Climate Alliance

With over 2,000 members from more than 25 countries, Climate Alliance is the Europe’s largest city network committed to comprehensive and just climate action.

From small rural towns to metropolises inhabited by millions and entire regions, Climate Alliance members undertand that the climate crisis is a global challenge requiring local solutions. Since its founding, Climate Alliance has not only brought together European regions, cities and towns, supporting them with their local climate strategies, but has also linked European climate efforts with support for the indigenous peoples of the Amazonia.

Climate Alliance’s collaboration is unique, allowing both sides to network, exchange ideas and learn from one another. While it may come as a surprise, indigenous peoples  find themselves in a position quite similar to regional and local governments – they, too, must manage their territories. Their knowledge, perspectives and experience in the sustainable management of their environment are essential to the protection of our global climate!

Climate Alliance – more than 35 years of local climate action

The cornerstone for Climate Alliance was laid in 1990, when representatives from German, Austrian and Swiss municipalities met with representatives of indigenous organisations from Amazonia in Frankfurt. Since then, their shared motivation has been to take local action against the advancing climate crisis. More than 35 years later, Climate Alliance has grown into a network with some 2,000 members across Europe; a European secretariat with three locations in Frankfurt am Main, Berlin and Brussels; seven national coordination offices in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland; and Climate Alliance Services, a complementary organisational structure under which many of Climate Alliance’s tools and campaigns are run.

Talk is good, action is better!

By joining our network, regions and municipalities commit themselves to continually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, striving for a 95 % reduction by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, in line with IPCC recommendations. In addition, members commit to effective and sustainable climate action in line with Climate Alliance principles. These goals set our network apart. In achieving them, we define the ‘how’ together with and for our member municipalities from across Europe. The solutions exist, now it’s time to take action! And that is precisely why we offer our members concrete recommendations along with practical support for successful municipal climate action.

Our network’s commitment

Carrying out effective, comprehensive and just climate action in line with Climate Alliance principles – fair, nature-based, local, resource-efficient and diverse.

Promoting climate justice together with indigenous peoples of Amazonia – by supporting their rights, protecting biodiversity and abstaining from the use of unsustainably managed timber.

Continually reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10% every five years while striving for a 95% cut by 2050 as compared to 1990 levels, in line with IPCC recommendations.

Climate Alliance principles

Our compass for municipal climate action

1 FAIR
Climate action must be just, promoting the well-being of all the world’s peoples – regardless of their culture, faith, gender, location or socio-economic status – in harmony with the natural evironment.

2 NATURE-BASED
Climate action cannot be based on overexploitation. Our actions must instead replenish and regenerate, contributing to sustainable, closed-loop systems in line with the needs of both society and nature.

3 LOCAL
A municipality’s sphere of influence is local by nature. Cities and towns can strengthen their resilience to crises by carrying out adaptation measures in their territories as well as by purchasing regionally-sourced goods and energy.

4 RESOURCE-SAVING
Even when it comes to climate action, we have to make careful use of our resources. That is why we place a focus on resource efficiency, resource saving and sufficiency – achieving more with less and ideally using less right from the start.

5 DIVERSE
Strength lies in diversity. Every town, city and district is unique. Making the most of the differences means that individual climate measures and their implementation differ from place to place. There is no one-size-fits-all answer.