New Climate Passport for cities mobilises municipal climate action 28/10/2026

The Climate Passport for Cities was officially launched last Monday (26 October), marking a significant step forward in supporting and monitoring local climate action across Portugal.

It is a national initiative developed jointly by the Portuguese Agency for Energy (ADENE) and the Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research (IN+). The programme is voluntary and free of charge, open to all Portuguese municipalities, and provides a common platform on which municipalities can monitor their progress, report their achievements, and increase the visibility of their local climate action.

On its first day, more than 80 municipalities joined the initiative, representing over half of Portugal’s population. Notably, around 20 of these municipalities are not yet members of the European Covenant of Mayors, highlighting the initiative’s role in extending climate action to territories that have not previously been part of this European network.

Participating municipalities gain access to a digital platform that centralises climate plans and reporting processes, simplifies participation in the European Covenant of Mayors and provides technical support. The initiative may also strengthen municipalities’ ability to access future funding opportunities by demonstrating good practices in climate governance and implementation.

As the National Coordinator of the European Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Portugal, ADENE currently supports a community of 178 Portuguese municipalities that are committed to climate action. The Climate Passport for Cities is expected to further expand this community, accelerating local efforts towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.