FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

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MAYORS in empowers Coordinators and Supporters (C&S) of the Covenant of Mayors in effectively assisting their municipalities in implementing and monitoring their SEAPs. Through tutoring and coaching schemes, MAYORS in ACTION will allow C&S municipalities to go further, enabling them to implement actions by employing existing tools and experiences in different environments, and helping them to support one another towards a common goal. MAYORS in ACTION is a three-year project, running until February 2017, and is co-funded by Intelligent Energy Europe. www.mayorsinaction.eu

News

COP22 delegates discuss new global climate change join to make ambitious commitments to reducing emissions. initiative for local governments

That is an opportunity for Veneto as the coordinator of the Covenant of Mayors, ministers and city Mayors to share ideas and best practices on how to reduce greenhouse representatives gathered at the gases and promote renewable energy. This includes developing and COP22 in Marrakech (Morocco) for a implementing policies that have the biggest impact on climate change, session to discuss the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, a energy and energy efficiency; technological innovation; development; and new worldwide initiative announced in June 2016 for ambitious cities to other areas that have direct implications for greenhouse gas emissions levels. help tackle climate change.

Complementary to and coordinated with the MOU, the Compact of States The new initiative – which will “go live” on 1 January 2017 - is a result of the and Regions is an initiative that provides a mechanism for its members EU’s Covenant of Mayors, and the Compact of Mayors, coming . to measure and report progress against their emissions reductions In combination, the Global Covenant represents 7,100 cities in over 119 commitments. Participating in both the Compact and the MOU involves countries. The event articulated a unified vision and provided a forum collecting data on emissions reduction targets. The Compact provides for city and local government representatives committed to addressing the formal annual reporting mechanism to help governments track climate change. It introduced the new initiative, and analysed the impact progress, and compare and measure the effectiveness of their strategies. of the collective city commitments.

Veneto, a partner of the Mayors in Action project – co-funded by the The Global Covenant will enable cities to collect and report climate EU’s Intelligent Energy Programme - provides a transparent picture data in a comparable and transparent way, allowing them to produce of efforts to tackle climate change and is committed to promoting climate action plans and to track their progress. The Global Covenant actions on climate change. It is aware that solutions to can facilitate cities’ engagement with the national level, and help the this worldwide issue might be a big opportunity for the local and UN and the global community identify contributions that cities and global economy and might have positive impacts on quality of life. local governments are making toward the goals set in Paris, which will underscore how important cities are to meeting them. It will provide a For more information, visit the Under2 MOU website. path for mayors to reduce carbon emissions and strengthen resilience, while achieving other, more localised benefits such as increased access to clean and affordable energy, improved public health and strengthened Santorso sets up citizens´ energy info point and purchasing group local economies.

In February 2014, the municipal council Célestine Ketcha Epse Courtes, the mayor of Bangangte (Cameroon), from th e town of Santorso in Veneto attended the event. She said: “The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate approved a Sustainable Energy Action & Energy must use existing networks to bring together and push forward Plan (SEAP). It includes 41 actions, on the climate action that cities, towns and regions will implement. We and involved many stakeholders that need to walk all together and hand in hand to ensure our needs are demanded commitments and meaningful future projects. understood by local governments.”

As so often happens with similar, ambitious plans, the municipality’s The president of , Francesco Pigliaru, suggested that the Global problem was figuring out how to realise it and actively involve the public. Covenant can also provide support to smaller cities. He said: “We need Santorso has a population of 5,900 people and a tiny budget, so the answer even small municipalities capable of talking to the world and knowing wasn’t simple. The municipality decided to participate in the Mayors in how to access investment bank funds. Often, they do not know what Action project and try to find, with the support of engineering consultants is available to them or have capacity or structures to address complex SOGESCA, a way for realising the actions, possibly with the engagement of environmental issues.” the public.

For more information on the new Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate The municipality then organised a series of workshops on the SEAP topics, and Energy, click here. which allowed it to understand residents’ needs better. Following this,

Santorso organised six focus groups, during which residents and the local

Veneto signs Under2MOU, increasing support to administration decided that the most important first step was to create an Covenant of Mayors information point where people could go to find out more about energy.

On 27 June 2016, the region of In November 2015, the municipality - with the help of volunteers from Veneto () took ambitious Santorso’s Buona Pratica citizen involvement group, Italian environmentalist action to combat climate change association Legambiente, and Mayors in Action – set up the ‘Energy Info by joining the Subnational Global Point’. Open once a week for a couple of hours, staff at the Energy Info Point Climate Leadership Memorandum of Understanding (Under2 MOU). answer residents’ questions about energy, explain energy bills and suggest

The Under2 MOU originates from a partnership between the states energy efficiency interventions where possible. of California (United States) and Baden-Württemberg (Germany), and Immediately after the Energy Info Point opened, Buono Practica started a brings together ambitious states and regions willing to commit towards purchasing group for renewable energy systems such as photovoltaics (PV), reducing emissions. Central to the agreement is that all signatories and thermal solar and heat pumps. The initiative purchased 17 PV systems agree to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from 80% to 95%, or (with total power of 70.5 kW), 7 heat pumps for hot water, 6 highly efficient to limit their CO2-equivalent per capita to two metric tonnes by 2050. air conditioners and a solar thermal plant for € 148,450 – equivalent to

According to the United Nations Development Program, 50% saving 40 tons of CO2 per year. The Energy Info Point is such a success that to 80% of the mitigation and adaptation actions necessary to it will probably be extended to nearby municipalities. tackle climate change will be implemented at subnational or For more information, visit the Santorso Sostenibile website. local levels of governance. The MOU encourages regions to FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

As the climate changes, Genova does too Public and private sectors collaborate to boost energy efficiency

How to save energy every day and Over 60 representatives from local renewable energy were the main authorities, the business sector, topics for almost 400 elementary universities and research centres schoolchildren in Genova (Italy) attended a networking session on in the first months of the school 14 October in Barcelona (Spain). The year. The children took part in session was organised by the province of Barcelona, the Network of Towns an initiative called “Il Clima cambia! Cambiamo anche noi! Le nostre idee and Villages towards Sustainability, and the Catalonia Energy Efficiency per salvare la Terra” (“Climate changes! Let’s change as well! Our ideas to Cluster (CEEC) within the framework of the Mayors in Action project. The save Earth”), with educational activities organised by the city of Genova aim was to find potential partners and collaborators interested in municipal with the support of Muvita – a foundation created to support Genova energy efficiency, and to meet new people, exchange experiences and with the promotion of, among others, energy saving, energy efficiency and agree upon challenges to tackle in the future. renewable energy.

Over 200 municipalities from the province of Barcelona signed the Genova, in the framework of the EU’s Mayors in Action project, successfully Covenant of Mayors and have an ongoing SEAP. Their commitments (for managed to replicate one of the many good practices developed by the some, reducing GHG emissions by 20% 2020; for others, reducing GHG partners, with the aim to help municipalities implement the actions of their emissions by 40% by 2030) involve taking action. Addressing the energy SEAP in the Covenant of Mayors. The city of Zagreb (Croatia) provided quality efficiency of municipal buildings and facilities represents around 60% educational materials for the schools, developed as part of its involvement of the actions specified in SEAPs and most of them are related to smart in the Mayors in Action project. Translated into Italian and adapted to the meters, energy management, renewing heating and cooling systems and local context, the materials allowed the teachers to organise their own improving indoor lighting. activities on environmental issues based on the Croatian examples.

Opening the session, the representatives from CEEC and the province of Each class created a graphic artistic representation or composition, which Barcelona explained that, to meet the goals established by the Covenant was presented in an exhibition during Genova’s Festival della Scienza. The of Mayors, it is important to invest in the deep renovation of municipal exhibition included three-dimensional art and posters, crosswords and buildings and facilities - but it is also crucial to work in the residential and videos and rap music performances. Kids from schools in the municipalities tertiary sectors. of Davagna, Masone, Genova Pra and Genova Staglieno suggested the original and interesting creations. The networking session promoted the exchange of ideas and knowledge

between participants. Fifteen proposals showed solutions and new For more information, visit the Festival della Scienza website. mechanisms to improve energy efficiency among public and private

sectors. The proposals included using photovoltaic installations to reduce

electricity consumption from the grid, smart meters, remote management Renovating multi-residential buildings in Croatia to improve their energy efficiency technologies, investment mechanisms and financing sources, among

others. More than 120 B2B interviews followed the discussion to create On 24 June 2014, the government of partnerships and broker knowledge between sectors. Croatia adopted an energy renovation

programme for multi-residential

buildings that will run from 2014- Working with stakeholders to boost sustainable energy 2020. The objectives are to identify actions in Greece Source: Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning, Croatia and analyse the energy consumption Over 100 representatives from the and energy efficiency of Croatia’s housing stock, identify where to reduce public and private sector, mostly energy consumption, introduce measures to stimulate improvements in municipalities and local market energy efficiency, and evaluate their impact. organisations, came together in a

On 17 October 2016, Croatia’s Ministry of Construction and Physical combined training event entitled,

Planning published a call for submissions for renovating multi-residential “Sustainable Energy Action Plans in the Public Sector and the experience buildings. The purpose of the call is to find consortia that can introduce of Municipalities from planning to implementation”, in Athens (Greece) on integrated measures that reduce the amount of energy multi-residential 14 October 2016. buildings consume for heating and cooling, and investigate the use of The event presented the experiences from three projects funded by the renewable energy sources. EU’s Intelligent Energy Europe programme: RePublic ZEB, Mayors in Action,

The funds for the call, which total €20 million, come from the European and 50000&1 SEAPs.

Regional Development Fund. Renovation projects will receive 60% co- The first session was dedicated to legislation and financing sustainable funding, regardless of their location, with the maximum amount of energy actions, the second on nearly zero-energy buildings, the third on incentives limited to 1.7 million Croatian kuna (€226,000) per project. the Covenant of Mayo rs in practice (best practices from the Mayors in Energy audits, preparing energy certificates, and developing project Action project), and the fourth on municipal energy management. The documentation will receive co-funding of 85%. training on the Mayors in Action project focused on presenting tools and

Projects that are eligible to apply for the funding must save 50% in energy best practices for implementing SEAPs, as presented in the handbook used for heating. Buildings that have a class D rating (or below) for energy developed by the project consortium, and on developing business plans efficiency can also apply. Projects that replace energy used for heating for municipalities in Greece. The pilot municipalities that presented their with renewable sources receive additional points. experiences were Agios Dimitrios, Tripoli, and Farsala.

Cooperating with local governments is of special significance for Delegates concluded that exchanging experiences between national and implementing the programme for the energy renovation of buildings. local authorities and market bodies could help design and implement

Local governments, primarily cities, realise the need and benefits of saving sustainable energy actions. In addition to receiving support from the state, energy, raising the quality of housing and enhancing urban environments. the EU, Covenant coordinators such as CRES and the Technical Chamber

Evidence for this can be found in the multi-year engagement of cities of Greece, working with financial institutions can also help municipalities on energy issues, effective and rational energy management, using meet national and local climate and energy targets in an economically renewable energy sources and involving numerous cities in the generally viable way. accepted Covenant of Mayors initiative. FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Kościerzyna launches air quality educational campaign Haacht to build 15 nearly zero-energy rental apartments

Kościerzyna, one of the Polish cities The municipality of Haacht in Belgium

involved in the Mayors in Action project, is to start the construction of 15 nearly

has launched an educational campaign zero-energy rental apartments later

addressed to people from the city and this spring. The apartments will have

the region on how to tackle air pollution. advanced insulation in their exterior

The campaign is a part of the municipality’s long-term strategy to improve shells, PV panels installed on the south-facing roofs and feature System D air quality and contribute to climate protection. ventilation systems with heat recovery.

The main objective of the campaign is to share knowledge among the The ground floor of the building will have seven wheelchair-accessible inhabitants of the Pomerania Voivodeship on how to tackle air pollution and apartments with either a garden or terrace, and each will have a private room increase energy efficiency in their everyday lives. in which to store bicycles. The remaining apartments will have spacious

terraces and access to secured storage for bicycles. There are several actions planned, including the Kashubian Energy Day open seminar, competitions for children, and regular meetings known as All apartments will have their own private outer door. The site also includes a

Kashubian Meetings with Ecology. The city will also prepare educational communal parking garage, and an underground waste storage facility. materials, including thematic posters and a publication called Eco- With the special fragmented design of the new building, the developers are Pomerania. Media coverage includes relevant articles in local and regional trying make residents feel as if they live in the centre of a small village. press in print and online, and radio broadcasts.

A walking and biking trail connects the building with a public park. This The campaign is organised together with the municipality of Kościerzyna, public space will be redesigned as an organically equipped play area, and Kościerzyna Cultural Centre, the Educational Institutions Service Office and integrate a system to buffer rainwater from the apartment building. the Solar Kościerzyna association. The campaign will help to move towards the long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dust pollution, The project is being managed by Haacht’s Public Centre for Social Welfare. and consequently improving the quality of air and the environment in Interleuven is the engineering partner for building and public infrastructure.

Pomerania. The project is made possible with a subsidy from the Flemish Government.

The regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in

Gdańsk is co-financing the campaign, and it is a continuation of the previous actions taken by Kościerzyna in the field of environmental education. These actions include organising a regular local Energy Day, which attracts a lot of interest from residents, especially young people.

The last edition took place in May 2016 and included educational stands devoted to the topic of energy, practical environmental advice given by the League of Conservation and the city library, and artistic performances by young people. It also included a special fashion show where children presented clothes made from recycled material, sich as t-shirts from colourful newspapers, skirts from plastic cups, necklaces from screw cups and many others. FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Guest Projects

TOGETHER project - integrated energy management in public ABRACADABRA - Assistant Buildings’ addition to Retrofit, Adopt, buildings Cure And Develop the Actual Buildings up to zeRo energy, Activating a market for deep renovation The three-year TOGETHER project, co-funded by Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE, aims to promote the concept of integrated energy management in public ABRACADABRA is a three-year European project implementing a cost- buildings through implementing selected technical, financial and managerial effective, energy efficient retrofitting strategy, involving 11 European Energy Efficiency measures in pilot buildings (approx. 100 buildings from eight countries. EU countries). The measures will significantly reduce energy consumption and ABRACADABRA aims to build confidence and demonstrate to key change the behaviour of building users. stakeholders and financial investors the attractiveness of a new renovation TOGETHER objectives will be achieved through: strategy based on volumetric Add-Ons and Renewables (AdoRes). This are a set of assistant building unit(s) – i.e. additions to the side, top or façade • Boosting the knowledge, competencies and capacities of building managers of buildings, or even entire new building constructions – integrated with and users, especially in terms of energy efficiency and optimising energy renewable energy sources. These new Assistant Buildings’ Additions management; “adopt” the existing or “assisted” buildings. This synergy can reduce the • Teaching building managers innovative approaches to solving problems initial investment needed for the deep renovation of existing buildings, related to the energy characteristics of the buildings (trainings, contests, etc.); supporting buildings’ transition towards nearly zero energy.

• Providing support and tools, which will help pilot municipalities to implement ABRACADABRA aims at showing how building add-ons can balance the cost model energy-saving solutions in selected public buildings (educational, of deep energy retrofitting in buildings. Policy makers, financial institutions, institutional and other); practitioners, researchers and many more stakeholders are invited to join the ABRACADABRA community to exchange knowledge, participate • Using project experience to develop a model “package” of energy efficiency in stakeholder community meetings and international workshops, and measures that may be implement ed in a variety of public buildings; develop new policy- and market-led approaches to deep renovation. • Preparing recommendations for policy makers that develop policies and For more information, visit the ABRACADABRA project website. strategies aimed reducing energy consumption in the public sector.

The consortium is developing a comprehensive TOGETHER project library, which will be a repository of existing useful materials and tools from the broadly defined field of energy efficiency in public buildings. Among these materials will be guidelines and presentations, case studies, online tools and others, which can be a source of knowledge and inspiration for local authorities in planning their buildings’ energy efficiency improvement.

To learn more, as well as to make use of project’s information, products and results, visit the TOGETHER project website.

Disclaimer: The sole responsibility for the content of this newsletter lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EASME nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.