Can we sidestep tedious climate policy negotiations and forge a coalition of the willing instead? Many international organizations and scholars hope to spur local climate action by orchestration, indirect and voluntary governance arrangements. Lena Bendlin looks beyond the apparent success of voluntary initiatives using the example of the Covenant of Mayors, often heralded as an exemplary multi-level EU initiative. Five in-depth case studies show why, how, and with what difficulties local governments engage in this voluntary commitment scheme. The analysis identifies durability, intensity, and causality as crucial building blocks for more cautious orchestration theorizing and derives recommendations for appropriate incentives and support at the regional, national, and international level. Contents Local Governments in European Multi-Level Climate Governance Theorizing Orchestration in European Climate Governance Case Study Approach to Research Inter-Municipal Coordination in European Local Climate Governance Analyzing Orchestration in the Covenant of Mayors Target Groups Scholars and master students of climate policy, international governance, orchestration theory, territorial governance, and comparative politics Politicians and public employees working on improved multi-level coordination, sustainable energy, and local climate action The Author Dr. Lena Bendlin, political scientist, studies transformation governance at the German Institute for Urban Affairs (Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik - Difu) in Berlin.