As part of the 9th European Conference of Sustainable Cities & Towns, on the 1st October 2020, Cork City Council (CCC), through the Lord Mayor of Cork, Joe Kavanagh, endorsed the Mannheim Message – a campaign gathering like-minded future-focussed European cities.
The European Commission welcomes the Mannheim Message as an open call to all local governments across Europe to join in the collective response to the European Green Deal. It calls for core systematic changes and key policy shifts needed to move towards a transition of climate resilient, inclusive and sustainable Europe. Local Authorities are encouraged to be part of the process by committing as key partners in the development of Local Green Deals and the European Green Deal and facilitate the transformation in a socially-just manner.
The Lord Mayor fully supports the Mannheim Message, “if the green shoots of truly transformative sustainability are to flourish over the next generation, as they must, local and regional authorities – large and small – need to be empowered and placed at the forefront of designing and delivering the EU Green Deal on the ground amongst communities and citizens.”
The Mannheim Message highlights the critical role local and regional governments play in achieving sustainability goals. According to Dr. Peter Kurz, Mayor of Mannheim, “the Mannheim Message strengthens that local governments are key actors for the European Green Deal and explains how we are co-creating Europe’s future. To achieve these goals, joint work needs to be done, not only following a top-down approach, but also a bottom-up one. We should use the momentum to involve regions, cities and towns.”
The Mannheim Message calls for active engagement of civil society. Individuals and organisations are also welcome to endorse the document.
Read the full text of the Mannheim Message here:
For more information contact:
ICLEI European Secretariat
Cork City Council
EU Affairs Coordinator
