There has been an increasing interest by different stakeholders for cities to play a bigger role in climate change policy. According to some estimates, cities are home to 80% of EU citizens, responsible for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. Urban areas will play a key role in improving energy efficiency and develop low-carbon business and economic development. This is increasingly recognised by policy makers at member state and EU level. The European Commission under the auspices of DG Transport and Energy has launched the “Covenant of mayors” initiative.

Over the past few years, the attention of policymakers and industry players towards the protection of critical infrastructure has grown remarkably. In the era of networks, citizens and businesses have become increasingly dependent on a large set of infrastructures encompassing energy networks, the banking sector, telecommunications, the Internet etc. In the US, a national programme to protect critical infrastructure was launched in 1998, under the Clinton administration, and was confirmed and updated under the Bush administration in 2003.