Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe; Annacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UN-Habitat; Jürgen Czernohorszky, Executive City Councillor for Climate, Environment, Democracy and Personnel City of Vienna, Austria; Helfried Carl, Founder, European Capital of Democracy Initiative; (c) Stadt Wien/Martin Votava
ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference Concludes with Vienna Declaration to Drive Local Climate Action
Press Release – Vienna, 6 May 2025
More than 200 mayors, heads of international organisations, municipal leaders, young innovators, and sustainability experts gathered in the Austrian capital on 5-6 May 2025 for the ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference — a major highlight of Vienna’s role as this year’s European Capital of Democracy — where the Vienna Declaration on local climate action and democratic transformation was adopted.
Under the theme “Just Transition: Local Action for a Sustainable Future,” the conference emphasised the critical role of cities and towns in leading climate action while safeguarding democracy and social equity. Held in Vienna’s historic City Hall as part of the city’s Democracy Year Programme, the event energised municipal leaders to accelerate inclusive, sustainable change in their communities. The conference was co-hosted by Mayor Michael Ludwig of Vienna and Helfried Carl, Founder of the European Capital of Democracy Initiative.
Throughout two dynamic days, participants explored how municipalities can build broad alliances among administrations, politics, civil society, and businesses. Sessions addressed the urgent need for biodiversity restoration, climate resilience, and participatory democracy — also ensuring that silent or marginalised groups are included in the process.
Highlighting Vienna’s leadership, Jürgen Czernohorszky, Executive City Councillor for Climate, Environment, Democracy and Personnel, City of Vienna, noted, “A sustainable future requires the participation of citizens. And cities in particular play a crucial role in social-ecological transformation and advancing democracy. Cities are home to innovative approaches and many examples of best practice“.
A key outcome of the conference was the signing of the Vienna Declaration, a joint commitment by local leaders to drive climate-neutral, democratic, and inclusive urban transformation. Titled “Just Transition: Local Action for a Sustainable Future,” the Declaration acknowledges the urgency of the ecological crisis and calls for immediate, collective action. Signatories commit to:
The Vienna Declaration also urges the European Commission and national governments to support these local efforts with direct funding, autonomy, and strategic involvement in shaping cohesion policy.
Workshops, spark talks, panel discussions, and exchanges featured cutting-edge initiatives from across Europe, offering participants fresh strategies to engage citizens, implement practical measures, and make sustainability a tangible, shared goal.
The conference featured distinguished speakers, among them:
As Annacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, emphasised, “Achieving social and environmental justice in cities demands innovative housing solutions that are inclusive, affordable, and sustainable.“
As a primary partner of the ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference, the City of Vienna played a key role in shaping the dialogue and contributing to the conference’s success.
The conference concluded with a strong call to action from Markus Marterbauer, Federal Minister of Finance, Republic of Austria: “The collaboration between cities and municipalities should be significantly strengthened. This will help reduce costs and create opportunities for investment.“
The ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference 2025 leaves no doubt: the future of the planet will be shaped by what happens in our cities.
“The inspiring exchange of trans-European best practice was testimony to the difference cities will make for our global community’s destiny,” says Helfried Carl, Co-Founder of the Innovation in Politics Institute and Founder of European Capital of Democracy. “If cities ACT NOW and together with their citizens, it has a sustainable impact, which the European Capital of Democracy initiative is all about,” he adds.
Throughout two dynamic days, participants explored how municipalities can build broad alliances among administrations, politics, civil society, and businesses. Sessions addressed the urgent need for biodiversity restoration, climate resilience, and participatory democracy — also ensuring that silent or marginalised groups are included in the process.
Highlighting Vienna’s leadership, Jürgen Czernohorszky, Executive City Councillor for Climate, Environment, Democracy and Personnel, City of Vienna, noted, “A sustainable future requires the participation of citizens. And cities in particular play a crucial role in social-ecological transformation and advancing democracy. Cities are home to innovative approaches and many examples of best practice“.
A key outcome of the conference was the signing of the Vienna Declaration, a joint commitment by local leaders to drive climate-neutral, democratic, and inclusive urban transformation. Titled “Just Transition: Local Action for a Sustainable Future,” the Declaration acknowledges the urgency of the ecological crisis and calls for immediate, collective action. Signatories commit to:
- Achieving climate neutrality and restoring biodiversity in their communities
- Ensuring inclusive, participatory decision-making
- Expanding the circular economy and prioritising sustainable energy
- Reducing soil sealing and creating green and blue spaces
- Strengthening democracy, peace, the rule of law, and gender equality as foundations of a just transition<
The Vienna Declaration also urges the European Commission and national governments to support these local efforts with direct funding, autonomy, and strategic involvement in shaping cohesion policy.
Workshops, spark talks, panel discussions, and exchanges featured cutting-edge initiatives from across Europe, offering participants fresh strategies to engage citizens, implement practical measures, and make sustainability a tangible, shared goal.
The conference featured distinguished speakers, among them:
- Annacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UN-Habitat
- Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
- Markus Marterbauer, Federal Minister of Finance, Republic of Austria
- Dietmar Prammer, Mayor of Linz, Austria
- Ivan Dyriv, Mayor of Dolyna, Ukraine
- Jürgen Czernohorszky, Executive City Councillor for Climate, Environment, Democracy and Personnel, City of Vienna<
- Thomas Mueller, Chairperson, Austrian Climate Council
- Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, Executive Vice President, Senior Adviser, Bertelsmann Stiftung
- Ben Rogers, Urbanist & Academic, LSE Cities
As Annacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, emphasised, “Achieving social and environmental justice in cities demands innovative housing solutions that are inclusive, affordable, and sustainable.“
As a primary partner of the ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference, the City of Vienna played a key role in shaping the dialogue and contributing to the conference’s success.
The conference concluded with a strong call to action from Markus Marterbauer, Federal Minister of Finance, Republic of Austria: “The collaboration between cities and municipalities should be significantly strengthened. This will help reduce costs and create opportunities for investment.“
The ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference 2025 leaves no doubt: the future of the planet will be shaped by what happens in our cities.
“The inspiring exchange of trans-European best practice was testimony to the difference cities will make for our global community’s destiny,” says Helfried Carl, Co-Founder of the Innovation in Politics Institute and Founder of European Capital of Democracy. “If cities ACT NOW and together with their citizens, it has a sustainable impact, which the European Capital of Democracy initiative is all about,” he adds.
About the ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference
The ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference is an annual international gathering that brings together mayors, local leaders, experts, and young changemakers to address pressing global challenges through local innovation. Focusing on participatory democracy and sustainable development, the conference fosters knowledge exchange and empowers participants to implement impactful solutions within their communities.
The ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference is a flagship format of the European Capital of Democracy programme, aiming to bridge the gap between knowledge and action and inspire transformative change at the municipal level.
The ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference 2025 is proud to collaborate with partners sharing our vision for empowering local democracy and driving positive change.
The ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference is a flagship format of the European Capital of Democracy programme, aiming to bridge the gap between knowledge and action and inspire transformative change at the municipal level.
The ACT NOW Mayors’ Conference 2025 is proud to collaborate with partners sharing our vision for empowering local democracy and driving positive change.
