Vice-President joins the administration of the European network for the energy transition

Meeting in the Italian city of Modena, representatives of 30 European countries elected the Vice-President of the Porto City Council as a member of the European Association of local authorities in the energy transition. The objective of Energy Cities is the exchange of experiences and new solutions, to prepare cities for the climate challenges of the coming years.

The election, which took place during the association's annual conference and awarded Filipe Araújo the highest number of votes among all peers, highlights the recognition and trust that the councillor for Environment and Climate Transition gained from his European colleagues, being seen as a central figure in the development of policies and strategies for a more sustainable and resilient future in European cities.

The central theme of this year's conference, "Grafting Cities: Cultivating Our Common Future", highlighted the importance of integrating climate goals into the constant evolution of cities, a challenge that Porto has successfully faced in its performance as a city.

Among the topics under discussion, local governance, dependence on fossil fuels, food systems and combating waste, energy communities or the circular economy stand out.

In Italy, representatives of Energy Cities and the Climate Alliance signed the Modena Declarations, where they reinforce that "to truly cultivate our common future, we must harness the power of cities, making them places where democracy can flourish, where we can live in harmony with nature and where we act in solidarity with each other and with future generations".

Energy Cities also recognizes the performance of the Agência de Energia do Porto (Porto Energy Agency) in the energy transition, within the scope of the associated municipalities. This network brings together hundreds of representatives of local authorities, including leaders and beginners in the energy transition, as well as municipal officials and technical experts.

In addition to Filipe Araújo, representatives of the cities of Brașov, Munich and Vienna were elected to the Energy Cities board of directors, will be chaired, during the 2024-2026 biennium, by the Mayor of the Belgian city of Leuven.

It is recalled that, for four years, the Vice-President of the City Council chaired the Environment Forum of the Eurocities network, of which Porto is a member.