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Energy

Cities
No. 43

Spring 2015

Developing city resilience:


why and how? p.4
The economic impact
of the energy transition p.7
Local authorities and
UN climate negotiations p.8

INFO

Vibrant,

resilient
cities

www.energy-cities.eu

A taste of the local


energy job bonanza!

Editorial

Co-powering
a prosperous
energy future

In Belgium, the Region of Brussels foresees the creation of

4,300 jobs by 2020 through the activities of its


sustainable construction alliance.

The first landmark achievement of the Juncker


Commission has been the Energy Union
proposal, a name with strong symbolic weight,
as it carries the hope of breathing new life into
the EU integration project. What better way to
guarantee popular support for this mammoth
plan than to link it to local, energy-enabled
development? As the Kyoto period is set to
give way to a new, Paris Protocol era, what
better opportunity to focus on the social and economic
gains of local climate action!
We are not tired of saying it: the impact of decentralised
energy policies reaches far beyond environmental gains.
A study recently published by Energy Cities documents
the economic impact of the local energy transition with
compelling figures and case studies (see p.7).
Energy efficiency projects for example are highly jobintensive as they rely on a large set of skills, be it in the
construction sector, preparation of action plans and energy
audits; financial development of proposals; in research and
development or equipment manufacturing. Local investments in energy efficiency reduce costs while making the
regions more attractive to economic players. Likewise, the
deployment of renewable or recovered energy sources
generates new revenues for local authorities and landowners, also creating new business opportunities.
I could list more arguments, but I will leave it to the following pages of this Energy Cities INFO issue to convince
you further of the social and economic case of a locally
driven energy future. The efforts of our network in the
past 25 years have succeeded in moving local authorities
up the EU agenda. We will relentlessly advocate a new
governance model where cities are considered genuine
partners in the Energy Union and where EU legislation,
programmes and funding instruments support them in
serving the general interest of European citizens.

Eckart Wrzner, Mayor of Heidelberg, Germany,


and President of Energy Cities

In Copenhagen, the green sector represents

18,000 businesses and


25,000 jobs.

In the Ile-de-France Region, figures dated in a 2008 report

112,000 eco-activity jobs


EUR 17 bn.

and turnover of

In Paris, Porto, Madrid and Turin,


public transport operators are the top

5 biggest employers.
CONTENTS
Regenerative urban development (by World Future Council).......... p.3
Future-proof cities: Is resilience the key?................................................... p.4-6
Barcelona sets up a Fab Lab network................................................................ p.5
Energy transition, a true vitamin cocktail
for the local economy!................................................................................................... p.7
Local authorities and the COP21:
challenges and expectations.................................................................................. p.8-9
Decentralisation, devolution...Revolution................................................ p.10-11
The European Unions energy policy put to test................................. p.12-13
Twin cities and other forms of urban cooperation................................. p.14
Publications: Energy Cities recommendations......................................... p.15
2050 Local Energy Roadmaps................................................................................. p.16
The trendy word: Divestment................................................................................. p.16
@energycities
If you wish to receive this
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please e-mail:
www.energy-cities.eu/miriam

Translation:
Nathalie Fauchadour

Director of publication:
Miriam Eisermann

Print office: SIMONGRAPHIC


(ImprimVert)

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.2

Contributors to this issue:


the Energy Cities staff and members
of the network, coordinated by
Floriane Bernardot, Alix Bolle and
Miriam Eisermann

Energy Cities | Secrtariat


2, chemin de Palente
F - 25000 Besanon
Tl. : +33 381 65 36 80
Fax : +33 381 50 73 51
www.energy-cities.eu

Energy Cities | Bureau Bruxelles


1, Square de Mees
B - 1000 Brussels
Tl. : +32 2 213 83 54

Graphic design:
www.tuttiquanti.net

Printed on recycled paper


N ISSN: 1256-6098
Print run: 2000 copies
Cover: Tutti Quanti / Shutterstock

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.3

Guest article

When waste isnt waste:

How a city can regenerate


its resources

Andreas Gebert

Modern cities are defined by their concentration of economic activity and


intense social interaction. Despite greater efficiencies thanks to dense living
space, they also tend to have voracious appetites for energy, water, food and
other resources.

Author: Fiona Woo, Policy


Officer Climate and Energy,
World Future Council
Regenerative urban development
addresses the relationship between
cities and their hinterlands that supply
them with these vital resources. Cities
should embrace the central role they
play in re-enriching the landscapes
they depend on and enhancing the
capacity of ecosystems to generate
goods and services.
The case of resource upcycling
in Kalundborg
The town of Kalundborg, Denmark,
demonstrates the benefits of regeneration by treating waste as a resource
rather than a nuisance. The municipality and 20 local businesses benefit

from using each others by-products


that would otherwise be discarded.

Policies for regenerative


urban development

Kalundborgs symbiotic web begins


with its coal-fired power station,
whose cooling water
is channelled to proEfficient
duce ideal conditions
resource use
for the local fish
creates a
farm. Ash is used in
the construction and
locational
cement industries.
advantage
Excess lime is sold
as fertiliser for farmland. Various wastes are thus turned
into new products in this circular production system.

Kalundborg is just one example of


how regenerative cities can drive local
development. In order to replicate and
scale up these successes, we need
long-term planning and holistic policy
frameworks rather than short-term
patchwork solutions. Cities are active
agents that can have a positive impact
on their environments. With high
concentrations of human and financial
capital, they are already proving to be
leaders in tackling the pressing challenges of our time.

Efficient resource use creates a locational advantage, making it financially


attractive to stay in the region despite
lower labour costs elsewhere. When
plasterboard manufacturer Gyproc
wanted to relocate to be closer to
gypsum mines, cooperation with the
local power station which produces
gypsum as a by-product made it
economically viable for Gyproc and the
jobs it created to remain.
Besides economic and social benefits, symbiosis also leads to ecological improvements. Capitalising on
the steam by-product of the power
station has led to reductions in oil
consumption of 20,000 tonnes and
water consumption by 25% per year
in the system. A decrease in waste
discharge also reduces environmental
pollution to the region.

The World Future Council brings


the interests of future generations
to the centre of policy-making.
Together with civil society actors,
parliamentarians, governments
and businesses, the Council
addresses challenges to our common future and provides decision
makers with effective policy solutions.
www.worldfuturecouncil.org

Future-proof cities: Is resilience the key?

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.4

According to the World Health


Organisation, resilient and
empowered communities respond
proactively to new or adverse situations, prepare for economic, social
and environmental change and cope
better with crisis and hardship. At
a time when crisis and hardship
have probably become the most frequently used words in our daily
news, community resilience seems
to be the bright light at the end of
the tunnel.
A resilient community produces the
food, energy, water, things and
incomes it needs locally (John
Robb, American author and entrepreneur). It results in self-sufficiency,
and therefore in greater independence concerning a citys needs.
Sounds familiar? That is because
the idea of resilience is closely linked to the decentralised energy
transition Energy Cities is advocating. But what does the concept of
resilience mean when applied to
cities? What does a resilient city
look like in terms of economy,
governance and financing?

Aiming for self-sufficiency


For a city, becoming resilient implies
being able to provide for itself:
encouraging local food production,
making use of local energy sources,
but also offering jobs, maintaining a
high quality of life and developing
social activities to keep the city
vibrant.
Bristol is considered the most energy
and waste-efficient major city in the
UK... and it is also the fastest growing.
As part of the Rockefeller Foundations
100 resilient cities initiative, Bristol
will develop a resilience plan. Mayor
George Ferguson explains why his city
strives for stronger autonomy: We go
begging to government for the
resources we need. Government will
answer our immediate needs but not
our needs for 2030 or 2040.
Urban agriculture is one way of achieving food independence. In Toronto,
Canada, the municipality has created a
dedicated department to support
urban growers. They identify available spaces and clean up former industrial sites to turn them into agricultural

land. The law imposes the creation of at


least one community garden per district. Encouraging food self-sufficiency
makes sense for different reasons. In
the event of disruption to supplies,
people in the worlds major cities would
starve within three days. Not to mention the ecological footprint: in Europe,
food travels on average 3,000km to
reach consumers plates. Amongst
other benefits, it is a source of employment and revenue for the city, as production and consumption (buying) happen in the same place. The same pattern applies to energy supply, as the
small Spanish island of El Hierro can
testify. El Hierro is about to become the
worlds first energy-independent island,
even though its entire energy supply
once relied on a single fossil-fuelled
power plant. Tomas Padron, who used
to work at the power plant, remembers:
Everybody thought it was a crazy
idea.
www.100resilientcities.org
www.theguardian.com/cities/
series/resilient-cities

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.5

Developing new forms of governance

A few years ago, Christchurch, New


Zealand, experienced a series of earthquakes that caused extensive damage
to the citys infrastructure. Despite
being in deep shock, the city decided
to turn this tragedy into an opportunity:
rebuilding the
city together.
Resilience is
Mayor Lianne
not about
Dalziel wants
government
to empower
(central or local) community
in
doing things for organisations
the process of
communities,
building a new
Christchurch.
businesses, or
have
organisations; Citizens
their say in
it is about
new urban
enabling those plans: some
would like to
groups to do
build a central
things for
eco-friendly
business disthemselves.
trict, while
others imagine a city of smaller villages
where central services are located
within walking distance. As Mayor
Dalziel writes, Resilience is not about
government (central or local) doing
things for communities, businesses,
or organisations; it is about enabling
those groups to do things for themselves. Building a resilient city starts at
the grassroots level, so that bottom-up
meets top-down halfway.

A municipality sharing this point of


view is Barcelona, Spain. Considered
one of the smartest cities in the
world, Barcelona however does not
forget that smartness is as much about
empowering citizens as making use of
technology. One of the big ongoing

projects the municipality is part of is


the Fab City project (coordinated by
the IAAC, Institute of Advanced
Architecture of Catalonia), which
consists of creating a local network of
Fab Labs.

Fab Labs to make the neighbourhoods


people-centred and productive
A Fabrication Laboratory is a
small-scale workshop offering
digital fabrication. Tomas Diez,
one of the initiators of the Fab
Lab Barcelona, explains:
These laboratories are open,
collaborative spaces that
dont prioritise financial profit
or academic excellence.
Instead, they aim to resolve
local problems with available
tools, drawing on an international knowledge network.
The Fab Lab Barcelona - www.fablabbcn.org
There are already three Fab
Labs in the city, with a fourth to come soon. Some entirely rely on public funds while
others (such as the Fab Lab Barcelona) are financed through a mix of public and
private money. The city council expects to open at least 12 labs in the next few years
through the Fab City project. Manel Sanrom, Chief Information Officer for Barcelona
City Council, says: Our ultimate goal is that every district of Barcelona should have
at least one Fab [Lab], in line with the vision of people-centred and productive neighbourhoods in Barcelona, where production progresses from a centralised, standardised model in a globalised planet to a distribution model where it is the citizens
themselves that co-create their own environment and manage their own consumption in a sustainable and intelligent way.

www.fablabbcn.org

Fostering resilience is a community


matter. French journalist and documentary filmmaker Marie-Monique
Robin states: On the ground, those
projects that are performing the
best are led by motivated citizens
and supported by municipalities
that listen to them.

www.fablabbcn.org
http://ateneusdefabricacio.barcelona.cat/en

Developing new
financing approaches
The budget cuts recently experienced by European cities have led local
players to get creative also in terms of funding solutions. Local authorities
themselves are proving innovative.
Joint procurement between cities is on
a roll. End of March, on the occasion of
a pre-COP21 meeting in Paris, about
thirty mayors from European capitals
and big cities adopted a declaration
aiming at engaging in joint public procurement (notably for clean vehicles
and dump trucks). Two other cities in
France, Brest and Dijon, opted for joint
procurement when they decided to
create their tram systems. This allowed
the municipalities to obtain a 25%
reduction when purchasing their trams:
they saved almost 36 million!
More and more cities are also offering
citizens the possibility to have a say on
their citys budget. Participatory budgeting already exists in Paris. Citizens
can submit their project ideas for their
neighbourhood or the whole city.
Co-development meetings are organised throughout the application period.
Then, city departments evaluate projects according to criteria such as general interest, the citys competences and
the investment budget. Parisians can
thus decide on the allocation of up to
5% of their citys total investment budget half a billion euros!

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.6

The recently-launched Citizenergy initiative, a European crowdfunding platform1 for renewable energy, aims to
boost citizen engagement and investment in renewable energy. The crowd-

funding platforms Lumo (France),


Abundance (UK) and Greencrowding
(Germany) have already joined. The
overall objective is to allow citizens to
(financially) get involved in local projects. That does not mean local authorities should not get on board too.
According to a report by IDDRI2, citizens initiatives can be reinforced by a
local authoritys support, as it increases
confidence and guarantees continuity,
possibly helps with the financial development, ensures the link with local
policies.
We do see how fostering community resilience can help cities become
more independent, support their
local development and improve
their citizens quality of life.
Achieving the energy transition is
one key to resilience. Ultimately,
resilience itself is one key to futureproof cities, which are providing for
themselves while building mutually
beneficial relationships with the
outside.
https://budgetparticipatif.paris.fr
http://citizenergy.ateknea.com
1

See Energy Cities INFO N. 42 (2014) on


www.energy-cities.eu > Resources
www.iddri.org/Publications/Collections/
Idees-pour-le-debat/WP0114_NP%20AR_
projets%20citoyens.pdf

Bristol, Christchurch, Paris,


Dijon, Brest, Ettlingen and
Barcelonas local energy agency are members of the Energy
Cities network. Learn more
about their energy and climate
activities at
www.energy-cities.eu >
Resources

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.7

Energy transition,
a true vitamin cocktail
for the local economy!
In its study Economic impact
of the energy transition at
local level, Energy Cities
identified mechanisms
through which energy
transition measures stimulate
the local economy.

The study is based on six case


studies: five European local
authorities (Brussels Capital,
Copenhagen, Hanover, Kirklees
and Paris Ile-de-France) and one
US local authority (Nolan County).
The analyses cover several areas:
energy retrofitting of buildings,
energy efficiency, renewable energy,
cleantech, mobility, water treatment
and waste management.
One example is that of Hanover
(Germany), which created the
proKlima fund in 1998 to finance
climate protection action. Energy
Cities reports the results of the inputoutput analysis carried out by the
Pestel Institute to measure the
impact of proKlima on the regional
and national economies as well as
the leverage effect of subsidies. The
adjacent graph is a foretaste!
This work is, however, just the first
step of a reflection Energy Cities
would like to continue further in 2015
with a small team of network
members and economic experts. Let
us know if you are interested to be
part of it!

Aberdeen
in transition:
From European
oil capital to
European
green capital?

Subsidies

2.6

million euros in 2010


Expenditure committed
through this fund

33

million euros
Territorial distribution
of expenditure

76%

goes to the local economy


Value added generated
by the money spent
by beneficiaries

46.7

million euros
for 2010
Creation of

757

full-time jobs per year,


mainly at the
national level (57%)

The study is available in French


and in English on request (free of
charge for Energy Cities members).
Christiane Maurer, Project Manager at Energy Cities
www.energy-cities.eu/christiane

City of Aberdeen

Local authorities will find different


approaches to assess and describe
the economic and social benefits of
their energy and climate policies.

The proKlima
fund of the city
of Hanover
(Germany)

Members in the spotlight

When talking about assessing economic impacts, Aberdeen in the UK has a


lot to say. The economy of this
Scottish seaport has been entirely
reliant on the oil industry since the late
1970s. With oil prices having fallen dramatically last summer, the city is experiencing its worst crisis in 40 years. To
cope with this situation, Aberdeen has
undertaken a Journey Towards 2050,
notably by developing a (Covenant of
Mayors) Sustainable Energy Action
Plan which commits the city to reducing its CO2 emissions by 42% by
2020 (baseline year 2008). Aberdeen
wishes to manage its energy transition
by involving local players with the ultimate goal of positioning itself as a
thriving post-oil economy.
Aberdeen has been a member of
Energy Cities since 2011 and hosted
Energy Cities 2015 Annual
Conference.
Learn more about its
Journey Towards 2050 on
www.energy-cities.eu >
Resources.

2015 PARIS CLIMATE DEAL


What
is at stake?

COP21
=
Conference of the Parties
to the UNFCCC, 21st session

The Paris agreement aims at structuring


global climate cooperation over the long term
so that global temperature increases are
limited to below 2C. Until the Paris conference in December, negotiations on emissions
reduction objectives will be held between
the 195 involved States. The agreement will take effect only in
2020.

Spreading the energy transition at local


level needs negotiators who build on
existing processes supporting local
action. They should include the following elements both in the final
agreement and in future policies:
1. Invite countries and regions to provide financing platforms in order
to develop local players capacity to
act,
2. Support decentralised cooperation on the energy transition
between territories.

In order to break with the traditional energy and


climate approach, cities should be enabled to become
on-the-ground facilitators. Pioneering cities of the
energy transition have become genuine laboratories of
decentralised, inclusive and decarbonised energy
practices.

hutte

rstoc

Discover the project Post


Carbon Cities of Tomorrow:
www.pocacito.eu

What does Energy Cities


expect from this summit?

Welcome
to Paris!
The UN Summit will be hosted by
France, giving the 28-country EU
bloc a particular reason to wish
for a successful outcome.

Bruno Levy

Clia Blauel, Deputy Mayor of Paris


in charge of the Environment

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.8

The
best COP21
allies: Cities

Can Paris be a model for other cities worldwide?


COP21 is an opportunity to remind people that Paris is
taking strong, ambitious action to fight climate change,
notably via its Climate and Energy plan. Thermal retrofitting of housing, alternative mobility to cars, sustainable
food supply, the development of RES... Many actions
have been initiated in recent years, yet still much
remains to be done.
What are the ingredients for a post-carbon city?
Political courage, innovation, imagination and the participation of all stakeholders are of pivotal importance for creating the cities and society of the 21st
century. This is the mindset I would like to instil in the actions of Paris in 2015
so as to be ready to host COP21 in the best conditions and influence the
Paris agreement positively.

Making collective
climate action truly
operational: the
Covenant of Mayors
Over 6,200 cities use the
Covenant as a decisionmaking tool. It gives them
the framework to design
long-term roadmaps in line
with EU objectives with all
players at local level and
with support from regional
and provincial levels operating as Covenant
Coordinators. Is there a
better example of multilevel governance of climate
and energy policies?
www.eumayors.eu

#Paris2015
#COP21

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.9

Members in the spotlight

European Mayors message


to the Paris negotiators
Marta Felip, Mayor
of Figueres, Spain
@MartaFelip

In my opinion, COP21
negotiators
have to be
aware of two
conditions
necessary to
the energy
transition.
Firstly, all
actors need
to fully understand the energy issue.
While many policy-makers and citizens
have already taken the plunge and are
working on a new energy model, the
message has yet to reach many more
people! In order to trigger transformative action, it is essential to promote
greater policy awareness by the general public about the energy transition.
Secondly, we need resources that facilitate the work. In our city, through the
IMAGINE project,
we have designed Resources
an energy vision
that facilitate
and a roadmap
clearly shaping our the work
future energy
model. To implement local energy policies, funding is needed. In addition,
Spanish energy legislation has to be
radically changed if cities want to
become real energy actors with the
ability to produce green energy using
local renewable resources. Inspiration
for that comes through cross-border
cooperation and international
exchanges...

Councillor Peter Marland,


Leader of the Council,
Milton Keynes, United
Kingdom
@Pete_Marland

It has been
over 20 years
since the Rio
Earth Summit
in 1992. At
that time I
was an
11-year-old
child and
recall the
urgency felt
in the need to tackle climate change.
In the years since that historic event,
the world has changed dramatically,
but the need for action remains
stronger than ever.
As a Smart City and the fastest
growing city in the UK, Milton Keynes
involvement in
international colla- Strong,
boration projects
collaborative
such as the
leadership at
Covenant of
Paris 2015
Mayors and
IMAGINE 2050
can restore
show how local
faith
areas can work
together on global issues and bring
about documented, evidenced change.
The time to act is now. Strong, collaborative leadership at Paris 2015 can
restore faith in global governance.
Showing the ability to co-operate for
the greater good would also highlight
that, despite differences and challenges, change is possible.

Bo Frank, Mayor of Vxj,


Sweden
For decades
we have seen
that if global
emissions of
greenhouse
gases are to
be reduced, it
is the mayors
who must
act. While
nations are
struggling to agree on the distribution
of emission reductions between each
other, it is the mayors who take action
and show real results.
Mayors must take personal responsibility for ensuring a transition from fossil
energy to renewable
A strong
energy in their own
communities, coopera- binding
ting with other local
global
actors. That is why
agreement
I have launched the
Vxj Declaration
is needed
during our Earth
Week in March, where Vxj is pressing for national policies to support
local energy and climate work.
However, we still depend on the international community to complete our
energy transition. A strong binding global agreement is needed in order to
support local authorities, the nations
and ultimately the world, in making the
energy transition.
Download the Vxj Declaration:
www.energy-cities.eu/IMG/pdf/
vaxjo_declaration_2015_eng.pdf

Decentralisation,
devolution... Revolution!
In the course of the past few
decades, new players have
entered the energy management arena, in what could be
characterised as a new era of
community power. Everywhere across Europe and
beyond, local authorities have
been playing a key role, not
only as protagonists but also as
facilitators of a new energy
model.

Although this trend is spreading in


various countries, the most emblematic examples can be found in Germany,
where numerous local authorities and
their citizens have reclaimed
ownership of the local grids, previously controlled by large corporate utilities. Through a process of re-municipalisation, a large number of municipal utilities (Stadtwerke) has been
created to tap into local renewables
and improve energy efficiency. In
Scandinavian countries, cities have
also taken a great degree of control

over their energy sources. Elsewhere


across the continent, the case for
devolution and decentralised energy
management is resonating loudly, with
European neighbours keen to follow
the German example.

Wind of change blowing in the UK

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.10

Shutterstock

On the energy front, such a decentralised approach could bring countless


benefits to UK citizens. In Scotland
for example, the subnational
government has put its land
use planning competency to
good use as the region
now enjoys the largest
proportion of renewable
energy development in
the UK! A growing
number of the countrys
NGOs and think tanks
are thus calling for active
participation by local
councils in the energy
sector.

Devo met and devo max were


two keywords appearing very often in
the UK media in 2014, calling for a
devolution of national competencies to
metropolitan areas alongside the
maximum devolution to be granted
to Scotland in the wake of the independence referendum. Among other
things, this shift of power from central
government to cities and regions is touted as a way to unleash metro
growth. Jargon aside, this movement
notably calls for public spending and
tax raising powers for the UKs local
authorities.

According to the IPPR (Institute


for Public Policy Research)*, cities
are Britains new powerhouses.
The think tank advocates they should
play a greater role in the supply market,
currently dominated by six multi-national
corporations (British Gas, EDF Energy,
E.ON UK, npower, Scottish Power and
SSE). In a context of growing distrust
towards these Big Six energy companies, UK citizens are even more inclined to welcome their local authorities
new role of energy suppliers. As they
are directly accountable to their citizens, local mayors also take the politically charged issue of fuel poverty very
seriously. Not only can they help their
residents access lower energy tariffs
through collective bargaining with suppliers, but some city councils in the UK
are also looking at opportunities to

create their own energy services companies, as has been done in Bristol. The
IPPR report also shows that, on top of
lower energy bills, locally-engineered
micro-generation can deliver local jobs
and skills development opportunities,
while creating new revenue streams for
cash-strapped local governments.
Besides engaging in the supply markets, cities are championing large scale
energy efficiency solutions and
empowering citizens to take ownership
of the energy transition. Local councils
can indeed provide tailored support to
their communities for the deployment
of sustainable energy projects, acting
as catalysts of the energy transition as
they are best placed to address the
expectations of local households and
businesses. Point taken, dear Prime
minister?
See Energy Cities Proposals
Take local control of energy
supply and Eradicate local fuel
poverty at www.energy-cities.eu/
energytransition
*

www.ippr.org

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.11

INFO

Bristol
UK

Dijon
France
In 2009, as the city undertakes
work for a tramway system,
Dijon decides to develop a district heating network of about
150 GWh.
This idea leads to the urban
community taking control of heating supply and distribution and
taking ownership of the three
existing networks.

The 2015 European Green


Capital will most probably
be the first city in the UK to
establish a municipal energy company: Bristol Energy
will provide green electricity
to UK customers at more
competitive and fairer
tariffs.

Shutterstock

At random: Three
cities reclaiming their
energy futures!

Germany
championing
civic
energy

51

of renewable energy
capacity is owned by citizens
(40%) and farmers (11%)

1,000
170

energy
More than
cooperatives created
Since 2007, about
municipalities have bought back
the grid from private companies
Munich aims for

100
2025
%

Litomice
Czech Republic
Following an in-depth territorial analysis,
Litomice found that underground heat could
be used for geothermal purposes. The city
council thus decided to build a geothermal
CHP plant set to produce 18.4 GWh of energy
per year and to feed a district heating
network.

green electricity

by

The Stadtwerke Mnchen


has allocated a budget of

9 billion

to this objective.

Amongst the ongoing


projects: a hydroelectric
plant that will power

4 000

homes/year.

EU energy policy

What progress since Energy Cities


Big Five recommendations?
Include cities in EU energy policies

The ball is rolling...

Albeit still timidly - local authorities are still mostly seen as instrumental in addressing energy efficiency
priorities - they seem to be moving upward the EU agenda! Less than two hours after the official unveiling
of its much-awaited Energy Union Strategy in February, European Commission Vice President
Maro efovi took part in a high-level roundtable to get the views of various mayors from key
European cities. The document notably points to the Commissions firm support to the
Covenant of Mayors initiative. With the Commission paying greater attention to local governments in certain areas, the recognition of local authorities as full partners of the EU institutions
may prove a not-so-distant prospect.

Set new investment priorities

Work in progress

The Commission designed the Juncker Plan to kick-start the Unions economy. From an initial focus on
large investment the plan is progressively prioritising energy efficiency, notably following the call from Energy Commissioner Caete to put efficiency first. Besides,
the experts of the Energy Efficiency Financial Institutions Group (EEFIG) advocate
using the Juncker Plan to develop and aggregate energy efficiency projects, partly
echoing Energy Cities position.

Tap into local resources

Not convincing

Although the Commission acknowledges the potential of energy efficiency at the local level, it is
not the case for local energy production. For instance, the Energy Union Strategy document merely cites indigenous renewables as contributing to energy security, not elaborating much further on this point and instead putting all the focus on securing new
import routes.

Involve all actors

Yes, but...

True, the communication on the Energy Union stresses the role of citizens, communities and cities in energy efficiency and energy demand. Yet it does not provide any
recommendation to support the decentralisation of energy production.

Design future-proof cities

Almost there!

By proposing to reinforce the Covenant of Mayors initiative, the EU reaffirms its support to mayors in developing
long-term sustainable visions for their cities. Now, the
EU needs to provide tools, notably finance streams, for
communities to act on these visions.

EUROPE'S ENERGY TRANSITION

THE

BIG

RECOMMENDATIONS
TO GUIDE AND INSPIRE EU POLICY-MAKERS

1 5
2
3 4
INCLUDE CITIES
in EU energy policies
and in international climate
negotiations

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.12

SET NEW
INVESTMENT PRIORITIES
to increase energy security

DESIGN
FUTURE-PROOF CITIES
with radically reduced
energy needs
INVOLVE ALL ACTORS
to foster
social innovation

USE LOCAL RESOURCES


to tap
the full efficiency potential

www.energy-cities.eu > Position papers

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.13

INFO

EU policy debating
platform

Debating Europe @debatingeurope


What role can #cities play in ensuring #energy security
and efficiency? We asked @CorinaCretuEU
Co-President of
the European
Greens

European
Commissioner for
Regional Policy

Tweeter on
EU energy &
climate policies

StollmeyerAlice @StollmeyerEU
Reminder: #electricity only ~25%
of the energy we use. #Transport
also ~25%. #Heat: ~50%! =>
#letstalkHEAT #EU2030

European Commissioner for


Climate Action and Energy

Miguel Arias Caete


@MAC_europa
EU showing the way: our
ambitious and timely contribution
to #COP21 just approved! EUs
INDC: at least -40% by 2030

Monica Frassoni
@monicafrassoni
@ClaudeTurmes says no
#EnergyUnion without the
#europeanparliament; without
cities; without #climate Union

A glimpse
of EU policy...
in tweets!

Executive Director
of the International
Energy Agency

Maria van der Hoeven


@VanderHoeven_M
#Energie in the EU has been
a story of local successes
but systemic failures; need
to #getitright for
#EnergyUnion

European Commissioner
for Energy Union

European initiative to assist actors from the public


sector working on energy efficiency and renewable
energy actions at the local and regional levels

ManagEnergy @EU_ManagEnergy
#Energy #efficiency among top priorities of new #EU Structural
Funds 14-20 #REDay2013 #euopendays

Maro efovi @MarosSefcovic


We discussed #efficiencyfirst principle -> treat
efficiency as an energy source in its own right
WATCH: http://ow.ly/JXOQs

We need your positive energy:


EU Commission VP efovi meets Energy Cities mayors
One week after the official
unveiling of the Energy Union
project, Vice President of the
European Commission Maro
efovi exchanged views
with Energy Cities Board of
Directors.
After hearing the success stories shared by the city mayors
and representatives of Delft,
Vxj, Dijon, Heidelberg,
Helsinki, Bornova, Riga and
Bielsko-Biaa, efovi enthusiastically reiterated the

European Commissions willingness to establish closer cooperation with cities, as they


are the direct link to citizens.
The best practices presented
by Energy Cities Board members included fuel switching in
district heating networks,
improved mobility services, citizen engagement, sustainable
urban planning and energy efficiency in buildings. In a context
where the EU is intensifying
efforts to improve energy security and cut energy bills, the

city representatives reminded


the Vice President of their key
contribution to energy efficiency and decarbonisation goals.
Immediately after the one-hour
exchange, efovi left for the
Environment Council meeting.

Later in the day, he left a message on Twitter about his


excellent meeting with Energy
Cities mayors, key players at
the local level for a successful
Energy Union.

Members in the spotlight

Stronger united:

Twin cities and other forms of urban


cooperation
This year, the UN climate
Summit is an opportunity
for cities to act on the
international scene, by
exchanging information
and spreading know-how
about low-carbon
territories all over the world. Global climate diplomacy can
take inspiration from city diplomacy!
Shutterstock

Twin-win with TANDEM


The TANDEM project led by Climate
Alliance and Energy Cities provides
French and German local authorities
with an opportunity to make joint
progress in the energy transition
through exchange and cooperation
programmes.
Several partnerships have already
been set up since the Strasbourg
kick-off meeting in September 2014.
Epernay-Ettlingen: Both cities will
jointly buy and commission an
Information Bus to raise citizens

awareness and inform them of the


array of possibilities in the field of
energy retrofitting in housing. A
school and staff exchange programme will be arranged soon.
Grenoble-Essen: Both cities will
cooperate on district heating-related
issues (management, energy supply,
CHP, network optimisation).
Other exciting partnerships are currently under development.

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.14

A few examples of Energy Cities


members cooperating on energy
with Chinese cities:
Snderborg, Denmark <> Haiyan
County: twinning to design and build
a Denmark ZERO carbon street
Malm, Sweden <> Tanshan: reinforced partnership around the
TangMa Training Project for Cities
of Tomorrow

As the Covenant of Mayors demonstrates, cities collaborate better than EU


Member States do in tackling climate
change. They successfully work
together on defining their climate and
energy issues and share their experience in devising appropriate local
solutions. Using common methods and
frameworks, such as Sustainable
Energy Action
Plans, helps cities
enhance urban
Vxj,
planning and local
Sweden,
policy. With the
offers the
ongoing extension
Serbian city
of the Covenant of
of Ni support
Mayors to global
in drafting its
scale, cooperation
local energy
on local energy
management will
action plan
be reinforced
between signatories.
www.eumayors.eu

www.ville-tandem.eu

1000 cities commit to


decentralised cooperation

Say nin hao to zero-carbon living


China, the worlds top emitter of
greenhouse gases, is increasingly
being chosen for one-to-one
partnerships on sustainable
energy.

Upscaling local practices

Bordeaux, France <> Wuhan: 15


years of cooperation with joint projects on waste, air, energy efficiency
and renewables
Bristol, United Kingdom <>
Guangzhou: promoting sustainability
with the Guangzhou International
Innovation City
Energy Cities Booklet of
Proposals (available in
Chinese):
www.energy-cities.eu/
Twinning-town-aspringboard-for

In the Aberdeen Call, in the run-up


to the COP21 in December, Energy
Cities members declare their
willingness to mentor cities from
other continents wishing to engage
in a process of community-based
long-term urban planning.
What cities offer: Energy Cities
members are proposing to actively
engage in city twinning to mutually
support their energy transition by
providing expertise and know-how
across the globe.
What cities want: EU development
funding to make sure local actors are
empowered to shift to a fully
sustainable global energy system.

INFO

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.15

Energy Cities recommends...


Europes
power:
Re-energising
EUROPES a progressive
P WEP climate
and energy
agenda
REPORT

RE-ENERGISING A PROGRESSIVE
CLIMATE AND ENERGY AGENDA

Joss Garman

IPPR, September
2014
As this report demonstrates, there
is strong evidence that a target for
reducing greenhouse gas pollution
by 40% by 2030 would boost net
employment, reduce fossil fuel
imports and offer other co-benefits
through improved air quality, for
example while only marginally
reducing the EUs GDP (EY 2014).
The available evidence suggests
that a target for deeper reductions
in emissions of 50%, for example
would have a greater net positive
effect on the economy, offer a higher
chance of effectively managing
climate-change risks, and be cheaper
than delaying cuts in emissions to a
later date.
September 2014
IPPR 2014

Institute for Public Policy Research

www.ippr.org/assets/media/
publications/pdf/europes-power_
Sep2014.pdf

LIFE Platform Meeting

URBAN RESILIENCE
LIFE+ projects and
European policies

URBAN
RESILIENCE:
LIFE+ projects
and European
policies

European
Commission, August
2014
Report on the 2014 LIFE+ platform
meeting that focused on three
thematic modules: resilient
infrastructure and urban planning;
waste management, recycling
and re-use; and natural resource
management and renewable energy
production, with an emphasis on
common methods and tools used in
these different areas.
4-5 April 2014,
Colombes, FR
Summary Report

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/
life/news/newsarchive2014/
august/

Regions
and Cities:
Where
Policies
and People
Meet
OECD Regional
Outlook, 2014
For a better understanding of how
cities work as engines for innovation, prosperity and growth, this
second edition of the OECD Regional
Outlook aims to help countries adapt
policies to the specificities of where
people live.
www.keepeek.com/Digital-AssetManagement/oecd/urban-ruraland-regional-development/
oecd-regional-outlook2014_9789264201415-en

From Farm to
Folk: public
support for
local and
sustainably
produced
food
Friends of the Earth
Europe, January 2015
This briefing sets out the results of
an opinion poll conducted by TNS
Opinion in 8 countries on behalf
of Friends of the Earth Europe.
Europeans were asked about their
habits and views in relation to locallyproduced food: Europeans seem to
see a lot of benefits to buying locallyproduced food, but obstacles to act
accordingly remain.
https://www.foeeurope.org/localfood-briefing-full-opinion-pollresults-140115

Financing
sustainable
energy:
Finding
your way

Shutterstock

Publications

Cities often find it challenging to


find their way through the complex
maze of EU funding streams,
programmes and mechanisms. Two
new tools should help. The European
Commission and the European
Investment Bank have jointly
developed the Fi-compass platform,
which provides advisory services
on financial instruments under the
European Structural and Investment
Funds (ESIF) and microfinance under
the Programme for Employment
and Social Innovation (EaSI).
Furthermore, the Covenant of
Mayors Quick Reference Guide on
Financing Opportunities for Local
Sustainable Energy 2014-2020
should provide some initial food for
thought!
www.fi-compass.eu
www.eumayors.eu >
Support > Funding
instruments

2050: Vibrant, resilient cities


Influencing EU policies

big recommendations
to EU policy makers
www.energy-cities.eu >
Position papers

6,200

Involving all local players


Covenant
cities
average CO2reduction
objective by
2020 is close
to
%

Covenant
of Mayors
signatory cities

Over

6,000
590

ENGAGEments from citizens


and local stakeholders
www.citiesengage.eu

local authorities improving and showing their


buildings energy performance thanks to the
Display campaign www.display-campaign.org

30

Rethinking the city

Exchanging know-how

370

18

good practices
currently in our
public database

700

10
120

participants in
our study tours

Over

Annual Conferences gathering energy experts and


local authority representatives

seminars to IMAGINE
the future of our cities
www.energy-cities.eu/imagine

ground-breaking examples backing


our Proposals for the energy
transition of cities and towns
STAFF

Board of Directors

11

11

city
representatives
from

countries

ily

Da
Daily laughs
7
ing
om
inc
45
%
e-mail

33

Board
meetings
per year

66 %

Average
41 ag
e

Daily caffeine
intake

The Energy Cities network:

YEARS

1,000 cities in 31 countries

Local Energy Roadmaps 2050

The trendy word

8 European pilot cities


share their experience
Munich (Germany), Odense (Denmark), Milton Keynes (United Kingdom),
Lille (France), Figueres (Spain), Bistria (Romania), Dobrich (Bulgaria)
and Modena (Italy) all proved ambitious and creative in the framework
of the IMAGINE low energy cities project, coordinated by Energy Cities
and supported by HafenCity University Hamburg. Those eight European
cities developed their own Energy Roadmaps 2050, involving citizens
and stakeholders with diverse and original means: sustainability puzzle,
training sessions for energy managers, citizen fora, school awards,
photo contests,...

INFO

Tools and methods, full-text roadmaps, case studies by HafenCity


University (and more!) are available
on the project website.
www.imaginelowenergycities.eu

Rodho

Energy Cities No. 43 I p.16

The partner cities share their rich


experience in the Low-Energy City
Policy Handbook.

(Fossil fuel) Divestment:


Greening the world one
portfolio at a time
Fossil fuel divestment is simple: if you want to
protect the environment, move your money from
carbon-intensive to climate-friendly assets!
350.org, which launched the initiative, urges investors to make their financial portfolios carbon-free.
Besides moral motives, there is an economic rationale: divesting avoids money being lost that is
locked in assets rendered worthless in a postcarbon economy (such as coal mines for instance).
So far, $50 billion (i.e. more than 46 billion) have
been divested by universities, religious institutions, trust funds or cities. Amusingly, the
Rockefeller Brothers Fund which inherited over
$860 million from the most famous oil tycoon in
history has joined the movement.
http://gofossilfree.org

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