A-Z Glossary

The Covenant of Mayors for the Mediterranean is a multifaceted initiative, involving a wide range of actors, numerous steps and processes. Through the present glossary, newcomers should be able to find their way through, with comprehensive information about the CoM med, from A to Z!

Associated Partners

Associated Partners are professional associations, NGOs, and other such structures which are in a position to provide linkages with private companies and civil society, as well as support to Covenant signatories, notably in the form of technologies, tools, financial incentives, promotional materials, cultural and participative initiatives.

Baseline Emission Inventory, BEI

The BEI quantifies the amount of GHG emitted due to energy consumption and non-energy combustion sources in the territory of the signatory within a given period and focuses on the activity sectors of the local authority. It allows to identify the principal sources of CO2 emissions and their respective reduction potentials and progress towards the defined target. The BEI shows the emissions in the baseline year (the reference year) for the target setting and plan development in order to identify the actions necessary to reach the CO2 reduction target.

Citizen’s Awareness Raising Plan

Good communication is particularly essential during the preparation and implementation phases, both internally among different departments of the local authority, the associated public authorities and all those involved, and externally with relevant stakeholders, including citizens. It should consider incorporating a “Vision of the city” and a “Citizen Awareness Communication Plan'' as part of the SEACAP communication strategy.

Climate Action Strategy, CAS

The CAS is a document prepared with the National Coordination Group. It aims to provide recommendations for national authorities to improve mainstreaming of Climate Change (both mitigation and adaptation) into public policies, and to apply more effective ways to conduct Climate Change actions, towards improved Climate Finance.

CoM Med Geographic Coverage

Cities in the following countries may access the MyCovenant component in order to submit their SEACAP and/ or report on the progress realized:

• Clima Med countries: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria and Palestine

• Neighbors of neighbors: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Covenant of Mayors for the Mediterranean Office

CoM Med is currently run by the Clima-Med experts team. It has two offices (CoMO) one in Rabat, Morocco, for the Maghreb region and one in Beirut, Lebanon, for the Mashreq. Their purpose is to provide effective Help Desk services to Local Authorities across the region such as information, advice and guidance in the overall registration process, support related to their adhesion to CoM Med, assistance to technical queries during the development and implementation of their SEACAPs and the renewal of their commitment.

Helpdesk

The Helpdesk is the primary interface between local authorities and the Covenant of Mayors for the Mediterranean Office. It responds to general or technical enquiries about the initiative and provides signatories with effective advice and guidance in the overall registration process, as well as support related to their adhesion to CoM Med.

Implementation Report

An implementation report is a document that CoM Med signatories commit to submit every two years after the submission of their Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan, and which outlines the interim results of its implementation. The aim of this report is to assess whether the preliminary outcomes are in line with the foreseen objectives.

Nationally Determined Contribution, NDC

The NDCs are the GHG emission mitigation and adaptation targets undertaken at the country level to the UNFCCC, that also emphasize the priority sectors and actions planned by the country (e.g. energy sector, industry, agriculture etc.). Municipalities in South Mediterranean, and the extended collaborating countries, may adhere to CoM Med adopting at least the national NDC targets at the local level. In most countries, a wealth of expertise and experience exist already and should be utilized in order to unleash the full potential of current climate action and ensure the development of politically, socially and culturally adequate NDCs. SEACAPs are part of local NDCs which are arising through all the cities in the world where most of GHG emissions occur.

Joint Research Centre

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the scientific and technical arm of the European Commission. It is responsible for providing the technical and scientific support to the initiative. It works in close co-operation with the CoMO to provide signatories with clear technical guidelines and templates in order to assist delivery of their Covenant of Mayors commitments as well as to monitor implementation and results. Website of the JRC: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/jrc/

National Coordination Group, NCG

The NCG is an assembly of key national ministries established in each country, who is committed to lead Climate Action nationwide.

Risk and Vulnerability Assessment

The Risk and Vulnerability Assessment is an analysis that determines the nature and extent of risks related to climate change, by analysing potential hazards and assessing vulnerability that could pose a potential threat or harm to people, property, livelihoods and the environment on which they depend. It allows the identification of areas of critical concern and therefore provides information for decision-making. The Risk and Vulnerability Assessment serves, along with the Baseline Emission Inventory, as the point of departure for the development of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan.

Sustainable Energy Action Plan

A Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) is the key document and the implementation tool for signatories that joined the Covenant of Mayors before October 2015. The action plan aims to reduce GHG emissions by at least 20% by 2020. It defines the activities and measures set up to achieve the targets, together with time frames and assigned responsibilities.

Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan, SECAP

Signatories of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy during the transition period (2016-2019) now commit to preparing and implementing a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP), addressing both climate mitigation and adaptation with a 2030 horizon. The action plan is the key document which shows how the Covenant signatory will reach its vision and target. The plan includes an assessment of the current situation, i.e. a Baseline Emission Inventory for the climate mitigation part and a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment for the adaptation part, clearly identified goals and targets; and the measures planned together with time frames, assigned responsibilities and estimated impacts.

Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan, SEACAP

Local authorities joining the CoM Med are invited to commit to the development and implementation of a SEACAP, a Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan and a key implementation tool of the Covenant signatories. It includes clear mitigation and adaptation actions coherent with mitigation targets and adaptation goals in sight of 2030, with specific actions in order to reach CO2 reduction targets and adaptation goals with a long-term vision, and a plan on access to energy. The SEACAP primarily draws on the findings from the Baseline Emission Inventory (BEI) and the Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) and shows how signatory cities will reach their vision and targets. Guidelines on how to embed the access to energy component in the city’s plan are expected to be issued by end of 2021.

SEACAP Template

The SEACAP template developed provides signatories with a user-friendly methodology summarizing the key elements of their action plan in a structured manner during their preparation phase. The template must be completed by the signatories themselves at the same time when submitting their Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan in their own (national) language.

SEACAP Support Mechanism, SSM

The SSM set up in each country acts as a coordinator between the various national, regional and international actors concerned by the SEACAP and and sets ways to support the cities in preparing and implementing their action plans.