Sustainable Energy Communities NEWS
The third issue of Sustainable Energy Communities NEWS newsletter provides an update on the activities of the five projects - ENNEREG, Energy for Mayors, City_SEC, come2CoM and ENESCOM – during their second year since May 2011, highlighting specific actions in Regions and Communities throughout Europe.
Details of several forthcoming events are included in the Events Diary section of this website. Partners from the 5 Sustainable Energy Communities Projects have been involved in several events since Issue 2 of Sustainable Energy Communities News, with reports, presentations and conclusions from these past events available in several languages.
Image: Environmentally-friendly Christmas Decorations, Kaunas City, Lithuania
News from the come2CoM partner countries
The come2CoM partners commit themselves to support cities and local authorities to become a member of the CoM and to elaborate Sustainable Energy Action Plans.
During the last few months, huge progress has been made, as the examples from the following come2CoM partners illustrate. In Belgium, come2CoM had an important success when the 44 mayors of the province of Limburg signed the CoM. The contributions from Sweden and Denmark highlight come2CoM’s work in supporting the municipalities e.g. through seminars, whereas Italy’s article focuses on the Sustainable Energy Action Plan of the Municipality of Modena.
44 Limburg Mayors sign the Covenant of Mayors
In Belgium, all 44 Mayors of the province of Limburg commit themselves to a climate-neutral Limburg and have signed the Covenant of Mayors. This success is the result of a long-term project. Indeed, thanks to the IEE funded project come2CoM, Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL) supports municipalities to sign the CoM and to elaborate baseline emission inventories and SEAP’s. This article describes Limburg's journey towards becoming climate-neutral.
Image: 44 mayors and representatives of the province of Limburg after signing the Covenant of Mayors.
The affiliation process for the Covenant of Mayors – experiences from Sweden
Once a municipality has signed the Covenant of Mayors, it is crucial to support it from the beginning, emphasizes the Swedish come2CoM partner Energikontor Sydost. The Swedish experience shows that municipalities need the whole twelve months granted by the Covenant of Mayors’ Office in order to elaborate a Sustainable Energy Action Plan. For the communities that sign the CoM, the Swedish partner has already elaborated an energy balance with energy-related comparisons for many different years. The reason for this procedure is to facilitate the filling-out of the emission inventory by the municipalities, and to provide the officials, politicians and representatives of the industry with more complete material, in order to elaborate a relevant SEAP.
Image: Mayors and officials of the two Swedish municipalities Ljungby and Tingsryd sign up for the Covenant of Mayors (Photographer: Marita Wallisson, RFSS)
CoM Seminar and SEAP assistance in Denmark
On the 24th of November 2011, the Danish Come2CoM partner (and ENNEREG Coordinator) EC Network organized a seminar under the heading “Green Growth – Covenant of Mayors and ways to find support of regional and municipal energy and climate investments”. The event was organised in cooperation with the Danish Energy Agency and the Danish regions’ EU offices. The event gathered 45 representatives of regions, municipalities and related stakeholders from central and west Denmark.
Image: Audience at the Come2CoM Seminar in Skanderborg, Denmark, 24th November 2011. Source: Nils Daugaard, ECNet
The Sustainable Energy Action Plan of the Municipality of Modena: “Modena energy city 2020”
The city council of Modena has joined the Covenant of Mayors in January 2010. The Sustainable Energy Action Plan of the Municipality of Modena developed with the support of come2CoM is a strategic document created with input from different stakeholders, public and private, to achieve the commitment of the Covenant of Mayors to reduce the CO2 emissions by 20% in 2020.
Also find out about the sustainable architecture and buildings automation week held in Modena, from the 14th to the 18th of November 2011.
Image: Educational activities in Modena city centre. Source: AESS
ENESCOM: the final rush
So far, 63 municipalities have joined the Covenant of Mayors through the work of the ENESCOM project. These months have been full of surprises and not without difficulty because of the great changes taking place in Europe and worldwide, but despite all odds, the work continues as expected.
In this article ENESCOM provides an overview of the lessons learnt so far, with a few examples of success, evolution, and disappointment the project members have gone through. A moment of rest and reflection before the final rush which will take place in 2012.
City_SEC Photo Competition and News from Poland and Sweden
Photoforchange in Europe – Sustainable living in Changing economy Competition
“Photoforchange in Europe – Sustainable living in changing economy” is the European-wide photo competition organized by City_SEC project partners to inform, sensitize and promote students and citizens, about the themes of energy transition, the greening process of the economy, the reduction of local carbon footprint, with the aim to promote the change towards a more sustainable and environmental friendly living throughout Europe.
City_SEC News from Bielsko-Biała, Poland and South East Sweden
This article provides news from the City_SEC regions Bielsko-Biała in Poland and South East Sweden, including Energy baseline assessment and a Zero Emissions Day in Bielsko-Biała county and how two municipalities, Borgholm and Mörbylånga on the island of Öland in southeast Sweden, cooperate closely in the Covenant of Mayors initiative.
Image: Energy Day in Öland, South East Sweden (Photographer: Ellen Svensson, responsible for CoM in Mörbylånga).
"Regions 202020" - News from the ENNEREG Pioneer and Twin Regions
ENNEREG Project Update
As part of the ENNEREG Project, the Regions 202020 Network acts as an enabling environment to inspire EU Regions to take up the challenges of fulfilling the EU 20-20-20 climate and energy targets.
In this article you can read more about the progress of the 12 ENNEREG Pioneers in their journey to become Sustainable Energy Regions and find out how You can Promote Your Region or Local Community and contribute to the content of this website.
Image: ENNEREG project members at the European Conference of Regions on Climate Action in Lyon, 20-21 October 2011
Basque Country and Castilla y León, Spain
The regional energy agency in the Basque Country (EVE) presented its experience as regional Coordinator of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) in the Intelligent Energy - Europe Info Day, held on 24 January 2012 in Brussels, Belgium. EVE shared its speech with the Muncipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is the seat of the regional government of the Basque Country and has been the first city to approve the CoM in the Basque Country. As part of the ENNEREG Twinning Process, EVE is sharing the lessons learned in the ENNEREG project with EREN, the regional energy agency of the region of Castilla y León in Spain.
Image: Vitoria-Gasteiz - European Green Capital 2012
ENNEREG in Lithuania: Kaunas County and Šilutė Municipality
The Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) for Kaunas Region is currently being developed under the ENNEREG project by the project team of Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI). LEI is working with ENNEREG Twin Region Šilutė Municipality, Lithuania to update and significantly revise its initial SEAP produced in 2010. This article introduces the Kaunas Region and Šilutė Municipality and describes 2 new ENNEREG Good Practice Case Studies from Kaunas.
Image: General view of Šilutė from plane “Šarka” guided by radiowaves. Photographer: © Kęstutis Fedirka
SEAPs for Islands - Cyclades, Greece and Madeira, Portugal
The region selected to be studied in the framework of ENNEREG project in Greece, is Cyclades. It comprises of a group of approximate 220 islands of which 24 are inhabited; these Greek Islands are one of the most famous tourist destinations in Europe. In the framework of ENEREG, CRES co-operates with DAFNI in the development of a strategic action plan for the Cyclades Region. ENNEREG supports also the replication of Sustainable Energy Projects (SEPs) in the ENNEREG twinning region Dodecanese through the cooperation with the South Aegean Region.
Through the actions of the ENNEREG project, Madeira aims to promote at local and regional levels, two important European initiatives: the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) and the Isle Pact Project, which will produce two Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) for Madeira and Porto Santo Islands, with the common aim of the 202020 target.
Image: Desalinated water Unit, Cyclades © G. Makryonitis
Energy for Mayors
The Covenant of Mayors needs you – and Energy for Mayors can support you
Interested in joining as a Covenant Coordinator or Supporter? Coordinators and Supporters of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) play a crucial role in the CoM initiative – not only to promote it but also as they offer essential direct support to “their” municipalities – local governments that fall within their area of operation.
The Energy for Mayors (E4M) project fully recognizes the importance of Covenant Coordinators and Supporters. The consortium has started with a basic assessment of needs – what support do the supporters need? Now it is working towards offering effective guidance (support package) and access of available resources (online toolbox of resources) and training (seminars), to help them better perform their role.
Gathering local data to assess energy efficiency and reconfirm estimates – example of El Brull
El Brull, a Spanish village of 225 inhabitants, is working on its Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) with the support of the Diputació de Barcelona (DIBA) (Province of Barcelona) - a Covenant Coordinator since 2008 and partner of the Energy for Mayors project. DIBA has developed a specific methodology based on the CoM guidelines to assist Municipalities in its territory when conducting their assessments.
Despite obstacles Attica Municipalities are taking action!
Since 18 February 2011, when the new mayors of the new / re-established municipalities of the Attica Region participated in an Energy for Mayors event – which addressed benefits, obligations and opportunities of joining the Covenant of Mayors - 18 municipalities of the region have signed the Covenant and are taking action. These municipalities are: Agioi Anargyroi-Kamatero, Dionysos, Elefsina, Elliniko, Haidari, Ilioupolis, Keratsini-Drapetsona, Kropia, Likovrisi-Pefki, Maroussi, Megara, Moschato - Tavros, Nea Smyrni, Nikaia-Rentis, Perama, Piraeus, Salamina, and Vrilissia.
Polish and Croatian energy events target stakeholders
Dzierżoniów, a picturesque town in the south-west of Poland, hosted the 1st Polish Energy Days (pictured, left) organised within the framework of the Energy for Mayors project, together with the Association of Municipalities Polish Network “Energie Cités” (PNEC) on 24 and 25 September 2011.
Under the auspices of the Croatian President, Dr Ivo Josipovic, the Sustainable Energy Finance and Investment Summit 2011 was held in Cavtat from 19 to 22 October 2011 – with about 300 participants from 14 countries making it truly international.
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Sustainable Energy Communities NEWS is produced by ENNEREG on behalf of the five Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) projects - ENNEREG, Energy for Mayors, City_SEC, come2CoM and ENESCOM - supported by the Intelligent Energy - Europe (IEE) programme.
Sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union or members of the Consortia of the SEC projects. Neither the European Commission, nor the SEC Project Consortia Members nor the authors are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.
© CPL Scientific Publishing Services Ltd, 2010 - Updated 07/06/2012 3:44pm