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Covenant of Mayors East publishes guidebook on how to develop Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan

13/08/2026

In July 2026, the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) published a Guidebook on ‘How to develop a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) in the Eastern Partnership countries’, as part of the Covenant of Mayors – East (CoM East) initiative.

By providing comprehensive, step by step guidance, this guidebook supports signatories in the Eastern Partnership region in building a low-carbon, resilient and inclusive society, playing a pivotal role in fostering a culture of sustainability within their communities.

The guidebook addresses crucial aspects of the design, elaboration, implementation and monitoring of SECAPs. The document is built around ten key elements that are essential to the success of the whole process, around which municipalities’ action should focus, including: political commitment, mobilising relevant municipal resources, stakeholder engagement, assessment of baseline situation, setting targets, preparing actions addressing key challenges, securing adequate financing, SECAP adoption and submission, implementation, monitoring and reporting.

The Guidebook represents a major update of the previous guidebook ‘How to develop a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) in the Eastern Partnership countries’, published back in 2018.

Particularly, it provides updated information on commitments, in line with progress of the European and international climate policy goals. Additionally, it offers further guidance following the development of the CoM East framework, notably the inclusion of the energy poverty pillar. The document now follows a new structure designed to ease reading and address the needs of different audiences.

Find out more

Press release

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