Background The European Union has endorsed the objective of reducing Europe’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80-95%, compared to 1990 levels, by 2050. A pivotal point has been reached in its climate and energy policy development, with debates on the number, nature and level of targets for 2030. Equally important, is the development of mechanisms that set out how Member States are planning to meet their commitments, and provide evidence that they have done so. At the UNFCCC COP16, in 2010 in Cancun, industrialised countries agreed to develop low-carbon development strategies (LCDSs), to ensure a robust foundation for cutting emissions, and to report every two years on their progress. Subsequently, EU Member States formalised their international commitments on LCDS through the Monitoring Mechanism Regulation (MMR), which required them to produce LDCS by January 2015 and to update them every two years depending on the status of implementation. They also need to report on EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) revenues on an annual basis, and the amounts allocated for climate-related projects. The MMR has the potential to be a transformative agent towards the creation of resource-efficient, low carbon and climate-resilient economies. However, there is a lack of information on the nature of what should be included in the reports and therefore it risks becoming a ‘box-ticking exercise’. Current obstacles to the most effective performance of MMR include: Absence of clear commitments from countries to maximise the benefits of the MMR; Lack of clear guidelines on the content of LCDSs or on the reporting of them; Lack of engagement in MMR processes from the private sector; Lack of awareness or understanding by EU citizens; and Lack of understanding on how to financially support the implementation of the LCDSs.Objectives By strengthening processes around, and content of, EU Member States low-carbon development strategies (LCDSs), the LIFE-MaxiMiseR project aims to enhance the capacity of European institutions and governments to improve their development and implementation. The ultimate goal is to use LCDSs for transitioning to low-carbon economies. The project has three main specific objectives: To increase multi-stakeholder engagement, collaborative action, and the sharing of best practice and information relating to MMR through the development of a multi-actor EU cooperation platform; To ensure Member States’ LCDSs are strong and effective tools for driving decarbonisation, through the development of a quantitative/qualitative best practice monitoring tool that encourages the iterative improvement of LCDS; and To influence and disseminate solutions for resourcing the delivery of low-carbon development in Europe so that more funds will be available, notably through assessment of ETS revenue uses. Expected results: By 2018, the project aims to deliver measurable positive impacts on EU MMR processes at Member State, EU and global level - supporting good climate governance and the reduction of GHGs. Specifically, the project will: Organise at least four cooperation platform meetings, with at least five Member States and a strong external reference group; Disseminate best practice and policy approaches among public, private and civil sectors; Raise awareness among the general public; Exchange information on LCDS with UNFCCC national focal points in and beyond the EU; Develop a quantitative evaluation tool for LCDS; Produce technical reports on LCDS quantitative and qualitative analysis, with best practices and replication suggestions, and on ETS auctioning revenue analysis, with proposals for further reform; and Produce an analysis report on existing guidelines for LCDS and how to improve them, and an assessment report on potential new funding streams (e.g. 2030 climate & energy framework).Through these actions, the project will highlight and generate more of the information that policy-makers need in order to enhance both the governance structures related to tackling climate change in the EU and the decisions made in them, ensuring that Member States are working with the best information possible.