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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - IMPLEMENT (Improving Local Energy and climate policy through quality management and certification)

Teaser

Summary

IMPLEMENT. Improving Local Energy and climate policy through quality management and certification

Climate change is a global problem and to solve it, we need to start on local level. To effectively implement energy and climate policies, concerted and strong action is needed. Municipalities often have ambitious goals and political will, but lack the harmonized, interdepartmental and long-term structures to successfully implement their climate and energy strategies and thus reach their goal.

This is the starting point for the project, which focuses on capacity building in municipalities. By introducing the quality management and certification programme European Energy Award (eea) in Belgium, Croatia, Greece and Poland, the project aims at setting up the necessary structures in municipalities.
During the project, 30 pilot municipalities will further develop and implement their climate and energy strategy by using the eea standards and criteria catalogue. External advisors will guide and monitor the continuous progress. Certification will ensure that municipalities implement their climate and energy plans to high quality standards. The experiences and successes of the municipalities will pave the way for more municipalities in the target regions to join the eea.

IMPLEMENTâ€™s objective is to set up the necessary structures for a long-term roll-out of the eea in the partner countries. Partners will translate and adapt all eea tools to national context, receive adequate training to become skilled eea advisors, able to advice and guide pilot municipalities through the eea process. The consortium together with regional authorities will develop, based on experience exchange with eea expert regions, feasibility studies and business plans, tailor-made support schemes for the participating countries.

Work performed

The partners started the roll out of the European Energy Award (eea) in 12 regions and four countries.

All regional EEA offices were successfully set up in all partner countries.

Each partner identified and assigned two advisors. These advisors were trained in the eea-program, instruments and process.
In all partner countries steering committees were formed with stakeholders from different governance levels and other relevant institutions in order to to get support, involvement and specific expertise from the start of the project onwards.

The international eea catalogue of measures with 79 standard measures on

1. Development and spatial planning/regional planning
2. Municipal buildings and facilities
3. Supply, disposal
4. Mobility
5. Internal organisation
6. Communication and cooperation (together with target groups

was translated and subsequently adapted to the regional contexts. The adaptation was performed in close concertation with the members of the steering committees.

Also the eea tool was translated and adapted to the needs of the partners. Subsequently the eea advisors adapted the tool to the specific situations of the pilot municipalities.

In all partner countries six municipalities were selected as pilot municipality. In total thirty municipalities are now involved in the eea process.
In all municipalities energy teams were set up. These energy teams consist of a mix of representatives of the administrative and political level. All the needed departments are involved.
In all municipalities kick off meetings and meetings for developing an initial energy review took place.

The aim is to have approved energy policy programs for all municipalities by Autumn 2019.

A detailed dissemination and exploitation plan and a consistent visual identity were developed. To promote Implement, a website, factsheet, a short film and a presentation were developed and made available for all partners.
Implement is present on Facebook and Twitter and in regional media.

Final results

By implementing the eea programme, municipalities strongly enhance their local energy- and climate policies. Existing plans and conceptual work, which have already been done by the pilot municipalities are efficiently integrated into the eea-process since it is an instrument that consolidates, reactivates and monitors the initiatives and its implementation. IMPLEMENT has furthermore the aim to have an impact that goes beyond the scale and scope of the project by enabling policy, preparing the ground for investment and building capacity and skills.

The project enables policy

With the eea, IMPLEMENT introduces an ongoing process that requires each of its pilot municipalities to create working plans that are continuously monitored and reinforced. IMPLEMENT supports public authorities to foster multi-level governance, linking up local, regional and national levels. IMPLEMENT takes the regional/national authorities on board as key players as to ensure a broad roll out of the programme attracting a high number of municipalities after the pilot phase. In this way IMPLEMENT helps raising the capacity of countries to fulfill their obligation under the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

The project prepares the ground for investments

IMPLEMENT contributes to preparing the ground for public and private investments in sustainable energy measures. The Energy Policy Programs based on the eea handbook contain measures on environmental standards for buildings, modernization of buildings and raising energy efficiency, local production and supply of renewable energy creating incentives for private and public investments in these fields.

The project helps building capacity and skills

The IMPLEMENT partners received training in order to qualify and operate as certified eea-advisors, who consult the pilot municipalities in the eea-process.
Each implementing partner brings together various stakeholders in national steering committees and thus transfers acquired knowledge to a broader group of influencers. Furthermore, in every pilot municipality an energy team takes the lead in implementing the eea. The eea-advisors guide the energy team members through the eea process, who in turn use their knowledge to identify relevant measures and delegate work amongst colleagues.
The municipality communicates the importance of energy efficiency to its citizens, actively involving them through participatory projects.
Overall the skills, competencies and abilities of all people involved will be strengthened and the course of action towards sustainable energy and climate policy enhanced, throughout and after the timeframe of the IMPLEMENT project.

Consequently, IMPLEMENT has the aim to have an impact that goes beyond the scale and scope of the project since (1) the pilot municipalities established a programme that allows them to continuously monitor, update and reinforce their energy and climate policy and (2) the implementing partners will be equipped with the right skills and instruments to establish a sustainable eea structure allowing the roll out of the quality management and certification programme in their countries so that more municipalities can follow the path of the IMPLEMENT pioneers.