EUROPEAN UNION Project co-funded by the European Union under ERDF – European Regional Development Fund “A” LABELED MUNICIPALITIES Project promoted by the Presidency of the Region of Sardinia The Region of Sardinia supports local municipalities on a path towards environmental sustainability, energy efficiency and renewable energies Project promoted by the Presidency of the Region of Sardinia EUROPEAN UNION Project co-funded by the European Union under ERDF – European Regional Development Fund The "Smart City – “A” labeled municipalities” project is a symbol of a Sardinia having decided to make courageous, innovative choices and break with the past. Our island no longer seeks solutions imposed from the above; rather, it is proactive and offers a model to be followed in the national and international arena. We restart from ourselves: from our reality, our excellence, from projects, ideas and values that originate in Sardinia and respect our culture and our identity. We possess wealth that no multinational can ever outsource, beauty that none can ever imitate, knowledge that is imbued in our social fabric and is not encountered elsewhere. These form the basis and the starting point for a miniature "revolution on a human scale" to finally set aside the logic that in the past has always seen our island at a dramatic crossroads between employment on the one hand and health, safety, and usability of the territory on the other. We must strive for a recovery that entails not only economic benefits, but also a concrete improvement in citizens’ quality of life. The “point of no return” in this process was the referendum against nuclear energy. With the clear double prevalence of a “yes” vote, the Sardinians not only showed disdainful rejection for the idea that our island could be considered a destination for nuclear power plants and waste, but also said something more, which is a sign of a renewed awareness of our autonomy: we want to be able to choose for ourselves, we want to determine our own future. This desire is reflected in the signing of the Covenant of Mayors with the European Union in 2011. The Region of Sardinia decided to start the Sardinia CO2.0 Programme and has pledged to launch a set of innovative initiatives concerning sustainable development, energy saving and alternative energy production that could create a new development model based on the Green Economy. We have set ourselves the ambitious goal of making our Region a national and international leader in the field of emissions reduction from climate-changing gases and sustainable energy development. The Project was included among the government priorities with the aim of going beyond the objectives set by the European Union concerning CO2 reduction, energy saving and the use of alternative energy sources. If we talk about the land, we must also talk about the environment and its protection and preservation: an action whereby the individual who has to live in the territory does not have a purely contemplative role, but an active one and must treat the land as a precious commodity. In this context, the Region has the responsibility to plan and coordinate, assigning to the representatives of the territory the role of real actors in development choices. 3 The extensive participation in the public tender for the "Smart City – “A” labeled municipalities” project in 2011 INDEX showed that the message came through strongly to the local administrations; some 257 of them have, in fact, expressed interest in taking part in the supporting path for developing the Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP), • Introduction 7 and 66 of them benefited from the technical assistance provided by the Region. • Objectives of the project 9 • The implementation strategy 11 Today, at the end of the supporting path, the results are encouraging: professionals and administrators along with the fundamental contribution of social actors have drafted SEAPs in line with the 20-20-20 climate and energy • The actors involved 13 package approved by the European Union, containing specific actions and strategies for energy efficiency and • Stages of the project 15 reducing CO2 emissions in their territories. - Start of the project and selection of Pioneer Communities 15 - Team building of the work group 15 This document is intended as a testament to this new experience and aims at supporting the drafting of the SEAPs - Support for Pioneer Communities in drafting of the SEAP 19 for all those administrations wishing to utilise this tool, implementing energy-saving actions and using renewable - Preliminary phase (April - May 2012) 19 resource energy in order to reduce CO2 and thus participate in the fight against climate change in their territories. - Working out the context analysis and Baseline Emissions Inventory (June - August 2012) 21 - Involvement and participation of local actors (July - October 2012) 21 Ugo Cappellacci - Identification of project actions (October - November 2012) 27 President of the Region of Sardinia - Final drafting of SEAPs and submission to the Covenant of Mayors (November 2012 - January 2013) 29 • Assistance after SEAP 31 - Support for the economic - financial analysis 31 - Administrative support 31 - Dissemination and awareness-raising activities aimed at schools 32 • Project phases 34 • Project numbers 37 • Glossary 38 • Useful contacts 41 “A” LABELED MUNICIPALITIES Introduction The Autonomous Region of Sardinia, with the Sardinia CO2.0 Programme, has undertaken a strategic path aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and stimulating and promoting investment in sustainable energy. This programme aims at enacting the provisions of the European Union in the European Package on Climate and Energy 20-20-20 aimed at: • reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels; • increasing by 20% the amount of energy produced from renewable sources; • reducing energy consumption by 20%. The "Smart City – “A” labeled municipalities” project - integrated into the Sardinia CO2.0 Programme, aims at directly involving Local Administrations as the protagonists for sustainable development in their territory. Through a model of innovative governance, the "Covenant of Mayors", municipalities are able to interact directly with the structures of the European Commission, becoming the policy implementing bodies in the field of sustainable energy. The Region of Sardinia has selected 21 Pioneer Communities as beneficiaries of the support in drafting the Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP). By joining the Covenant of Mayors, Communities have pledged to draft, within one year, the SEAP document, which will define the strategies and actions for reducing CO2 emissions by at least 20% by 2020. The Region of Sardinia, as a support structure in the implementation process, has made available a team of multidisciplinary experts specially trained in support and technical assistance. This publication aims at explaining the "Smart City – “A” labeled municipalities” project through the stages of its implementation path, emphasising the contribution offered by the various actors involved and the innovative value of the methodology that has characterised it. 6 7 THE COVENANT OF MAYORS Objectives of the project The Covenant of Mayors is an initiative promoted by the European Commission to actively involve European The general objective of the "Smart City – “A” labeled municipalities” project is to support and assist Municipal cities in the implementation of its strategy towards energy and environmental sustainability. The initiative was Administrations in the process of drafting the Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP). launched by the Commission on 29th January 2008 as part of the second edition of the European Sustainable The specific objectives can be summarized as follows: Energy Week (EUSEW 2008). • providing municipalities with an updated and flexible tool for energy planning, able to positively affect The Covenant, which has been joined so far by over 4500 cities among important European capitals and community development in the medium and long term; numerous cities in non-EU Member Countries, with the involvement of over 160 million people, gives local • providing the municipalities with the information necessary to rationalise consumption (consumption status and administrations the opportunity to engage actively in the fight against climate change through projects that trends of land and structures); modernise administrative management and directly affect citizens’ quality of life. The signatories represent • increasing the skills of the staff in municipal technical offices by means of a technical support given by cities of various sizes, from small villages to major metropolitan areas. specialised personnel made available by the Region of Sardinia; • facilitating access to financing instruments currently available for carrying out operations through a specific technical and financial support. WHAT IS THE SEAP? HOW SEAPs WERE STRUCTURED IN PIONEER COMMUNITIES The SEAP, the Sustainable Energy Action Plan, is the key document which defines the procedures by which As required by the Covenant of Mayors, the SEAP drafted by Pioneer Communities follows the structure municipal administrations plan to achieve the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. By joining described below: the Covenant of Mayors, the Municipality pledges to draft the SEAP within one year and send it to the Covenant • the context analysis contains a geographic framework describing the state of affairs in the