Climate Action A Priority Say Euro City Mayors

Eurocities Monitor Survey
The Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey is the premier annual survey conducted among Eurocities members, a body including most of Europe’s  major cities and representing over 150 million people continent-wide. The most recent results which includes insights from 92 leaders of Eurocities’ 204 member cities, aims to present an overview of crucial urban trends. It highlights the top challenges and priorities mayors face. The most recent 2024 survey is particularly important as the European elections approach.

Climate action is the top priority for 2024 by some margin, with over half of mayors selecting it for the second consecutive year. This encompasses efforts to mitigate climate change and promote climate adaptation and resilience. Mayors emphasise the joint benefits of climate transition for other sectors and the pivotal role of cities in leading diverse actions, such as building renovations and citizen engagement.

However, a significant concern among mayors is the lack of financial resources and local capacity to effectively implement the actions they see as necessary. There is also concern about push back from those affected by the changes that need to made for effective climate action to work, both at the business /  corporate level, and the individual level.

When it comes to prioritising policy areas for innovation, together with addressing climate action, cities are focused on digitising services,  economic development and mobility. However, housing, social inclusion, and migration integration receive less focus despite being top mayoral priorities.

“Sustainable urban development is one of the keys to the future of Europe. Our cities must be inclusive, green and resilient adapting to new challenges and to unprecedented shocks and crises. The priorities identified by mayors in this survey confirm the diversity of solutions to integrate and invest in local policies and strategies, joining in with regional and national levels’ actions.”

The upcoming elections for the European Parliament to be held in June 2024 could put climate ambition and other urban area priorities at stake. Mayors and their teams will have to wait and see if the challenges and priorities they identified in the 2024 Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey are taken up by the new political configuration in Brussels.

You can read the full survey results here: https://monitor.eurocities.eu/eurocities-pulse-mayors-survey

Or download a PDF copy here: https://monitor.eurocities.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Eurocities-Pulse-Mayors-Survey-2024-1.pdf

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As we have demonstrated in the Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey,
finding the solutions to climate change must be a priority, which
is essential when thinking about the long term. But we need to also
consider ways to make life easier for people today, which is something
cities are very experienced at.
Burkhard Jung
President of
Eurocities and Mayor
of Leipzig