Droughts in the UK. Floods in Spain. War in Ukraine, exposing the risks of Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels. Across the continent, the climate and energy related pressure shaping Europe are increasingly difficult to ignore.
Against this backdrop, Europe’s Regions Week brought together leaders from cities and regions from across the continent in Brussels to tackle some of the most urgent challenges – from social cohesion and artificial intelligence to one of the most urgent of all, climate change. Opening the week, European Council President António Costa, underlined the role of cities and regions in delivering Europe’s energy transition. Accelerating the shift to clean energy, he argued, would strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and requires increased collaboration between national and subnational governments
That conversation continued at the Under2 Coalition ministerial. Representatives of states and regions explored how to accelerate decarbonisation, unlock the potential of electrification and strengthen the voice of subnational governments in international climate negotiations.
At the heart of many of these discussions, crucial questions were how we turn global climate commitments into tangible results for people, businesses and communities? And how do we ensure the governments closest to delivery have the resources and influence to make it happen?
Subnational climate leadership: ten years on we’re doubling down
National governments set the direction. But states, regions and other subnational authorities are often closest to the people, infrastructure and industries that are affected by climate policies. The leaders of the Under2 Coalition are clear that state and regional governments are implementation partners, but also innovators and trailblazers.
Across Europe, they are putting that responsibility into practice.
Scotland’s Climate Change Plan sets out measures to decarbonise buildings, transform transport and reduce emissions across the economy. Catalonia is developing its integrated energy and climate plan towards 2030, bringing together renewable energy, energy efficiency and economic decarbonisation. Navarra’s Energy and Climate Roadmap 2050 sets out a long-term approach linking emissions reduction, energy transition and regional economic development. And Baden-Württemberg has strengthened its climate legislation, setting sector-specific emissions targets alongside measures on renewable energy, building heat and climate adaptation.
The approaches differ, as they reflect the needs and circumstances of each territory. But they share a common principle - climate commitments are translated into policies, investment and decisions that work on the ground and show clear benefits to people’s lives.
Yet regional leadership is not always visible in international climate discussions. Participants at the Under2 Coalition ministerial emphasised the need to strengthen the role of subnational governments and ensure their experience and expertise are recognised in global decision-making.
That means more than giving regions a seat in the room. It means learning from practical examples, learning across borders, and building partnerships that help governments tackle common challenges.
When states and regions share what works, they build partnerships, accelerate solutions and show what climate action can achieve in practice.
“At a time when some governments are rolling back their climate commitments, it is important that we stay together and maintain our collective ambition.”
The energy transition is about more than technology
Electrification emerged as a critical pathway to reducing emissions, strengthening energy security, and supporting industrial transformation. But simply rolling out renewable energy and introducing new technologies will not, on their own, deliver the transition.
The infrastructure must be there, too.
That means expanding and modernising electricity grids, improving energy storage and flexibility, speeding up grid connections and ensuring electricity is available where new industries and communities need it. Energy efficiency matters just as much. Better-insulated buildings, more efficient vehicles and smarter energy use can reduce demand, ease pressure on the electricity system and help make the transition more affordable.
Through the Big Switch initiative, the Under2 Coalition works with subnational leaders to accelerate electrification and support more resilient economies and communities.
But the transition requires more than engineering. It requires coordination between regional and national governments, industry and communities. Participants highlighted that public engagement and social acceptance are essential, particularly when new renewable energy infrastructure and projects are being developed in local communities.
Regions are well placed to bring these interests together. They can help identify barriers, test solutions and share lessons about what works and what needs to change to make electrification faster, fairer and more effective.
“Regions are already delivering solutions. The next step is making sure their leadership is recognised and supported.”
The COP31 Presidency’s call for a Global İmece, a collective effort, puts cooperation and implementation at the centre of the road to Antalya. For subnational governments, the question is how that ambition translates into meaningful influence over the decisions that will shape climate action on the ground.
As countries work to implement their national climate plans, states and regions will be essential partners. They help deliver climate policies, support local economies, build resilience and ensure the benefits of the transition reach communities.
At the ministerial, governments called for stronger representation for states and regions at COP31, including opportunities to engage with national governments, ministers and other decision-makers. Through strategic partnerships like CHAMP, the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships for Climate Action, we’re strengthening collaboration between different levels of government on climate policy and finance.
Finance was another central theme. Regional authorities need access to resources to turn ambitious plans into investable projects, from clean energy and electrification to low-carbon industries.
Through the FASTR (Finance Accelerator for States and Regions) we have been working with regional governments to close the climate finance gap and unlock capital for climate projects. At COP31, the Under2 Coalition Subnational Investment Forum will provide an opportunity to connect subnational governments with investors and other finance stakeholders, helping move projects closer to implementation.
The task is not simply to attract more investment. It is to ensure that finance reaches the places where climate solutions are delivered, and that regional governments have the capacity and partnerships to turn ambition into results.
“Subnational governments often do more than people might expect of us.”
That message captures the opportunity ahead. Regions are not waiting for international climate negotiations to deliver change. They are developing plans, building partnerships and implementing solutions already. Last year, the Under2 Coalition launched the solutions bank report with over 100 scalable solutions from states and regions.
The road to Antalya is an opportunity to move beyond recognising subnational leadership, and actively enable it.
Across Europe, regions are already demonstrating what climate ambition looks like in practice. At COP31, the opportunity is to ensure they have the influence, partnerships, and finance to go further, and that their contribution is reflected in the decisions shaping global climate action.