The European Union (EU)’s vast experience on multilevel governance and partnerships indicates how climate pledges can turn into real-world results through closer cooperation with cities and regions, according to a new report launched by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) and C40 Cities.

The report documents how European institutions, as well as national, regional and local governments across the EU are engaging to design, finance and deliver climate action on the ground.

The report, “The European Multilevel Governance Story: Evidence on CHAMP-aligned Implementation in Practice,” identifies tangible examples from the EU and across European countries to show how empowering cities facilitates the implementation of climate and energy policies locally.

It collects existing evidence on how the European model of multilevel governance is helping translate national and global climate targets into on-the-ground projects, investments and emission reductions, while offering an inspiration for other countries aligned with the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP).

The findings come as the European Union has joined the CHAMP Coalition as its 78th endorser, marking a significant step in strengthening global cooperation between national and subnational governments. Launched at COP28, the coalition aims to accelerate climate ambition by recognising the central role of cities and regions in delivering national climate goals.

Laurence Graff, Adviser for Multi-level Climate Action, representing the European Commission, said: “Across the European Union, multilevel partnerships and active cooperation among various levels of government are essential to designing and delivering climate action on the ground. The EU works closely with Member States, cities and regions because effective climate action depends on all levels of government moving in the same direction, helping one another for a coherent and effective delivery. By strengthening cooperation, sharing expertise and supporting investment in local solutions, we are turning European climate ambition into real transformation for communities.”

From Spain to Sweden: the European path to local climate implementation 

The report highlights a sample among successful multi-level partnership initiatives in the EU and the Member States. These examples illustrate how the EU’s multilevel governance structures, partnerships, and initiatives are crucial to deliver its climate and energy goals in a just and inclusive way.

• Germany has since COP30 been announced as co-chair of CHAMP alongside Brazil under the coalition’s new governance structure. The country’s  commitment to empowering local climate action is reflected in its National Climate Initiative, which since 2008 has invested €2.2 billion in more than 60,000 local projects and mobilised nearly €7 billion in total investments;
  
• Denmark is on track to become the first country where nearly all municipalities have climate plans aligned with the Paris Agreement, with the support of the DK2020 project and the Climate Alliance. Adding together their emission reduction targets, the Danish local governments aim to help reduce emissions by 76% by 2030, exceeding the national target of 70% reduction;
  
• In Croatia and Portugal multilevel climate and energy dialogues mandated under the European Governance Regulation, with the support of the European funded NECPlatform project, have been used to engage with local governments and discuss how to improve coordination, financing access, and implementation capacity; In France, they were used to develop recommendations for improving existing institutional processes to become more inclusive, transparent and effective.
  
• Italy’s regions, including Emilia-Romagna and Apulia, are acting as key intermediaries, helping municipalities design and implement local climate plans at scale;
  
• Spain’s CitiES2030 platform is accelerating climate neutrality in cities, bringing together the national government, cities, businesses, and academia for learning, collaboration, and project implementation.;
  
• Sweden’s Viable Cities programme works with 48 cities and 6 national agencies to accelerate the climate transition in cities toward climate neutrality by 2030, pioneering innovative collaboration models. 

A multilevel partnership model 

The report finds that, based on the EU experience, strong policy frameworks, dedicated support for cities and regions, and structured cooperation across all levels of government are needed to ensure cities are empowered to contribute to the delivery of national climate goals. 

Andy Deacon, Co-Managing Director of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), said: “The EU’s experience shows that multilevel governance is not a theory, but a proven model for delivering climate action on the ground. It demonstrates that strong policy frameworks, combined with empowered cities and regions, structured cooperation, and dedicated access to finance, can unlock faster and more effective implementation.

“It also highlights the critical role of regional governments, local government associations, and technical partners in bridging national ambition with local delivery. As countries around the world move to implement their climate commitments, the examples in this report provide an inspiration on how multilevel partnerships can turn climate goals into tangible results.”

As the CHAMP Coalition enters its implementation phase, the EU’s experience can offer concrete examples for countries seeking to strengthen cooperation with subnational governments. Empowering cities and regions can help close implementation gaps and deliver faster climate progress worldwide.