The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) hosted an event bringing together key partners to showcase how rapid urbanization and strengthened multilevel cooperation can accelerate city action and better link local priorities with global climate goals. The event—held in Brussels on March 24, 2026—focused on the theme of scalable solutions for cities. GCoM launched two reports: Rapid Urbanization in Small and Medium-sized Cities: Implications for climate and energy Preliminary Findings, and The European Multilevel Governance Story: Evidence on CHAMP-aligned Implementation in Practice, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The American College of Greece (ACG).

In 2026, GCoM is supporting cities of all sizes to scale workable solutions to increasing climate hazards and risks, including providing access to finance, strengthening multilevel governance, as well as advancing research and innovation.

As GCoM marks a decade of mobilizing the world’s largest alliance of over 13,800 cities, representing over 1 billion people, it is uniquely positioned to transform local ambition into global impact through scalable solutions—making cities indispensable partners in delivering the Paris Agreement. GCoM’s size and diversity make it the essential platform for testing and scaling solutions globally.

The preliminary findings from the report, Rapid Urbanization in Small and Medium-sized Cities: Implications for climate and energy, seek to broaden the understanding of rapid urbanization and its effects on these often overlooked cities. As small and medium-sized cities play an increasingly critical role in future urban growth, there is an urgent and strategic need to analyze their patterns of urbanization, especially in relation to climate and energy vulnerabilities. Five new typologies of rapidly urbanizing cities are introduced, exploring their regional variations, differing environmental impacts, as well as critical opportunities and challenges. The report’s emerging findings and recommendations ultimately aim to inform future GCoM alliance activities, deepening and scaling engagement across rapidly urbanizing cities through knowledge, technical support, and partnerships. 

GCoM convenes cities, national governments, and partners to forge multilevel governance solutions, demonstrated by the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) and COP partnerships. Through multilateral action, GCoM raises ambition, aligns local and national climate plans, and ensures cities’ voices shape global policy and finance. The report The European Multilevel Governance Story: Evidence on CHAMP-aligned Implementation in Practice identifies tangible examples from the EU and across European countries to show how empowering cities facilitates the implementation of climate and energy policies locally. It collects existing evidence on how the European model of multilevel governance is helping translate national and global climate targets into on-the-ground projects, investments, and emission reductions.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between GCoM and ACG documents collaboration and knowledge-sharing activities over the next three years. Both organizations will collaborate on data, research and innovation activities, as well as educational and training programs as part of GCoM’s Innovate4Cities Initiative, including delivering The Kali Polis Project and drone civil protection workshops to support Greek municipalities in fighting wildfires and other climate disasters.