Towards climate change mitigation and adaptation in cities - The role of Greek Municipalities and Prefectures. Findings and outcomes from the EMPOWERING Project.

Abstract

Climate change is a global challenge that must be tackled in order to secure a safe planet for the young generations, as it threatens Europe's ecosystems, human health and economy. In this line, the European Union is focusing on a strict 2030 energy agenda in order to achieve a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, in line with all necessary reductions by developed countries as a group and at the same time make a fair and ambitious contribution to the Paris Agreement. Since, 70% of cities are already dealing with the effects of climate change, along with their rapid growth and the high intensity of urban sprawl, Local Authorities' role is of vital importance. Moreover, besides environmental and social related factors that drive the battle against climate change, economic parameters represent key drivers of CO2 emissions' reduction policies. In this framework, the most important initiative on a European Level, is the Covenant of Mayors - CoM that was created in 2008 and gathers more than 9.660 signatories globally that have voluntarily committed to create Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs). In this line, the EMPOWERING Project, launched in 2017, aimed at supporting Local Authorities enhance their capacity in terms of planning efficient energy measures within the new European 2030 framework for Climate and Energy Policy. This research presents the main results and conclusions of the authors' technical support to the Region of Central Macedonia (RCM) and its participating municipalities.