More EU funding for European cities can accelerate the fight against climate change, according to Copenhagen’s Lord Mayor Sophie Hæstorp Andersen. The Lord Mayor urges future candidates for the European Parliament elections to prioritize targeted EU funds for specific climate initiatives in Europe’s largest cities. This call is part of an open letter signed by 21 European city mayors, including leaders from Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Barcelona. Sophie Hæstorp Andersen emphasizes the importance of cities in the green transition. She points out that although cities are part of the problem with increasing urbanization and CO2 emissions, they are also crucial to the solution, provided the necessary investments are made. World cities account for the majority of CO2 emissions, and according to the international city network C40, cities emit approximately 70 percent of the world’s total CO2. Copenhagen has already made significant progress towards its own climate goals and expects an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within city limits by 2025. This exceeds Denmark’s national goal of a 70 percent reduction by 2030, based on 1990 levels. Although Copenhagen is ahead in terms of climate action, Hæstorp Andersen believes that additional EU funding is necessary. “Cities are at the forefront of the climate fight, and with significantly more targeted investments, we can accelerate the green transition across Europe,” she says. She argues that it is in everyone’s interest for Europe’s politicians to strategically focus on cities. More EU funding can, among other things, accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels and promote sustainable mobility.

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