Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – The future of EU climate policy: aligning mitigation targets and adaptation challenges
Date: 2024-11-20
Institutions: Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy, European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU energy policy, EU environmental policy, EU industrial policy, adaptation to climate change, carbon neutrality, climate change, competitiveness, green economy, greenhouse gas, investment








C_202500280EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/280


24.1.2025






Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – The future of EU climate policy: aligning mitigation targets and adaptation challenges
(C/2025/280)








Rapporteur
: Markku MARKKULA (FI/EPP), President of the Helsinki Region


Reference documents
: Communication on Securing our future Europe’s 2040 climate target and path to climate neutrality by 2050 building a sustainable, just and prosperous society

(COM/2024/63 final)
Communication on Managing climate risks – protecting people and prosperity

(COM/2024/91 final)





POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR),

Focus: Mobilising systemic transformation for climate neutrality









1.


is convinced – based on scientific facts and EU policy experience and evidence – that the EU-level targets, main regulatory bases and many initiatives for climate neutrality are well established, but now is the time to mobilise a Europe-wide systemic transformation. Without this, the ambitious obligatory targets will not be reached;












2.


emphasises the critical role of local and regional authorities in urban and regional settings: 70 % of climate change mitigation and 90 % of adaptation initiatives are executed at the municipality and regional levels (1). Given their pivotal responsibility in spearheading climate action, these authorities must be centrally involved in the strategic planning, execution and monitoring phases of climate policies. The EU Missions provide a leading framework to support and amplify these efforts, equipping local and regional actors with the resources, guidance, and collaborative networks essential for achieving ambitious climate goals across Europe;












3.


endorses the European Commission’s proposal to establish a 90 % net emissions reduction target by 2040, aligning with its COP28 and COP29 policies. The impact assessment shows that option 3 will best facilitate measures to reach the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal. It will accelerate the EU’s disengagement from fossil fuels, particularly imports from Russia and other non-democratic states, while boosting the EU’s strategic autonomy and resilience. This option will shield the EU from fossil fuel price volatility, enhance industrial competitiveness, foster job creation through new sustainable technologies, accelerate the uptake of renewable energy and more effectively mitigate the economic and health impacts of climate change. The CoR highlights the EU’s comprehensive climate and energy framework, which promotes private investment by leveraging market-based mechanisms, providing attractive investment-friendly and stable regulations, and is essential in supporting vulnerable regions and securing Europe’s cohesion;












4.


calls on the European Commission and EU Member States to implement the CoR’s policy recommendations in its report Regions and Cities Shaping the European Green Deal 2.0 (2) by defining cohesive, ambitious and inclusive policies that integrate a global-local approach, address multiple crises and align political, economic and financial priorities; in this line, commits to continue the work being done by the Green Deal Going Local working group, in close partnership with cities and regions, which ensures a space for political discussion on the green transition with a cross-sectoral approach;












5.


stresses that an ambitious 2040 target will need to go hand in hand with industrial competitiveness and have the necessary enabling conditions, such as a just and fair transition for people, lower energy prices and the appropriate infrastructure and technology;












6.


emphasises that reducing carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, along with enhancing climate change adaptation and resilience exceeds the capacity of the public sector alone; underscores the need to establish new mechanisms to mobilise substantial private investment and to enhance the effectiveness of cohesion and Horizon funds in supporting climate initiatives; additionally, highlights the urgent need to embrace all clean, innovative, non-fossil solutions to address climate change comprehensively;












7.


presents a structured approach to advance EU climate policy with innovative, actionable, flexible and technology-neutral solutions, focusing on the diverse contexts of cities and regions and ensuring smooth implementation across stakeholders;












8.


stresses the importance of electrifying the economy and decarbonising electricity generation through the accelerated and comprehensive deployment of renewable energy sources, alongside investments in efficient electricity production, advanced energy storage solutions, and resilient grid infrastructure, which are essential tools for further decarbonisation, particularly within the industrial and transport sectors; calls for proper strategic planning and investment, recognising that the electrification of the economy entails significant transition costs for businesses and consumers, as well as a high demand for metal extraction and increased electricity demand;












9.


urges the European Commission to help to accelerate the roll out of renewable energy by giving legal certainty to the process;





Imperative: The integration of climate and environmental policies for the EU’s well-being, industry, competitiveness and security policies









10.


emphasises the fundamental principle that achieving climate neutrality and resilience is imperative not just for the nature of the European Union and the world, but also for the EU’s industry, competitiveness, self-sufficiency, security, well-being, health, employment and urban and rural policies; highlights, in accordance with the Letta and Draghi reports, the importance of adopting a mindset geared toward renewal, increased RDI, and effective use of digitalisation;












11.


warns that failure to act on climate mitigation and adaptation hand-in-hand in a systematic way will lead to significant financial losses;












12.


advocates evidence-informed decision-making to address climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution through systemic transformation at all governance levels; in this sense, calls on the JRC to work in partnership with the CoR to reinforce the EU tools supporting informed decision-making in the field of the green transition for local and regional authorities, also leveraging on new instruments such as Artificial Intelligence and new data providers, such as, for example, the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem;












13.


stresses the need to co-create an EU action plan covering all governance levels and policy areas, using the proposals of this opinion, the target being a joint green, digital and industrial systemic transformation with integrated bottom-up and top-down measures based on innovative multi-level leadership motivating all people in their roles to do their share in this collaborative transformation;












14.


calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement EU climate action plans in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity; ensuring that local and regional authorities are empowered to tailor mitigation and adaptation efforts to their specific circumstances while maintaining alignment with EU-wide targets;





Next five years: Real-life practice implementation









15.


stresses the need for impactful measures, based on IPCC scientific evidence, to be implemented in the 2020s to ensure the EU is on track to become climate neutral by 2050; highlights that achieving the 2030 targets and setting an ambitious 2040 framework are crucial for phasing out fossil raw materials and reaching climate neutrality. This approach motivates all actors and stakeholder groups towards a systemic transformation, ensuring an inclusive and sustainable future for all;












16.


emphasises the importance of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities, due in March 2027, which will address urban climate trends, risks and solutions; calls for the process of the report to significantly impact the CoR’s strategies and actions;












17.


stresses the need to prioritise real-life implementation by supporting cities and regions in:






(a)


strengthening climate adaptation: enhancing resilience through locally focused initiatives;










(b)


implementing systemic green and digital transformation: promoting collaboration at local and regional levels to meet climate targets;










(c)


improving skills and competencies: upgrading and increasing the effectiveness of professional development concepts on all governance levels;










(d)


fostering creativity and innovativeness: cultivating leadership to enhance an entrepreneurial mindset focused on societal innovation;










(e)


updating financial instruments: ensuring adequate funding for the green transition by incorporating climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience measures into all budgets and financial frameworks;










(f)


prioritising critical measures: accelerating technological and societal RDI to meet EU targets;










(g)


empowering subnational measures: involving all regional and local stakeholders in co-creating and implementing climate action plans;
















18.


highlights the industry’s pivotal role in driving decarbonisation and advancing green and digital transitions for environmental and economic sustainability and warns against excessive regulatory requirements, particularly for SMEs that may face increased red tape; calls, therefore, for regulatory frameworks that support the industry to harness its full potential; furthermore emphasises the critical need to scale up innovations by developing robust innovation ecosystems that facilitate co-creation, testing and prototyping, ensuring that these innovations are accessible to all and swiftly adopted;












19.


highlights the significant gap between technical readiness and commercial viability, pointing out that, according to a report by McKinsey, only 10 % of climate technology’s abatement potential is derived from commercially competitive solutions, while another 45 % comes from technologies that are commercially available but need to come down further in cost. To meet the EU’s climate targets, the CoR emphasises the urgent need to accelerate RDI and scale-up across products, processes and systems. Priority areas include particularly biomethane production, batteries, carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS), heat pumps and district heating systems that use waste heat and residual resources, renewable energy sources like wind and solar, hydrogen technologies, circular economy solutions, and sustainable alternatives such as fuels and proteins. Moreover, advancing these technologies requires additional comprehensive scientific research, as well as active citizen engagement through open science initiatives to enhance understanding, acceptance, and application of new innovations;












20.


the importance of developing biomethane facilities to decarbonise the energy sector should be emphasised, as should the significant role that biomethane could play in rural economic development and in enhancing the circular economy. It should not be forgotten that the biomethane industry creates employment in rural areas and promotes local economic development, from the collection and treatment of livestock and agricultural by-products to the operation of production plants. In this respect, it is essential to promote the use of by-products from the agri-food sector for energy production and as raw material for biogas and biomethane processes. The development of biomethane is also essential for achieving carbon neutrality in urban wastewater treatment and in the use of energy generated by treating bio-waste;












21.


notes the renewed interest by several Member States in nuclear energy including via the ‘nuclear alliance’ led by France; takes note of the Commission’s more technology-neutral approach in its Communication on the 2040 climate objective, recognising the role of nuclear for decarbonisation objectives, while underscoring the continued importance of scaling up renewable energy solutions;












22.


the transition to green energy and consequent push to deploy renewable energies can offer a unique opportunity for rural areas to benefit from their natural resources. However, this deployment should respect natural areas, areas that are important for biodiversity and for birds, and land that has high value for both dry and irrigated agricultural production, and should also respect the area’s landscape quality, as set out in Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)2 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on the guidelines for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention;












23.


promotes the use of small-scale hydropower, utilising regional water sources where appropriate in accordance with environmental restrictions, to regulate water resources and supply while generating clean, renewable electricity; points out that, unlike large dams, mini-hydropower plants have a much smaller environmental impact and can be installed in rivers and canals without causing significant changes to the natural environment. Additionally, their ability to operate continuously and reliably complements other intermittent renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, helping to balance the electricity grid. This is particularly relevant in rural and remote mountainous areas, where mini-hydropower can foster regional energy autonomy, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and contribute significantly to the transition to a decarbonised energy system;





Support from all governance levels: Measures for integrated systemic transformation









24.


affirms that although the EU’s climate policy is robustly supported by the Green Deal and Fit for 55 framework, its implementation remains insufficient or even absent. Current practices fail to effectively leverage the best global scientific and practical knowledge and solutions. European efforts are excessively fragmented and lack synergy, exacerbating these challenges. Furthermore, regional disparities in financial and skill resources significantly complicate effective implementation;












25.


emphasises that, alongside developing climate mitigation and adaptation technologies, it is imperative to focus on structural societal changes, particularly in production and consumption patterns. Necessary lifestyle shifts among citizens are crucial; thus, the EU’s support to cities and regions is essential to make this transition as understandable, appealing and feasible for citizens as possible. Additionally, calls for paying specific attention to the living conditions and economic development in rural areas, and thus co-creating effective climate transition measures that are attractive and sensitive to sectors like agriculture and cattle breeding;












26.


calls for EU leadership to unify national and subnational policies into a cohesive approach and emphasises the pivotal need to accelerate the EU climate neutrality policy through a comprehensive, EU-wide systems transformation, focusing on:






(a)


innovative models: challenge the status quo and introduce transformative methods, by rolling out specific campaigns of measures devoted to individual sectors, backed up by sufficient funding;










(b)


cross-disciplinary expertise: foster knowledge integration and collaboration;










(c)


multi-level engagement: ensure broad stakeholder participation;










(d)


global and local insights: Incorporate diverse perspectives and practices;










(e)


practical policy advice: use real-world experience for effective change;










(f)


experimentation spaces: test and refine new policy ideas;










(g)


effective communication: craft narratives to build support for complex changes;
















27.


welcomes the explicit reference to the role of climate resilience in ensuring societal functions, competitiveness, financial stability and security (3); calls for more robust mechanisms to enforce and monitor systematic climate mainstreaming across all relevant EU, national and subnational policies. This includes explicitly integrating strategic environmental assessment processes to support alignment with adaptation objectives, roadmaps, plans, and actions at all levels;












28.


underlines the critical role of clean electrification and emphasises the need to improve energy efficiency, support flexible demand and distributed generation, and invest in advanced energy storage solutions to optimise renewable energy production (4); additionally, stresses the importance of developing decentralised, community-driven energy models to enhance resilience and promote local energy autonomy (5);





Facts and evidence: An integrated EU climate policy – the only option









29.


recalls that according to the Commission Communication the cost of inaction is estimated over the period 2031-2050 to be up to 2,4 trillion euro; stresses that inaction also has social and environmental costs, worsening inequalities, public health, and the vulnerability of marginalised communities; on the other hand, the co-benefits of keeping the 90 % target would be significant, for example, by reducing air-pollution-related premature deaths from the 466 000/year in 2015 to 196 000/year in 2040; urges, in line with the President Sauli Niinistö report, that preparedness must serve as the guiding principle for all our actions in addressing the full spectrum of threats and risks;












30.


emphasising that investments in energy and electricity infrastructure to advance climate neutrality are most effective when utilizing existing forefront technology-assisted solutions and targeted to integrate regional, national and European grids for the benefit for all. This coordination should foster the co-creation of incentives, synchronising the plans of all relevant stakeholders and leading to a strategic, comprehensive energy blueprint for urgent enhancements in decentralised use across local energy and electricity sectors;












31.


recalls the European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) (6) findings, which show that Europe is the fastest-warming continent, warming more than twice as fast as the global average over the past 30 years. Without further policy action, hundreds of thousands of people would die from heatwaves and heavy rains, and economic damages from coastal floods alone could exceed EUR one trillion per year in the EU by the end of the century;












32.


notes – with great concern – the findings of the scientific fact-based EUCRA report, which highlights the broad risks of climate change that extend beyond the environment, impacting the economy, local tourism, health, infrastructure (particularly critical infrastructure) and food systems, sometimes even threatening the cultural heritage of our local areas; emphasises the need for climate change to be a crosscutting priority, not just a thematic policy;












33.


stresses that the EUCRA findings underscore the urgent need for adaptation, regardless of the success of mitigation efforts; calls for mitigation and adaptation policies to be more integrated, with specific adaptation targets established according to the precautionary principle tailored to the unique vulnerabilities of different regions, particularly those identified as ‘hot spots’ such as southern Europe;












34.


stresses that the damage from the natural disasters such as droughts, forest fires and floods, often unpredictable and devastating, is expected to intensify due to climate change; reiterates that local and regional authorities play a crucial role in developing adaptation policies and must be sufficiently empowered and equipped to safeguard the health, safety and well-being of citizens;












35.


welcomes the announcement of a European Climate Adaptation Plan to support Member States, notably in preparedness and planning and ensuring regular science-based risk assessments. Calls on the European Commission to include support for LRAs in the proposal and to engage with the CoR in its drafting;












36.


believes that developing an ‘index’ and territorial vulnerability scoreboard, that are updated as climate change progresses, is crucial in order to start a policy debate on how to use future cohesion policy to respond to such vulnerabilities; recalls that more efforts need to be made to develop meaningful datasets at the subnational level in the field of climate transition and vulnerability;












37.


welcomes the proposal to include natural and cultural capital in the assessment of wealth and economic activities and calls on the Commission to put forward a proposal;












38.


stresses, furthermore, that natural disasters constitute an ever-increasing threat to the EU’s economic, social and territorial cohesion, hindering the implementation of EU cohesion policy and exacerbating the disparities and inequality between regions and social groups, with the most vulnerable being hardest hit;












39.


recalls the need to harness all existing levers and to launch new mechanisms to engage the private sector in climate action; as a reference, the EU Cities Mission Platform estimated that 650 billion euro are needed for 100 cities to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, 80 % of which should come from the private sector;





Public-private investments: RDI, education and professional development









40.


stresses the critical need to scale up the use of existing technologies to implement existing solutions and develop new ones for achieving climate neutrality, highlighting public-private RDI collaboration to improve both technology-based and nature-based advancements; endorses industrial RDI efforts for products and systems with a positive carbon handprint, provided they incorporate robust environmental and social safeguards; while innovation is essential, immediate action utilising current technologies - such as transitioning to renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency, using residual resources, and swiftly replacing carbon-intensive products with renewable alternatives - cannot be postponed;












41.


proposes that since much of the required technology is not yet technologically mature or commercially competitive (7), the EU needs to define technology and commercial roadmaps and action plans with industry and other research experts to reach the necessary levels of technology and costs, emphasising bridging the gaps between basic research, commercialisation, scaling up and real-life practice;












42.


stresses the critical importance of advancing industrial decarbonisation and, therefore, challenges the EU, through DG RTD, JRC, and other DGs, to actively promote local and regional public-private initiatives and foster Europe-wide collaboration to accelerate the innovative development and scale up the use of emerging technologies for industrial transformation;












43.


calls for enhanced scientific and financial strategic research and innovation to address climate risk management and improve resilience in diverse sectors and regions throughout Europe, including urban, rural, coastal and island areas; calls for a thorough understanding of scientific and technological advancements, emphasising how RDI can prioritise both short- and long-term measures that offer the most significant societal benefits and address the diverse regional challenges across Europe, as highlighted by the Letta and Draghi reports; stresses the need for increased RDI financing, enhanced knowledge circulation, and the translation of innovation into commercial success, key aspects underscored in these reports as critical for achieving green and digital transformation goals; in this regard, for the next multiannual financial framework, a decisive increase in funding for the Horizon Europe programme should be envisaged;












44.


supports (8) the Net Zero Industry Act, reiterates the need to upgrade the role of innovation throughout the EU particularly by increasing public-private partnerships and insists on support for SMEs and the agri-food sector in bridging the innovation gap and completing the transition to net-zero practices and technologies;












45.


considers it essential to bolster public-private partnerships to expedite research, technological development, and system and organisational innovation, thereby enabling the EU to advance its competitive solutions - including know-how, products, and services - in the expanding global market focused on investment in mitigation, adaptation, and resilience;












46.


reiterates the need to realign EU financial instruments to connect STEM education with the green and digital transitions, addressing professional shortages across Member States and increasing efforts to tackle gender imbalances and broaden participation in STEM fields. Measures should promote inclusiveness and equal opportunities, making STEM education accessible and appealing to all, especially girls;












47.


points out the need to align EU industrial and climate policies, promote industry RDI investment, remove state-aid competition and foster open innovation through technology neutrality and strategic collaboration to meet the EU’s 2030, 2040 and 2050 targets; underscores the importance of preserving the single market, maintaining uniform rules, and restricting state interventions that jeopardise its integrity; additionally, emphasises the crucial importance of further developing the EU’s environmental policy in this context;





EU Missions: Crucial for advancing EU climate policy









48.


has recognised that the EU Missions have taken necessary steps to meet ambitious societal challenges; calls for leveraging this success, requiring an upgrade in co-financing for potential breakthrough measures essential to showcase and help others reach the 2030 targets;












49.


calls for all the EU Missions to increase their mutual learning and collaboration, as well as visibility at the local and regional levels by further promoting local success stories, scaling up new innovative solutions and leveraging on the political leadership of engaged local politicians;












50.


calls for a robust support package to enhance the impact of successful EU Missions on Adaptation and Climate-Neutral Cities, starting with upgrading Climate City Contracts and replicating experiences through the Covenant of Mayors to support the Fit for 55 package; sees the EU Missions on Adaptation and Climate-Neutral Cities as crucial for accelerating climate actions, promoting innovation and strengthening replication mechanisms; in this context, the inclusion of additional European funding can be an important incentive to accelerate this transformation towards climate-neutral cities;












51.


acknowledges the urgent need for place-based transformative progress in knowledge-based socio-technical systems and calls on EU Climate-Neutral Mission Cities, together with their universities and industries, to lead breakthrough initiatives that push the boundaries of ambitious experimentation. These initiatives should demonstrate how leveraging JRC expertise can help close the innovation gap with the US in RDI, positioning Europe as a global leader in sustainable climate policy;












52.


stands ready to contribute via its Green Deal Going Local campaign to the proposal to promote the uptake of best practices focusing on territorial and maritime planning, cohesion, transport, fisheries, finance and agriculture policies;












53.


calls for improved predictability and collaboration to accelerate investments toward EU Mission targets; stressing the importance of integrating EU Missions’ objectives into future legislation, such as carbon pricing and the Fit for 55 package, to enhance the EU’s multilevel governance system; highlights the mission-oriented policy enhancing the bottom-up dimension within the EU’s multilevel governance system;





Citizens on board: Essential awareness to implement climate policy









54.


recalls that successful climate transition requires full citizen engagement, necessitating better communication about climate risks and benefits while addressing disinformation; reaffirms that the CoR, alongside local and regional politicians, will continue supporting the Green Deal Going Local campaign and the Climate Pact initiative;












55.


notes that the EUCRA report shows significant imbalances and divides in climate change impacts across European regions; calls for cohesion funds and other instruments to ensure that the EU adequately supports both short-term and long-term needs of climate-vulnerable regions; urges the Commission, in collaboration with Member States and subnational authorities, to develop necessary, tailor-made regional action plans to enhance preparedness, ensuring rapid response capabilities through appropriate financing and other support measures;












56.


considers that the cost of inaction and the quantification of co-benefits should be estimated using a scientifically developed measurement framework at the subnational level and openly communicated to citizens and stakeholders; calls on local and regional authorities to actively involve citizens in decision-making processes, ensuring that climate policies are co-created and implemented with the entire community;












57.


emphasises the importance of cross-border climate adaptation and risk preparedness, urging support for subnational authorities to promote joint actions for preventing climate disasters;












58.


welcomes the widespread reference to dialogues with citizens in the Mission letters of the commissioners-designate and highlights the pivotal role that local and regional politicians play in bridging the gap between Brussels and the EU territories; stands ready to cooperate with the European Commission to launch a set of green transition dialogues with territories, also building on the successful cooperation on the European Climate Pact;





Unified approach: Integration of climate, biodiversity, soil, waters, health and land-use









59.


highlights the need to encourage synergies between climate neutrality, biodiversity and zero-pollution objectives and calls on the Commission to create stronger connections between the frameworks and funding mechanisms;












60.


calls on the European Commission to ensure that the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) are effectively aligned with subnational mitigation and adaptation policies, enabling a more consistent and impactful approach to climate action through appropriate provisions in revising the Governance of the Energy Union regulation; emphasises that regional and local measures are uniquely positioned to address specific local climate conditions and, as such, should retain the flexibility necessary to adapt to these conditions without being constrained by the overarching NECPs;












61.


highlights the vital role of nature-based solutions in the systemic transformation of the urban environment, using a cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary approach as a multifaceted instrument for supporting climate change mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity and health;












62.


calls for aligning climate and industrial policy within the bioeconomy, focusing on CO2-neutral and circular economy development, resource efficiency and active sustainable forestry practices. These practices should maintain the crucial vitality of forests, protect endangered species, and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem resilience in forests and surrounding water bodies;












63.


highlights the potential of sustainably sourced biobased CO2 as a renewable raw material and carbon storage product; stresses that biobased solutions should complement, not replace, deep emission cuts and the rapid phase-out of fossil fuels; points out the importance of material and energy self-sufficiency, ensuring that biobased and renewable hydrogen solutions are part of a just and sustainable transition;












64.


stresses the vulnerability and long-term carbon sequestration potential of the land-use sector, as well as the significant emission reduction potential in the agriculture sector through market-driven solutions, with active CAP policy support and voluntary commitment needed for impactful climate actions; highlights the need for a dedicated regulatory framework that empowers farmers and landowners to adopt sustainable practices, using scientific and technological advancements and their potential societal applications, particularly using the outcomes of the EU Mission on Soil and the EU Climate Adaptation Mission, to align agricultural policies with the Green Deal objectives, promoting economic sustainable growth, resilient ecosystems and carbon sequestration;












65.


emphasises the need to include in the overall climate policy architecture and 2040 framework clear, predictable and transparent incentives to invest in biobased CO2 usage and storage;












66.


underlines that land use strategies should prioritise the positive effects of soil, wind, water, forests and wetlands in the transition to a climate-neutral society; calls for recognising ecosystems’ roles in carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and climate resilience to ensure long-term sustainability, alongside the national, regional and local implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law;












67.


stresses that the potential for reducing CO2 emissions in the mobility and transport sectors is considerable; calls for the shift of heavy goods transport from road to rail as far as possible and for rapid innovative development in order to switch to electric vehicles and other low-emission vehicles for different user needs, with a particular focus on a comprehensive, reliable and accessible public transport, as well as promoting active mobility options such as for instance cycling and walking to ensure mobility for all with a specific focus on accessibility;





Market-based mechanisms: Accelerating the transformation









68.


emphasises the crucial role of market-based mechanisms in rapidly bolstering emission reduction initiatives;












69.


stresses the need for a reliable and effective CO2 pricing system, including a socially just carbon border adjustment mechanism, to incentivise decarbonisation across all sectors and promote carbon-neutral solutions; urges the European Commission to refine the CO2 pricing system and champion its global integration to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1,5 °C target, ensuring that revenues generated are reinvested in climate action. Furthermore, emphasises that a well-designed CO2 pricing system is crucial for boosting private sector investment in climate adaptation and mitigation;












70.


encourages the elimination of environmentally harmful subsidies, particularly those linked to fossil fuels and unsustainable agricultural practices, while supporting penalties for businesses that cause environmental damage; highlights the importance of redirecting subsidies from entities that violate environmental standards to ensure that public funds are aligned with the EU’s climate and biodiversity objectives;












71.


urges the EU to lead globally in developing necessary CO2 pricing and budgeting systems and to negotiate similar frameworks with its trading partners; stresses the importance of preventing carbon leakage and ensuring the cost competitiveness of European industry;












72.


urges EU and national governments to ensure stable, systematic public funding for essential services such as utilities, emergency response and healthcare while integrating climate adaptation and mitigation into broader sustainability investments;












73.


stresses that public funding alone cannot meet the needs for climate adaptation and mitigation; endorses diverse financing methods such as Green Bonds; calls for practical taxonomy criteria to ensure the green transition without creating administrative burdens and for innovative financing models that balance social, environmental and economic benefits; encourages the use of instruments such as climate city contracts and joint investment plans with entities such as the EIB and national and regional banks, as well as financing institutions organised by local and regional authorities in partnership;












74.


highlights the need for funding mechanisms, such as venture capital and private equity, to support the growth of climate-focused tech companies by leveraging local synergies and engaging with local stakeholders such as research organisations;












75.


stresses the need to combine public grants and patient equity financing with early-stage private investments for transformative innovation in sectors that need long-term investment, such as electric car batteries, hydrogen and semiconductors;












76.


underscores the importance of university-industry partnerships for achieving large-scale RDI breakthroughs, covering the entire innovation lifecycle from research to scaling-up, drawing on successful experiences from IPCEIs and strategic alliances;












77.


calls on the EU to initiate sustainable development frameworks that accelerate the transformation of all societal processes and activities to become carbon-free, advance new technology-assisted solutions for carbon capture, storage, and utilisation, and promote natural carbon sequestration and ecosystem restoration, including market-based incentives to ensure large-scale carbon sequestration capabilities beyond 2050;





Effective monitoring: Key to climate policy success









78.


supports the need for detailed European climate resilience statistics at the subnational level and welcomes the proposed revision of existing tools and guidelines, including leveraging the Emergency Response Coordination Centre’s capabilities to aid cities and regions;












79.


emphasises the importance of data collection, evaluation and monitoring systems for developing decision-support tools for local and regional policy-makers, such as the Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service and the European Climate Neutrality Observatory;












80.


encourages cities and regions to use the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) as a valuable tool, with particular interest for vulnerable regions and groups to analyse climate change impacts in the short term;





Navigating change: Essential instruments for climate action









81.


believes that addressing current poly-crises requires a new leadership approach that prioritises entrepreneurial spirit and human capital. This involves creating a robust EU framework for sustainable well-being and citizen engagement, moving beyond GDP and aligning closely with the SDGs;












82.


calls on the EU and Member States to revise the procedure and criteria of cohesion funds, transforming them into more powerful and influential financial instruments for systemic climate transformation that addresses the urgent needs for resilience, as well as mitigation and adaptation towards climate neutrality;












83.


highlights that the fragmentation of funding instruments leads to confusion, undue burdens and significant inefficiencies. It advocates an overhaul of the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) to encompass all funding instruments and to integrate cities and regions into their governance from the outset, ensuring their full participation in shaping mitigation and adaptation strategies;












84.


calls for more decisive actions on Innovative Public Procurement, urging the European Commission to update the Green and Circular Public Procurement guidelines at the Member State level while further reinforcing their implementation;












85.


supports using joint purchasing tools to offer Member States, cities and regions affordable climate-neutral solutions, such as clean public transport and renewable energy;












86.


welcomes the climate criteria of the ‘do no significant harm’ principle in the EU budget and calls on the Commission to enforce stricter methodologies and criteria for its implementation, also building upon the work of the OECD on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development; at the same time, the requirements need to be applied without imposing significant administrative burdens;












87.


urges the need to reduce methane emissions, particularly from the energy sector, agriculture, waste management and fossil fuel production, and recommends that the EU take the lead at the international level by promoting ambitious reduction targets and sustainable practices;












88.


welcomes the commitments made by the President of the European Commission in the chapter entitled ‘Climate Adaptation, Preparedness and Solidarity’ of her Political Guidelines for 2024-2029 and proposes that, in tandem with the roll-out of the future European Climate Adaptation Plan, a ‘strategic dialogue group’ involving the different levels of public governance and the private sector be systematically convened.






Brussels, 20 November 2024.


The President


of the European Committee of the Regions

Vasco ALVES CORDEIRO
               





(1)  
            https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2863/718117.

(2)  
            The CoR (2024), Regions and cities shaping the European Green Deal 2.0.


(3)  Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council, A new outlook on the climate and security nexus: JOIN/2023/19 final.

(4)  Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — Amending the Renewable Energy Directive to meet the new 2030 climate targets (OJ C 301, 5.8.2022, p. 184).

(5)  Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — Electricity market design (OJ C, C/2023/253, 26.10.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/253/oj).

(6)  European Environment Agency (2024), European climate risk assessment – Executive Summary, EEA Report 01/2024.

(7)  The International Energy Agency (IEA) report 2021, A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector.

(8)  Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – The Net-Zero Industry Act (OJ C, C/2023/254, 26.10.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/254/oj).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/280/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)