of  energy-
related direct and indirect emissions). Rising temperatures, causing more frequent heatwaves, 
are set to increase the energy need for cooling our buildings during the warm season – and it 
takes three times more energy to cool an office building than to heat it.  

To make our buildings more climate-friendly, we need to use low-carbon materials, construct 
new buildings better, and renovate existing buildings, as most of them will still be in place for 
decades to come.  

The Pact will support the renovation of buildings53 in line with the European Commission’s 
Renovation Wave to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and enable them to withstand the 
impact of climate-related hazards such as heatwaves or floods better. For example: 

49 https://civitas.eu/ a network of ‘cities for cities’ dedicated to cleaner, better transport in Europe, with over 800 innovative 
urban transport measures and solutions in over 80 Living Lab cities across Europe. 
50 https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/european-platform  
51 https://mobilityweek.eu  
52 A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe, 11 March 2020 (COM(2020) 98 final) 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0098  
53 https://ec.europa.eu/energy/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings/renovation-wave_en  

13 

 
 
 
1.  The  Pact  will  provide  information  on  the  multiple  benefits  of  improving  the  energy 
and materials performance of homes, hospitals, schools, social housing and municipal 
services.  

2.  The Pact will encourage pledges, measure progress and facilitate discussions between 
the  various  actors  involved  in  the  supply  chain  leading  to  renovation.54 It  will  co-
create  solutions  with  citizens  through  Horizon  Europe,  and  distil  ideas  for  the 
European  Bauhaus,  a  new  co-creation  space  where  architects,  artists,  students, 
engineers  and  designers  work  together  to  make  buildings  less  wasteful  and  more 
sustainable. 

3.  In  the  context  of  the  EU  Renovation  Wave, 55  the  Pact  will  share  guidance  and 
technical assistance for mayors and citizens wishing to tackle energy production and 
use  in  buildings  and  to  improve  their  resilience,  with  special  consideration  of 
affordability and energy poverty.  

4.  The  Pact  will  signpost  to  available  funds  e.g.  under  the  LIFE  programme  and  the 
European Fund for Regional Development to help build renovation efforts driven by 
citizens, communities and regions, with specific help for vulnerable communities. 

3.3.4. Green skills 

Climate  action  is  already  providing  the  jobs  and  opportunities  of  the  future.  The 
employment in the renewable energy industry in the EU has reached over 1.5 million jobs.56 
The  circular  economy  employs  more  than  4  million  people  today. 57  The  Commission 
estimates  1.2  million  additional  green  jobs  to  be  created  between  now  and  2030  to  comply 
with Europe’s Paris Agreement commitments alone.58  

The  Climate  Pact  will  help  those  seeking  employment  in  the  green  economy  by  promoting 
and  supporting  the  development  of  green  skills59 among  people,  educational  and  training 
institutions, as well as public authorities, and by encouraging businesses to take advantage of 
the  transition  to  and  the  opportunities  of  the  green  economy.  Green  skills  development 
programmes and initiatives should be equally available to  everyone  and made accessible to 
persons with disabilities. 

The Pact will: 

1.  Encourage the involvement of organisations and sectors important for the transition to a 
climate-friendly economy in the “Pact for Skills”,60 which aims to mobilise private and 

54 Together with the BUILD UP portal (www.buildup.eu).  
55 https://ec.europa.eu/energy/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings/renovation-wave_en 
56 https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC120302/employment_energy_status_report_2020.pdf  
57 COM(2020) 98 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0098  
58 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8219 
59 Development of core green skills set for the labour market to guide training across the economy – ESCO taxonomy 
https://ec.europa.eu/esco/portal/home . ESF+ will support the upskilling and re-skilling of 5 million people for green jobs 
and the green economy https://ec.europa.eu/esf/main.jsp?catId=62&langId=en   
60 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1517&langId=en    

14 

 
 
 
public stakeholders to take concrete action for the upskilling and reskilling of people of 
working age, and create partnerships;  

2.  Spread  good  practices  and  success  stories  gathered  across  the  numerous  European 
initiatives,  notably  the  European  Vocational  Skills  Week, 61  Skills  for  Life,  the 
European Alliance for Apprenticeships and Erasmus+ funded projects.62 Good practices 
from  Member  States  include  using  the  Youth  Guarantee  to  offer  opportunities  in  the 
green sectors to unemployed or inactive young people;  

3.  Help  in  navigating  the  new  European  Social  Fund  Plus  for  2021-2027  and  the 
Recovery and Resilience Facility, which will enable millions of people to be trained for 
green  jobs,  the  green  recovery,  and  a  new  platform  to  support  innovation,  to  be 
launched in 2021. The Erasmus+ Programme 2021-2027 will provide opportunities to 
develop  forward-looking skills  as well as partnership  projects  for organisations in  the 
fields of education and youth to cooperate on skills and competences for environment 
and climate;  

4.  Encourage stakeholders, local authorities and communities to make full use of the Just 
Transition  Fund  and  Just  Transition  Mechanism63 in  order  to  promote  re-skilling, 
active  inclusion  of  workers  and  jobseekers  and  creation  of  new  local  employment 
opportunities in the targeted regions; 

5.  Signpost  to  available  support  for  higher  education  institutions  to  develop  and  teach 
programmes on life-cycle environmental and climate impacts and footprints as well as 
including  short  courses  on  environmental 
to  flexible  formats  of  education, 
sustainability.64  

 4. Join us 

The  European  Climate  Pact  will  acknowledge  and  amplify  the  efforts  of  those  already 
fighting  against  the  climate  and  ecological  crisis,  and  encourage  others  to  join.  It  will  help 
Europe master its  emissions and align its  economy with  nature, and  for  this endeavour, we 
need everybody on board. 

We  invite  local,  regional  and  national  authorities  to  organise  regular  ‘town  hall’  type 
meetings  on  climate  and  environment,  to  develop  strategies  for  just  transition,  to  increase 
investments in their communities’ protection from climate impacts and to consider the many 
benefits  that  reducing  emissions  brings  to  their  constituencies  in  terms  of  air  quality,  clean 
mobility and affordable energy.  

61 European Vocational Skills Week https://ec.europa.eu/social/vocational-skills-week/european-vocational-skills-week-
2017_en 
European Alliance for Apprenticeships 
62 Erasmus+ Project Platform https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/projects/; European Universities Initiative 
https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area/european-universities-initiative_en  
63 https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal/actions-being-taken-eu/just-transition-
mechanism_en  
64 Eg. https://microcredentials.eu 

https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1147

;  

15 

 
 
 
We invite the private sector, businesses and finance to do well, by doing good. This means 
putting  sustainability  at  the  heart  of  their  strategy  and  operations,  focusing  on  long-term 
benefits  for  all,  instead  of  short-term  dividends  for  a  few,  helping  governments  ensure  that 
markets provide economic incentives to reduce the harm to the environment and the climate; 
and harnessing their innovative power to develop solutions to global challenges. 

We invite civil society, including grassroots organisations, to continue using their convening 
power to fight climate denial and delay through energetic, participatory and positive action, 
and  to  leverage  social  innovation  to  foster  a  continental  shift  towards  a  climate-neutral, 
sustainable Europe. 

We invite social partners to develop joint strategies for just transition to climate neutrality, 
and to maintain and create jobs in sectors and regions under transformation, in particular by 
promoting re- and up-skilling opportunities for the new green, high-quality and long-lasting 
jobs of the future. 

We  invite  schools,  academia,  education  and  training  institutions  to  boost  climate  and 
environmental literacy and bring the science and the urgency of the climate crisis to bear on 
our daily lives, policymaking and the economy. 

We invite young people to use the Pact to drive systemic and inter-generational change for 
society as a whole.  

We invite citizens to seek and embrace the many improvements that climate-friendly choices 
and habits can bring to their lives, to their communities and to the climate, all at once.  

The Pact is now open to ideas, Ambassadors and expressions of interest for making pledges. 
If you would like to learn more about the Climate Pact or get active in it, you are welcome to 
visit  the  Climate  Pact  website, 65 reach  out  on  Social  Media,  inquire  via  the  Commission 
Representations in Member States or approach any of our Climate Pact Ambassadors. 

The Commission welcomes everyone to join the journey towards a better and greener Europe. 
We will build a path as we walk it together, with a common purpose. Anyone can take action. 
Everyone can contribute. No action is too small to make a difference. 

65 https://europa.eu/climate-pact  

16