Europe's Committee of the Regions has called for councils to join a Europe-wide good practice network to tackle climate change.
The Covenant of Mayors, which requires a formal commitment by cities to reduce their CO2 emissions, must move beyond city mayors to include local authorities, if it is to tackle climate change, the committee has said.
A member of the committee and a member of Essex CC, Cllr Kay Twitchen, said: ‘If only large cities sign up for the Covenant of Mayors, this initiative risks being a symbolic gesture.
‘It is time to engage all sub-national authorities, municipalities and regions, to boost the number of partners involved in other kinds of practical work to a similar end.'
