Feedback report Peer advice Yambol, Bulgaria Energy efficiency in buildings 2 Report produced by CASCADE project Author: Burgas Municipality Version: 1 CASCADE is an EU-funded project led by EUROCITIES which aims to design and deliver large-scale networking and mutual learning actions on local energy leadership among EUROCITIES members. The CASCADE consortium is composed of: EUROCITIES, Wuppertal Institut, Koucky & Partners and the following cities: Amaroussion, Amsterdam, Birmingham, Burgas, Edinburgh, Eindhoven, Gateshead, Genoa, Gijon, Malmo, Mannheim, Milan, Nantes, Stockholm, Sunderland, Tampere, Terrassa, Venice and Warsaw. The CASCADE project is co-financed by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme. The sole responsibility for the content of this report lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EACI nor the European Commission is responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. www.cascadecities.eu April 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Yambol, Bulgaria 3 CONTENTS 1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 4 2. Participants ................................................................................................. 4 3. The advice-giving ........................................................................................... 5 4. Evaluation of the visit ..................................................................................... 7 5. Conclusions ................................................................................................... 8 Annexes .......................................................................................................... 9 April 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Yambol, Bulgaria 4 1. Introduction Representatives of Burgas Municipality visited Yambol on 18 December 2013 and on 12 March 2014 in order to provide feedback in the field of energy efficiency in buildings. Yambol was selected because of its proximity with Burgas Municipality, as an important metropolitan city within the South-East Region and because of the similarity of challenges that both cities are facing. Burgas municipality maintains traditional cooperation relationship with the Municipality of Yambol as both cities participate as partners in a couple of national and international projects. Thus it was possible to organise a focused group including experts from different departments in perfect coordination. 2. Participants 1st visit 2nd visit CASCADE city Burgas Jana Koleva, chief expert, European Jana Koleva, chief expert, Municipality policies and programmes department European policies and Petya Bakalova, Burgas Municipality, BIB programmes department department Petya Bakalova, Burgas Georgi Grudov, Burgas Municipality, BIB Municipality, BIB department department Georgi Grudov, Burgas Municipality, BIB department Peer advice city Yambol Ventsislava Petrova, chief expert, Kalin Minkov – senior expert, Strategies and Programmes Department; Budget and finance Department; Maria Paspaldjieva – chief expert, Diana Todorova, senior expert, Strategies and programmes Department; Municipal property Department; Tanya Ivanova, junior expert, Strategies Sevdalina Peeva, chief expert, and Programmes Department; Environmental protection Galina Karadjova, junior expert, Strategies Department; and Programmes Department; Galina Karadjova, junior expert, Radostina Peeva, senior expert, Spatial Strategies and Programmes planning and construction Department; Department; Diana Todorova, senior expert, Municipal Ventsislava Petrova, chief expert, property Department; Strategies and Programmes Niezi Ashikov, chief expert, Environmental Department; protection Department; Katrin Maznikova – senior expert, Kalin Karushkov, senior expert, Spatial Spatial planning Department planning and construction Department; Stara Zagora Municipality Sevdalina Peeva, chief expert, Daniela Genova – senior expert, Environmental protection Department; Transport and infrastructure April 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Yambol, Bulgaria 5 Daniela Genova – senior expert, Transport Department; and infrastructure Department; Kalin Minkov – senior expert, Budget and finance Department; Petya Zhielyazkova - senior expert, Budget and finance Department; Dimitrina Ivanova – senior expert, Municipal property Department Petar Todorov – chief expert, Strategies and Programmes Department 3. The advice-giving 3.1. The peer advice city: Yambol is a city in the south-east region of Bulgaria, an administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the river Tundzha in the historical region of Thrace. Its total land area is 91 km2. As of February 2011, the city has a population of 74.132 inhabitants. In combination with Tundzha Municipality, of which the city is the administrative centre, the population is 98,287. It is located 77 km from the Black Sea, south of the Burgas-Sofia high way. Industry is the most important sector in the economy of Yambol including the following sub-sectors: food processing, chemical industry, engineering and metalworking, textile and knitting industry, apparel industry. In Yambol new industries are developed, such as the production of automotive electrical parts and recycling of plastic products. The region is recognised as one of the largest agricultural producers in the country. Yambol is not a signatory of the Covenant of Mayors and does not have a Sustainable energy action plan or an energy strategy. Some measures and actions related to energy efficiency and climate are integrated in existing documents, for example in the Municipal development plan 2014-2020. Yambol started the implementation of new projects for refurbishment of kindergartens and schools financed under Regional Development Operational Programme. 3.2. First peer advice visit During the first visit, Burgas presented the CASCADE project – the partners, the objectives and the activities. Then the four peer-to-peer learning methods were presented, and Burgas explained their experience gained through the peer-to-peer review in Nantes regarding urban transport, the study visit in Gateshead regarding energy efficiency of buildings, the study visit in Terrassa regarding the Sustainable mobility plan and the mentoring visit in Burgas related to sustainable mobility and urban transportation. After the presentation of the different peer-to peer methods, there was a discussion about the particularity of each method and on how different methods have been developed to answer April 2014 CASCADE Feedback report – Peer advice in Yambol, Bulgaria 6 concrete needs of each peer. It was agreed that at least two of the methods – study and mentoring visits - are applicable in national or at least regional context, as cities are facing similar challenges and applying similar measures. The group talked about climate change and occurring undesirable phenomena directly affecting public health, infrastructure and the environment as a whole. The Municipality of Yambol has undertaken some sporadic measures in the field of prevention and mitigation, now trying to step forward and anticipate with some adaptation measures. Energy efficiency in buildings and districts is mentioned in strategic documents by Yambol municipality; thus the city tries to deepen the political commitment on this issue and to foresee further development of the local legislation. Burgas Municipality explained the role of the Covenant of Mayors, its long-term Strategy for sustainable energy development 2020 and the related SEAP 2011-2013. Yambol is facing environmental challenges as all modern developed industrial cities. The refurbishment of the public administrative and educational buildings is a core issue, but also the refurbishment of private dwellings. Lack of financing is one of the most important problems. Other issues are related to spatial planning, municipal property and lack of public private partnerships (PPPs). Another issue is the lack of involvement and awareness of citizens on how important and useful energy efficiency of buildings is for the energy use in general and for decreasing GHG emissions. The advice from Burgas was related first of all to funding opportunities and to public-private partnerships. Upcoming investments in public and private buildings planned for the near future should be consistent with the city’s long-term goals and visions. The Municipality of Yambol should develop an innovative pilot project in the field of energy efficient buildings, in which the city acts as a role model for citizens and also for private investors. Also, the city should develop a comprehensive long-term strategy for energy and climate policy (e.g. SEAP) with established targets and actions addressing energy efficient buildings and districts. During the visits, the cities used Benchmark 1 – Energy efficient buildings and districts. All the key factors were discussed. The importance of strong political commitment and leadership was stressed and Burgas insisted on the need of applying coherent, holistic and integrated methods while developing local strategies and policies, and of adopting an SEAP. The urban development plan/city master-plan should take into account the need to promote energy efficient buildings and districts as well as efficient energy supply systems for the building sector. The importance of funding opportunities and different financial instruments was also discussed. The CASCADE