Technical support to clean energy transition plans and strategies in municipalities and regions

Topic description

Objective:

The topic aims to provide local and regional authorities with the necessary capacity, skills and organisational structures to deliver and implement plans and strategies for the clean energy transition (CET).

Local and regional authorities (LRAs) are a decisive lever for achieving the EU Green Deal objectives, such as the 2030 climate and energy targets as set out in the European Climate Law and the relevant ‘Fit for 55’^[1] legislative revisions, in particular the recast of the Energy Efficiency^[2] (EE) and the Renewable Energy^[3] (RES) Directives, as well as the climate neutrality objective by 2050. In this context, many municipalities and other public bodies have already committed to such ambitious targets, for instance through the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy initiative^[4].

LRAs also have a very relevant role to play in phasing out EU dependence on fossil fuel imports, within the framework of the REPowerEU Plan^[5], and are well-placed to accelerate the implementation of respective/specific initiatives such as the preparation and implementation of National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) and their updates; the Renovation Wave^[6] and mobilisation of investment in clean energy; the Just Transition Mechanism^[7]; the preparation of local Heating and Cooling Plans in municipalities^[8]; the speed-up of RES permitting processes^[9] and the implementation of the EU solar strategy^[10], among others.

In view of this, LRAs need to commit to and effectively plan and implement the clean energy transition in their territories at an unprecedented level of ambition and pace, tailored to the specific geographical, societal or political context. Local and regional planning should focus on measures in the short, medium and longer term that accelerate the clean energy transition in a just manner, ensuring full alignment with relevant EU and national energy and climate legislation, and contributing to the goals that are set in the specific National Energy and Climate Plans.

Therefore, it is important that LRAs develop and reinforce capacities and skills to deliver and implement CET plans and strategies, such as Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans^[11] (SECAPs) or similar. This is particularly relevant for small municipalities, rural and isolated areas and carbon-intensive regions which might be lagging behind in the clean energy transition, despite the significant potential to have a high impact in reducing their fossil fuels consumption.

Implementing the energy transition in a holistic manner also requires LRAs to put in place an integrated approach in planning and implementing sustainable energy actions. This should be supported by robust and long-lasting organisational structures, with the aim of mainstreaming the carbon neutrality goal within all relevant sectors (energy production and consumption, buildings, district heating and cooling, mobility and transport, land-use, waste, water, health, etc.), mutually reinforcing sectoral policies and improving the efficiency of the planning processes.

Actions should consider potential synergies and cooperation with complementary EU initiatives addressing the role of LRAs in the clean energy transition, notably the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and other initiatives, such as the Clean Energy for EU Islands Initiative^[12], the Horizon Europe Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission^[13], ManagEnergy^[14], BUILD UP Skills^[15] and the new LIFE CET topic LIFE-2023-CET-ENERCOMFACILITY. Existing technical assistance and private financing support initiatives such as the European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) Facility^[16], Smart Cities Marketplace^[17], the EU City Facility^[18] and the LIFE CET topic LIFE-2023-CET-PDA should also be taken into account in view of accessing dedicated support for the implementation of sustainable energy investments.

Proposals should address one or both of the following areas/aspects:

• Actions should provide technical support to LRAs and build their capacities to deliver ambitious short and medium-term CET plans and strategies for 2030 – with a potential to pave the way for the 2050 carbon neutrality goal - in coherence with the EU energy and climate targets, the Fit-for-55 package, the REPowerEU legislative framework and the National Energy and Climate Plans. Actions should focus on implementing the right mix of activities that will build/increase lasting technical, legal, financial, administrative and social skills among LRAs; for instance, through training programmes for policy-makers and public officers which could be tailored to their specific needs; through the application of innovative solutions for the implementation of integrated CET planning at local and district level, through replication and rollout of best practices and information tools, etc.
• Actions should aim at creating/reinforcing appropriate organisational structures to support and coordinate the implementation and monitoring of integrated CET plans and strategies within and beyond the administrations. This should include, for instance, the creation of multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral teams within the LRAs, and/or strengthening the capacity and mandate of associated technical entities such as local and regional energy agencies. Actions should focus on integrated planning processes and strive to include important enabling elements for their implementation, such as: clear political commitment, identification of appropriate resources and financing opportunities, accurate and timely access to relevant data, effective dialogue among different governance levels as well as active engagement of public and private stakeholders, including citizens and/or communities.

Proposals must be submitted by at least 3 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to EUR 1.75 million would allow the specific objectives to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Proposals should present the concrete results which will be delivered by the activities, and demonstrate how these results will contribute to the topic-specific impacts. This demonstration should include a detailed analysis of the starting point and a set of well-substantiated assumptions, and establish clear causality links between the results and the expected impacts.

Proposals submitted under this topic should demonstrate how they will contribute to providing capacity, skills and appropriate structures to local and regional authorities for delivering and implementing plans and strategies for the clean energy transition.

Proposals should quantify their results and impacts using the indicators provided for the topic, when they are relevant for the proposed activities. They should also propose indicators which are specific to the proposed activities. Proposals are not expected to address all the listed impacts and indicators. The results and impacts should be quantified for the end of the project and for 5 years after the end of the project.

The indicators for this topic include:

• Number of policies/plans/strategies established through the action.
• Number of policy-makers/public officers with improved capacity/skills.
• Number of organisational structures created/reinforced.
• Number of institutionalised dialogues/cooperations within and beyond public authorities, including peers, private stakeholders and/or civil society.
• Number of public and private stakeholders engaged.
• Secured political commitment and resources.

Proposals should also quantify their impacts related to the following common indicators for the LIFE Clean Energy Transition subprogramme:

• Investments in sustainable energy (energy efficiency and renewables) triggered by the project (cumulative, in million Euro).
• Primary energy savings triggered by the project (in GWh/year).
• Renewable energy generation triggered by the project (in GWh/year).
• Reduction of greenhouse gases emissions (in tCO₂-eq/year).

[1]COM(2021) 550 final.

[2]COM(2021) 558 final.

[3]EUR-Lex - 52021PC0557 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu).

[4]https://eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu/en/home.

[5]COM(2022) 108 final

[6]EUR-Lex - 52020DC0662 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu).

[7]The Just Transition Mechanism (europa.eu).

[8]As proposed in the recast of the EE Directive for municipalities with a population of over 45000 inhabitants.

[9]As proposed in the revision of the RES Directive.

[10]EUR-Lex - 52022DC0221 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu).

[11]https://eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu/en/FAQs - What is a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan?

[12]https://clean-energy-islands.ec.europa.eu.

[13]https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding- programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/climate-neutral-and-smart-cities_en.

[14]https://www.managenergy.eu/.

[15]https://buildup.eu/en.

[16]https://www.eib.org/en/products/advisory-services/elena/index.htm.

[17]https://smart-cities-marketplace.ec.europa.eu/

[18]https://www.eucityfacility.eu.