Global Covenant of Mayors

The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) is an international organization headquartered in Brussels. It emerged in 2016 from the formal merger of the Compact of Mayors, launched in New York in 2014, and the European Covenant of Mayors, which began in 2008. Its core mission is to support cities worldwide in addressing climate change by providing a structured framework for greenhouse gas reduction and climate adaptation. Currently, GCoM boasts a membership of over 13,500 cities and local governments spanning six continents and 147 countries, collectively representing more than 1.2 billion inhabitants. These participants voluntarily commit to local climate and energy targets, such as emissions reduction, renewable energy transition, and resilience to climate impacts. The GCoM offers standardized methods for climate data collection, target-setting, and progress reporting, facilitating comparability and transparency across its network. The organization is governed by a board composed of ten mayors and local officials who contribute regional perspectives, while a central secretariat in Brussels coordinates activities and partnerships. GCoM partners with international institutions, philanthropic bodies, and research organizations to bridge gaps in technical support, financing, and policy knowledge. Recent projects highlighted by GCoM include initiatives on sustainable urban mobility, improving building energy efficiency, and piloting climate risk assessment tools in member cities. Its scope includes both mitigation and adaptation, with a particular emphasis on data-driven action and local implementation capacity. Collectively, GCoM cities aim to contribute significantly to global emission reductions and advance the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.