The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) concluded a highly successful participation in the 2025 edition of the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), reinforcing its role as a leading global platform connecting cities with European innovators to accelerate climate action implementation.

As a strategic institutional partner of the congress, alongside the European Commission, UN-Habitat and the World Bank, GCoM used the occasion to deepen dialogue, highlight impactful implementation stories, and expand opportunities for climate-aligned urban development across its global network.

Connecting Cities and Businesses to Accelerate Implementation

This year, GCoM brought together twelve signatory cities from seven regions, including Belize City (Belize), Mombasa (Kenya), Yerevan (Armenia), Shimla (India), Figuig (Morocco), Sekondi Takoradi (Ghana), and Basse (The Gambia). Over the course of three days, these cities participated in a coordinated program of matchmaking engagements with twelve European cleantech and urban innovation companies tailored to their most urgent climate and energy priorities. Approximately seventy-two pre-arranged meetings took place at the European Union (EU) Joint Projects Pavilion, with additional conversations emerging organically throughout the congress.

The expanded matchmaking area, co-designed with the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) program, provided an ideal environment for these strategic encounters. Delegations also took part in a guided tour of the exhibition, enabling them to discover additional European companies and explore a broader spectrum of relevant solutions directly on the expo floor.

Showcasing Implementation & Impact

One of the central elements of GCoM’s participation was the “GCoM Implementation and Impact” session on the Clean Tech Stage. During this session, cities and companies presented concrete examples of climate action already in motion

Among the highlights were the smart parking project implemented in Shimla through collaboration with the French company Coco Parks, a floating walkway project in Belize City developed with Blue21, and the advancement of biogas digester initiatives across several African cities in partnership with Oekobit. These case studies demonstrated the practical value of GCoM’s global matchmaking efforts, financial technical assistance through the bankable cities activities and underscored the momentum behind city–business cooperation as a driver for implementation of climate solutions.

High-Level Visibility and Strategic Engagements

GCoM’s presence at SCEWC extended well beyond the matchmaking activities. Mayor Viorica of Truseni (Moldova) delivered remarks during an EU Pavilion session organized with the Smart Cities Marketplace from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER), highlighting the significant role of local governments in shaping sustainable urban futures. GCoM delegates also contributed to IURC’s Business Engagement and Public Diplomacy Sessions, sharing perspectives on sub-national diplomacy, climate governance and regional collaboration.

Cities were invited to the high-level reception at the Royal Palace of Pedralbes hosted by the Catalan Regional Government. This event provided an exceptional setting for international networking and exchange among city, regional and program representatives.

GCoM’s participation yielded several important outcomes. The program enabled cities to advance ongoing conversations with businesses they had previously engaged, while also opening doors to new companies identified specifically for their needs. The presence of GCoM cities in three major conference settings offered valuable visibility, allowing them to share their progress and attract interest from additional solution providers and potential partners. The collaboration with EU-funded initiatives, such as the IURC and the Smart Cities Marketplace, resulted in a deeper alignment of resources, expertise and opportunities for the participating cities.

Looking Ahead

This year’s experience re-emphasized the immense value of face-to-face engagement when supported by advanced preparation, clear articulation of city needs and careful screening of business capabilities.

GCoM’s engagement at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 demonstrated once again how collaboration between cities, private-sector innovators, and institutional partners can accelerate the delivery of climate solutions. The relationships, insights and commitments formed in Barcelona will continue fueling progress toward climate-resilient and sustainable urban development well into 2026 and beyond.