Analyzing Orchestration in the Covenant of Mayors

The Covenant can be conceptualized as an orchestration arrangement where the CoMO acts as an orchestrator on behalf of the European Commission. Inter-municipal associations that engage as Covenant Coordinators are understood as intermediaries in addressing the actual target actors, namely municipalities. This does not exclude the possibility that participating actors might have a genuine interest in contributing to climate mitigation – especially when their actions are driven by engaged individuals (Hooghe and Marks 2001a, 70). It builds on existing literature on voluntary non-state climate action when it assumes that the participation in a particular scheme or program is most likely motivated by some kind of co-benefits (see 3.1.1).