EU's new climate commitments must be reflected in the next long-term budget to empower local climate action

Representing EU cities and regions at the COP30 Local Leaders Forum in Rio de Janeiro, President of the European Committee of the Regions Kata Tüttő has welcomed the agreement on the EU's new climate targets and the greater recognition for local and regional climate action, as shown by the EU's endorsement of the CHAMP initiative. However, she stressed that this must be reflected in the governance structures and in the next multiannual EU budget so that cities and regions have the means and resources to deliver.

On Wednesday 5 November, the Environment Council reached an agreement on a proposal to amend the European climate law to establish a binding intermediate climate target for 2040. It introduces a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, of which up to 5% reduction might come through international carbon credits. The Member States also approved the EU’s post-2030 nationally determined contribution (NDC) right ahead of the COP30 in Belém and with a new goal to cut emissions between 66,25% and 72,5% below 1990 levels until 2035. Furthermore, the EU has officially endorsed the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) for Climate Action, which aims to bridge the gap between local action and national policies and embed multilevel governance in climate action.

President of the European Committee of the Regions Kata Tüttő said: “The CoR welcomes the adoption of the 2040 climate target and the EU’s new Nationally Determined Contribution ahead of COP30 in Belem. Local and regional authorities are already delivering cleaner air and safer communities, turning ambition into reality. We act, prevent, and build resilience every day, with courage, innovation, and our communities behind us. The EU’s endorsement of CHAMP is an important step, but it must now be translated into concrete implementation through effective governance structures, financing instruments, and the next long-term budget. Europe can only lead globally if it leads together — through genuine multilevel cooperation across all levels of government and institutions.”

President Tüttő reacted to the agreements from Rio de Janeiro, where she represented EU cities and regions at the COP30 Local Leaders Forum this week. The three-day event co-organised by the Brazilian COP30 presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies gathered hundreds of representatives of local and regional governments from all around the world to showcase how local action is driving global climate progress. The European Committee of the Regions has been part of the drafting committee for the joint position of world’s subnational governments for the UNFCCC COP30, taking place in Belém from 10 to 21 November.

President Tüttö spoke at the opening session of the Global States and Regions Summit and in the high-level session on Water and Resilience on Tuesday, alongside Governors from the US, Latin America and Africa and UN representatives. She also took part in a dialogue with Teresa Ribera, European Commission's Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, alongside mayors from European capitals including London, Paris, Warsaw, Copenhagen and many others. She held bilateral meetings with Québec's Envoy for climate change Jean Lemire and California’s Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and participated in a gathering of Governors hosted by Claudio Castro, Governor of Rio de Janeiro State.

 Contact:

Lauri Ouvinen
Tel. +32 473536887
lauri.ouvinen@cor.europa.eu