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Covenant of Mayors “Multi-Level Action for Sustainable Energy”

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Covenant of Mayors “Multi-Level Action for Sustainable Energy” Covenant of Mayors Multi-level action for sustainable energy www.eumayors.eu FINAL-Mayors-2013.indd 1 6/17/13 10:09 AM COVENANT COVENANT NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS COMPANIES & CITIZENS COORDINATORS SUPPORTERS & ENABLERS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS We live in an interconnected world. Multi-source, decentralised THE COVENANT EXPERIENCE information-sharing and cooperation systems are becoming ever more important in all areas of social, economic and cultural life. The Covenant of Mayors for local sustainable energy is a very concrete demonstration of this trend. Its Our experience in building sustainable energy story started in 2008, when - after the adoption of the EU concepts with cities dates back to 2007 with the climate and energy package - the European Commission creation of the Covenant of Mayors. decided to directly involve municipalities in reaching the 2020 objectives. By committing to the Covenant, an initial Günther Oettinger group of some 300 mayors voluntarily undertook to adopt EU Commissioner for Energy a sustainable energy action plan (SEAP), rethinking the way their city operates and bringing them closer to energy self-suffi ciency, with measures favouring local economic development and improving citizens’ quality of life. Just a few years later, the Covenant extended to thousands of local authorities – including almost all EU capitals - and an increasing number of stakeholders, establishing itself as one of the most emblematic examples of multi-level governance and bottom-up action in Europe. 2 FINAL-Mayors-2013.indd 2 6/17/13 10:09 AM COVENANT COVENANT NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS COMPANIES & CITIZENS COORDINATORS SUPPORTERS & ENABLERS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS With this initiative came the launch of a new framework, which At local and national levels, energy alliances are shaping up accelerated the take up of relevant European policies and under the impulse of the Covenant, with the objective of involv- funding instruments at local level, starting with the mayor’s ing all the local community members in building a sustainable political endorsement of EU objectives – and the adoption of energy future. In this spirit, national “clubs” of signatories are a long-term vision for local sustainable development – and emerging as platforms bringing together local authorities from culminating with integrated planning and concrete SEAP the same country to voice aspirations towards national and EU initiatives. A large array of stakeholders has come into the legislators, and share their country’s best practices. Likewise, picture to make these aspirations a reality, illustrating that the citizens are closely associated to the development of SEAPs long process of energy transition requires the involvement of a and encouraged to take action. Last but not least, academic wide spectrum of players, at all government and society levels. bodies and universities play a considerable role in assisting municipalities with the development of their SEAP and emission In their own country, Covenant Signatories are supported by inventory. provinces and regions – which play a coordination role in the initiative – but also by energy agencies and associations of The Covenant of Mayors’ success has helped to emphasize local authorities. the crucial role played by local authorities, not only in delivering the EU climate and energy objectives, but also in combining The private sector’s contribution is also a crucial dimension of technology deployment with other forms of innovation, related the Covenant of Mayors, notably through the formal involvement to governance, public administration and social aspects. of companies’ federations acting as Associated Partners to Although cities are ideally placed to act on all these fronts, they the initiative. National and European financial institutions face the dual challenge of achieving economic competitiveness are yet another category of stakeholders, which have launched and sustainable urban development. Such an ambitious task funding and technical assistance schemes supporting SEAP requires the support of various allies and partners, which implementation and the development of related bankable the present leaflet will seek to profile. investment programmes. 3 FINAL-Mayors-2013.indd 3 6/17/13 10:09 AM COVENANT COVENANT NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS COMPANIES & CITIZENS COORDINATORS SUPPORTERS & ENABLERS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Commenting on the initiative, Director at the European COVENANT COORDINATORS Commission’s DG Energy Marie Donnelly once said that “The success of the Covenant has shown the importance of multi- level governance in the fi ght against climate change”. The Covenant of Mayors has established a Innovative cooperation schemes are indeed one of the key common framework which has had a mobilising effect features of the initiative, which has triggered a new cooperation on municipalities across the province. It has allowed dynamic between local, provincial, regional, national and local authorities with very different characteristics to all European administrations across Europe. By joining the play their part in the fi ght against climate change. movement as “Covenant Coordinators”, provinces, regions, national energy agencies, ministries and other eligible public Salvador Esteve, administrations have managed to integrate sustainable President of the Barcelona Provincial Council energy initiatives within a coherent, strategic framework, encouraging local authorities to join fellow European cities in signing the Covenant of Mayors and then supporting them in achieving their CO2 reduction commitments through the implementation of sustainable energy policies. In the framework of an agreement signed with the European Commission, Covenant Coordinators pledge to support municipalities in obtaining the technical, fi nancial and human resource capacities to develop their SEAPs. 4 FINAL-Mayors-2013.indd 4 6/17/13 10:09 AM COVENANT COVENANT NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS COMPANIES & CITIZENS COORDINATORS SUPPORTERS & ENABLERS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Over half of the signatories have joined the initiative thanks support provided by Covenant Coordinators. In addition, the to the efforts of these Coordinators, especially in decentralised cooperation of regions, provinces and other such territorial countries like Spain and Italy where small-sized local administrations has led to the development of dedicated authorities are encouraged by their provinces and regions methodologies and tools further guiding local authorities to commit to the EU climate and energy objectives. In through the process of developing sustainable energy policies. addition, these public administrations are often responsible for the management of structural funds and thus well-placed to direct EU funding to well-structured sustainable energy The Covenant of Mayors has helped mobilising all levels of plans for local economic development, ie the Covenant of government around a common objective, thus reinforcing Mayors SEAPs. institutional cooperation and territorial cohesion in the countries concerned. This decentralised support has come handy for the Joint Research Centre (JRC) – in charge of analysing the SEAPs This has contributed to the mainstreaming of a multi-level - and the Covenant of Mayors Office (CoMO), which have approach, reinforcing existing cooperation between European sought the help of Covenant Coordinators to provide institutions, national and sub-national governments, allowing tailored assistance to an ever larger number of signatories. to better connect European objectives with national and local Testimony to their achievement is the fact that the majority of priorities. SEAPs received by the CoMO are submitted thanks to the 5 FINAL-Mayors-2013.indd 5 6/17/13 10:09 AM COVENANT COVENANT NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS COMPANIES & CITIZENS COORDINATORS SUPPORTERS & ENABLERS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Zealand Region Territorial strategies Support for the organization of the 2013 Climate Festival, as a in concrete examples… framework for the municipal Energy Days. CITIZENS ENGAGEMENT Province of Rome Development of a dedicated website on the Covenant in the province to provide timely information about the initiative. Province of Venice Andalusia Region Development of a common web tool to collect The regional administration has created the “Andalusia Covenant of and manage energy data at municipal and Mayors team”, made up of the region, all the provinces, the association of provincial levels. Andalusian municipalities and the provincial energy agencies. This structure is led and coordinated by the region. Province of Alicante TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Earmarking of €4 million from the administration budget to assist signatories The Netherlands Energy Agency TERRITORIAL COOPERATION SCHEME with the development of their SEAP. Launch of an online system to track action plan progress and compare energy data Limburg Province with other municipalities. IIn line with its objective of becoming climate neutral by 2020 - and to assist FINANCIAL SUPPORT the 44 municipalities with their Covenant commitments - the Province of Limburg is joining forces with three key partners: Bond Beter Leefmilieu Sardinia Region – a Flemish environmental organisation-, Infrax – a distribution network Creation of a €70 million JESSICA EIB operator- and Dubolimburg, a centre for support of sustainable construction. holding fund to fi nance energy effi ciency projects in signatory municipalities. Prešov Region Creation of a dedicated Covenant of Mayors regional platform including energy experts and representatives
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