Climate Alliance Events

Conference for Mayors on Translating the EU Green Deal into Local Action

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Local authorities are in the driver’s seat of Europe’s transition, as the ones implementing the Green Deal on the ground. Their mobilisation capacity should be embedded in the heart of the EU Green Deal initiatives to facilitate the best possible participation of citizens, enterprises, and local community organizations.

Holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2024, the government of the Flanders region of Belgium is inviting 550 mayors ‘Fit for 55’ to highlight the way forward for EU Green Deal’s supportive initiatives for local governments, based on practical experiences. As a concrete example, Flanders has launched a Local Energy and Climate Pact as a contractual basis for tangible targets and support, per number of inhabitants, between the regional and local governments.

Save the date and pre-register your interest!

The conference will present inspirational initiatives, policies, and methods from Flanders and abroad. As a participant, you will be able to choose from a range of plenary sessions and panels with inspiring, high-level political representatives of all levels of government, and in-depth sessions with experts from across Europe.

More information on the program and registration process will be available in autumn 2023.

COP28 | 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

More information to follow in 2023.

Combatting energy poverty in Europe

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

During three years of comprehensive research and practical experience in several EU countries, ENPOR successfully advanced the discourse on alleviating energy poverty across Europe. The final event will cast further spotlight on this crucial subject among policymakers and unveil the final findings and policy recommendations.

The event focuses on the assessment of energy poverty within the European private rented sector, encompassing an evaluation of existing policies aiming to reduce energy poverty and a forward-looking exploration of necessary enhancements. The sessions will shed light on diverse tools, breakthrough initiatives and good practices to combat energy poverty. To bring together various experts, the conference will feature a distinguished panel of speakers representing the EU institutions, and the ENPOR pilot countries Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Greece, and Estonia.

The event is organised in collaboration with the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) and the International Union of Property Owners (UIPI).

Learn more about ENPOR.

Storytelling in Climate Change discourse - languages for creative learning

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 09:24:00 +0100

The EU project CINAMON is organising the second Digital Climate Summit on storytelling and climate communication. The central question is how to shape the discourse on the climate crisis with good stories. The event is primarily aimed at municipal representatives who deal with the topics of sustainability and climate protection.

More information about the event and the programme will follow soon.

Read more about the CINAMON project.

TANDEM Workshop: Energy Retrofit of Buildings and the Role of Municipalities

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Buildings are responsible for 36% of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union today. How can we achieve the goal of making the entire residential building stock CO₂ neutral by 2050 in France and by 2045 in Germany? We are still far from the required annual renovation rate of between 2-3%!

During these two days, we will discuss the challenges of social justice and inclusion that energy-efficient building renovation faces and what awareness-raising and advisory opportunities exist on both sides of the Rhine. We will look at national and regional funding mechanisms in both countries as well as the importance of urban development in reducing energy consumption in buildings. There will also be the opportunity to discover good practices that are already being implemented in both countries!

The workshop is addressed to local and regional actors in Germany and France, as well as to experts and friends of Franco-German cooperation. This workshop is organised for the third time in a row by Climate Alliance and Energy Cities in cooperation with the Franco-German Future Work in the framework of the TANDEM project. Simultaneous or consecutive translation into both languages will be provided throughout the event. The event will take place on 7 November in the afternoon and on 8 November in the morning. More details on the programme will be provided in September.

Read more about TANDEM.

Covenant of Mayors Investment Forum 2023

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0200

This event will bring together cities, industry and financial institutions to exchange good practices and successful solutions to common challenges. It will also offer plenty of opportunities for networking. The conference will include plenary sessions with high-level representatives from the European Commission, cities and the investment community. Projects will present their successful and pioneering initiatives, for example, in encouraging change at the local level - such as sustainable plans and strategies for the energy transition - financing energy efficiency in the public and private sectors and boosting investments in home renovation.

The investment forum is jointly organised by the European Commission’s Directorates-Generals for Energy and Climate Action and the European Climate, Infra-structure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) in collaboration with the Covenant of Mayors.

Learn more about the event.

Climate Alliance International Conference 2023

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Heat action plans: exchange of experience between German and French cities

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 12:02:00 +0200

Heat action plans are becoming increasingly relevant on both sides of the Rhine. In fact, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced this year that he wanted to introduce a nationwide heat plan based on the French model. France's national heat plan, in place since 2004, focused primarily on protecting older people. An updated version of the heatwave management plan, presented in early June by Minister of Ecological Change Christophe Béchu, now aims to strengthen adaptation efforts in the face of hot spells across the country.

Municipalities are at the forefront of these problems and are particularly affected by the heat island phenomenon. What options do cities have to implement their own heat action plans ("plans canicule" in French)? What support and challenges are there and which methods have proven to be particularly effective for them? We will discuss these questions together with municipal representatives and experts:

Sébastien Douche, Project Manager for Ecological Change at the City and Eurometropolis of Metz.
Prof. Dr. Henny Annette Grewe, Head of the project "HAP-DE" (Analysis of Heat Action Plans and Health-related Adaptation Measures to Heat Extremes in Germany), University of Applied Sciences Fulda
Alexandra Idler, Climate Adaptation Manager, City of Mannheim
Selma Mergner, Climate Adaptation Manager of the City of Worms

The online seminar will take place via video conference on Zoom with simultaneous translation in French and German. This event is organised by Climate Alliance and Energy Cities. The city networks Climate Alliance and Energy Cities have been working together for almost 10 years in the framework of TANDEM for the Franco-German energy transition.

Would you like to learn more? Contact Jenny-Claire Keilmann at j-c.keilmann(at)klimabuendnis.org.

Read more

European Week of Regions and Cities

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 16:02:00 +0200

The European Week of Regions and Cities is an annual four-day event during which cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy, and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance. This year‘s edition follows the motto New Challenges for Europe’s cohesion.

The comprehensive programme invits cities and regions to exchange, network and learn all you need to know about the latest news on regional and cohesion policies!

Register now!
Registration deadline 30 September

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Socially Just Climate Protection: Approaches for an Inclusive Energy Transition

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0200

The German government's goal is socially just climate protection that promotes social cohesion and guarantees social balance. After all, whether it's electricity blackouts due to high energy prices, the heating exchange or the 49-euro ticket - climate protection measures are closely related to issues of social justice and should result in a targeted distribution of financial resources.

The energy transition affects a wide range of areas, from housing and mobility to social, economic and financial policy. How can we ensure that it is designed to be socially just? How can we cushion social hardships in connection with the Building Energy Act in order to preserve affordable housing? And how can energy cooperatives, for example, remedy the situation?

The event, organised by Climate Alliance through the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub in collaboration with the Horizon 2020 project ENPOR, offers you the opportunity to discuss these questions and develop possible solutions for your region. Get inspiration and develop differentiated strategies for your regional projects so that no one is left behind in energy poverty due to the energy transition.

The event is open to all interested stakeholders and is free of charge. Catering will be provided. Event location: Ökohaus, Kasseler Straße 1 A, Frankfurt, Germany

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EPAH International Conference on Energy Poverty

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0200

The event addresses the transition from emergency coping mechanisms to sustainable policies and measures to reduce energy poverty for all including energy-poor and vulnerable consumers and debate on recommendations for member states and municipalities as appropriate frameworks to use in tackling energy poverty. The agenda features high-level sessions, panel discussions, workshops, site visits and plenty of networking opportunities.

The conference will be organised jointly by Climate Alliance as part of the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH), Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) of the European Commission, and the Polish Network Energie-Cités (PNEC).

Learn more

Conference website and agenda

Soil and Climate – International Conference

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0200

In Europe and worldwide, the preservation of soils and soil functions is becoming an increasingly important task and the course must now be set for this at the international and national level. The climate function of soils has long been underestimated and new practical but sustainable options for action are needed. Agriculture must adapt to the changing framework conditions and focus more on preserving and improving soil functions. In cities and towns, "water-sensitive" urban development with the creation of a blue/green infrastructure, the search for multifunctional areas or the creation of a "sponge city" has become an important objective in future and sustainable urban planning.

At the annual Land and Soil Alliance conference, organised in cooperation with Climate Alliance, a wide range of contributions will take participants from EU legislatory perspectives to concrete examples on the ground. Participants will learn more about the importance of soils for rainforests as well as peatlands, but also about their impact on climate and agriculture. This year's annual conference of the Soil and Land Alliance is hosted by the City of Wuppertal under the patronage of the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport (MUNV) of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

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Accelerating the building renovation wave by setting up One-Stop-Shops for residential energy renovation across Europe

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 15:53:00 +0200

Local authorities must become drivers to One-Stop-Shops both on the operational and strategic side. Aside from the basic decision whether the One-Stop-Shop should be a public or private entity or mixed, local authorities have key opportunities to support the success of emerging One-Stop-Shops. National Policies can deliver the regulatory context to make this happen.

The EUROPA project aims to increase the share of deep energy renovation by building trust in the market, triggering new investments and setting up standards and specifications to guarantee long term performance. This workshop will showcase the work of the project and focus on the impact of local and regional authorities on the success of One-Stop-Shops for the energy transition of residential buildings.

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Sustainable Municipalities Conference: Responses to the energy and climate crisis

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0200

The Central Eastern European Sustainable Energy Network (CEESEN) invites municipalities addressing climate adaptation and mitigation to the 2nd CEESEN conference in Budapest (HU). The conference will cover a wide range of topics, from energy security and dependency to policy and finance as well as energy poverty in SECAP and climate adaptation.

The two day conference offers a comprehensive program. Listen to interesting speeches, get involved in interactive workshops and join exciting site visits!

Climate Alliance is represented with a number of events on site and presents its activities, especially in the fields of energy poverty, energy communities and the Covenant of Mayors.

Participation is free of charge, however prior registration is required.

Pre-commercial procurement (PCP) to support Sustainable Climate Actions Plans (SECAPS)

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0200

This event will demonstrate how pre-commercial procurement (PCP) can support the development and implementation of Sustainable Climate Action Plans (SECAPS), particularly in assessing climate impacts and risks. The workings of PCP will be explained and successful examples of PCP in municipalities will be presented. It will also show how innovative solutions – climate services based on Earth Observation (EO) – can be implemented in a SECAP. A brief insight into the PROTECT project will be provided.

PROTECT supports urgent action for climate adaptation and mitigation through innovation procurement procedures. It specifically aims to enable public authorities from different European regions to collaborate on a joint pre-commercial procurement. It enables public authorities to use state-of-the-art public procurement approaches in order to identify EO based climate services that best fit the specific and systemic needs of the public demand.

This event is jointly organised by the Covenant of Mayors Office Europe and the PROTECT project.

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EPAH Lunch Talk: National reflections – Unveiling the challenges and opportunities of energy poverty in Europe

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0200

The Energy Poverty Advisory Hub has gained insight into the challenges of local and regional governments and current policies to support vulnerable communities and consumers thanks to numerous events and discussions in several countries. This event will feature voices from Spain, Italy and Ireland presenting their views on common issues at national level and future energy poverty challenges in Europe.

The EPAH lunch talks are a series of events organised monthly to give a space to municipalities in Europe and other key stakeholders to share their experiences of local action to tackle energy poverty. The interest is to address different themes within the energy poverty issues. The lunch talk format includes 15-20 minutes of presentation and 40-45 minutes of discussion between participants.

Learn more about EPAH.

Upgrading Energy Performance Certificates for new challenges

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Do all EU countries have to prepare for the same costs of the EPBD? A number of media voices are suggesting that reaching a better energy classification for buildings in some countries implies higher investment than in others. They portray this as unfair among countries, and this notion seems to be gaining momentum.

How do European-wide ambitions and targets affect countries differently in their renovation efforts? Is it difficult to harmonise new approaches in building energy efficiency when the existing approaches are, themselves, not harmonised? These are some of the questions we will tackle during this short webinar with building experts, energy agencies, and more.

Furthermore, we will complement the discussion with the most recent findings and insights gained from cross-testing done by the EU crossCert project, of which Climate Alliance is a partner, using the methodologies of various EU member states.

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CITIES TALK NATURE Event Series | Building NBS businesses in small and medium sized cities

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 00:10:00 +0200

As more and more cities’ planning and strategies call for urban ecosystem restoration, sustainable urban drainage systems, and other blue-green infrastructure, business opportunities for nature-based solutions (NBS) are arising. Private sector NBS depends initially on market-creation through amongst others a mix of public regulation and procurement, public funding of pilot projects and certification schemes. The possibilities for starting a NBS business varies between cities and countries, but are generally more limited in small to medium sized municipalities.

In this webinar, we will hear from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Europe and Latin America who have succeeded also outside capital cities, sharing their successful projects and discussing barriers and enablers to their business and more generally to the NBS sector in their city and country. We will then discuss how local governments can foster and facilitate business creation and innovation in the NBS sector to advance their own ecosystem restoration, local economic development, and sustainability strategies.

The webinar will kick-off a “CITIES TALK NATURE: Business Insights” series of webinars, that will dive deeper into the particular challenges and opportunities for NBS business, drawing from conversations with private businesses and public entities in the INTERLACE project partner cities, as well as topics that have arisen in previous meetings. We will invite start-ups in emerging markets in Latin American cities, as well as some more established NBS business in the EU.

The event is free of charge and is being held in English and Spanish, translation is provided. CITIES TALK NATURE is a network for the restoration of urban ecosystems in municipalities across Latin America, Europe and other parts of the world. It is supported by four city networks: Climate Alliance (Europe), UCLG (worldwide), FLACMA (Latin America) and UNGL (Costa Rica).

Learn more

Want to learn more? Contact Felix Platz at f.platz(at)climatealliance.org.

ESCO project financing solutions: The bridge between energy efficiency projects and financing providers

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Recent developments within the energy efficiency market offer new and innovative solutions to finance energy efficiency projects implemented by Energy Services Companies (ESCOs), supporting their energy-saving business models focusing on the renovation of existing infrastructure repaid totally or partially through the actual savings achieved. Based on indirect financing, channeled through ESCOs to energy efficiency projects, these solutions support ESCOs in overcoming financial bottlenecks by cleaning their balance sheet and in gaining leeway for the expansion of their business more easily. Depending on project sizes and clients, different financing mechanisms and schemes are being used: working capital loans, leasing, sales of receivables, special-purpose vehicles or dedicated financial instruments. This webinar will showcase the most relevant examples of ESCO project financing solutions and schemes being offered or developed by banks, funds or specialized investment structures on the energy efficiency market.

The webinar will be conducted in English and will be moderated by CINEA. This event is organised as part of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums contract, funded under the EU Horizon 2020 programme and managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).

Draft agenda (pdf)

Interested in attending? Contact Marie Kleeschulte at m.kleeschulte(at)climatealliance.org to pre-register!

EPAH Lunch Talk #8: Domestic safety challenges: risk of fire for energy-poor households

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0200

The Energy Poverty Hub (EPAH) lunch talks are a series of webinars organised monthly to give a space to municipalities in Europe and other key stakeholders to share their experiences of local action to tackle energy poverty. The interest is to address different themes within the energy poverty issues. The lunch talk format includes 15-20 minutes of presentation and 40-45 minutes of discussion between participants.

EPAH's eighth lunch talk will be dedicated to fire risk The session aims to shed light on the intersection of energy poverty and fire risk, exploring the factors that make individuals experiencing energy poverty more vulnerable to domestic fire incidents. This will be opportunity to share practical solutions to mitigate fire risk and ensure energy efficient and fire safe housing for households, discussing the different facets of the challenge: unsafe energy consumption practices, poor quality or obsolete electrical installations, fire prevention measures in retrofitting interventions and etc.

Agenda

Olivier Tissot, coordinator of the secretariat of the Forum for European Electrical Domestic Safety (FEEDS) will present the work of the forum on energy poverty and fire risk, sharing the results of a research carried out in Europe on the matter.
Q&A session, followed by a conversation among all the participants

More information

Unlocking the potential of underutilised urban areas

Thu, 11 May 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Urban nature has the potential to provide many benefits for society and the environment. Underutilised spaces such as brownfields, abandoned industrial areas, oversized roads and parking lots as well as building roofs and facades offer a unique opportunity to increase the share of urban nature. Such transformations are, however, often associated with challenges.

This two-day conference will show how to achieve the green transition in cities. Topics include: enabling policy and governance frameworks, identification of key actors within city administrations and cross-sectoral collaboration, citizen participation, financing options, handling of conflicts of interest and potential trade-offs between green and grey options for different actor groups.

Register now!

The conference targets municipal actors and practitioners interested in tapping the potential of unused areas for expanding urban nature. The City of Chemnitz, upcoming cultural capital of Europe, organises this event in cooperation with Climate Alliance and Ecologic Institute. The conference will be held in German, English and Spanisch with simultaneous translation.

The conference is part of the CITIES TALK NATURE event series within the INTERLACE project. INTERLACE aims to empower and equip European and Latin American cities to effectively restore and rehabilitate (peri)urban ecosystems towards becoming more liveable, resilient and inclusive cities.

Learn more

Climate Star Gala Ceremony

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Last year, Climate Alliance called for the 10th Europe-wide Climate Star competition. This time, the competition was held under the motto Future Starts Now. From the large number of applications, 16 projects from Climate Alliance member municipalities were selected to receive awards at the gala ceremony on 27 April.

The Climate Star competition is organised jointly by Climate Alliance Lower Austria, Climate Alliance Europe and with the support of the Province of Lower Austria. The Climate Star Gala will take place at Grafenegg Castle in Lower Austria.

Mark the date in your calendars!

Further information will follow soon.

Read more

10th Climate Star competition

Supporting mechanisms for local authorities to deploy energy communities

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 17:29:00 +0200

This event will feature the concept idea of the Technical Assistance Cookbook and the online One-Stop-Shop platform being developed on behalf of the LIFE-BECKON project. High-level speakers representing DG ENER and the Energy Communities Repository will share updates on EU policy on energy communities and the support available to develop energy communities at the local level. Furthermore, the variety of national energy community frameworks is presented through examples from Bulgaria, Denmark and Spain, highlighting challenges and opportunities for local authorities. Participants will be invited to actively participate in the discussion, sharing concrete challenges and possible solutions.

This launch event of the LIFE-BECKON project funded under the LIFE programme is being co-organised with the Covenant of Mayors – Europe. The LIFE-BECKON project will focus on the state of play of supporting mechanisms for local authorities to facilitate the creation of energy communities.

Read more about the LIFE-BECKON project.

Making the case for investing in nature-based solutions

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 14:56:00 +0200

Interested in investing in nature-based solutions (NBS) but need to know more about measuring the return on your investment? You are not alone. Even though investment in nature-based solutions is on the rise, the full range of economic and societal benefits for those solutions are not widely understood and therefore are not sufficiently used to support the business and investment case for nature-based solutions.

Climate Alliance is involved in the project Invest4Nature that is working to create a better understanding of the economic and financial performance of nature-based solutions, considering their role for mitigation as well as climate risk reduction, to promote both public and private investments in NBS and accelerate market uptake.

This online event is the first in a series of others organised by Invest4Nature, to find out how you can benefit from the project’s work, express your interest in being involved in the co-production of solutions and become part of a wide NBS community!

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Reducing energy poverty in the Private Rented Sector: How to reach tenants

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 14:53:00 +0200

This event is focusing on how to reach energy-poor households – and more specifically tenants – in order to pass on knowledge of technical and behavioral energy saving measures, programmmes, and funds. Representatives of municipalities, regions, and national bodies will showcase successful and replicable methods to connect with tenants to increase their knowledge on energy efficiency measures and in the same time decrease their levels of energy poverty, thereby contributing to a just energy transition. Examples of practice approaches will be presented on:

reaching the tenants and landlords together based on Greek experiences,
engaging tenants via the Energy box based on Dutch experiences,
how to use field research to connect with tenants PRS based on Croatian experiences,
crowdfunding for Energy boxes and experience of reaching energy poor households.

Climate Alliance helps organising the online event in the framework of the ENPOR project. ENPOR aims to mitigate energy poverty in the private rented sector. The private rented sector is most affected by energy poverty, as rented housing is among the least energy-efficient among all housing sectors and tenants are among those with most elevated levels of energy poverty. With increasing prices in the housing sector, the rental sector is estimated to grow in market size, meaning that it’s impact on EU energy and climate will grow proportionally.

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Cities on the Frontline of the Energy Crisis: The Covenant of Mayors Europe 2023 Conference

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Faced with the energy crisis, local authorities have once again shown their willingness to respond. On top of delivering ambitious local climate solutions, they put in place immediate low-cost actions to reduce energy demand in public facilities and increased the share of renewables while supporting the most vulnerable households and local business.

Drawing from examples of measures tackling the energy crisis while protecting residents in their territories, this high-level event will be an opportunity to showcase what the current local response to the energy crisis is. It will also be the chance to reflect on what support European institutions and national gov-ernments can give to further strengthen these efforts in the mid-term.

Local governments can expect to exchange with high-level representatives from European Institutions, - including Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans and EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson- the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions. They will discuss how EU institutions and national authorities can further support local and regional efforts to reduce energy consumption and dependency on Russian gas in the years to come.

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26th International Passive House Conference

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The International Passive House Conference is the meeting place for all stakeholders in the field of energy-efficient building. The event offers a diverse programme around the passive house with lectures, interactive workshops, exciting excursions and a trade exhibition.

Working group
This year, a number of sessions will be of particular interest to municipal representatives including a session dedicated to energy efficiency in health care buildings and a policymaker workshop, which will serve as the Working Group on Buildings’ first ever onsite gathering.

Special offers
In addition to the Climate Alliance Working Goup on Buildings session, a variety of speical offers are on offer for municipal representatives via the conference registration site with the following discount code: KOMMUNE4NWHXHVGNNMVCX3R (please register with your insitutional email address, offer valid for for municipal representatives only).

Further information

Interested in attending this working group meeting? Contact us by 22 February at buildings(at)climateallaince.org for further details!

Working Group on Buildings at the International Passive House Conference

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

For the first meeting of the Working Group on Buildings in 2023, Climate Alliance is happy to be teaming up with the Passive House Institute via the outPHit project so that we can offer members special access to the world’s premier conference on highly energy efficient buildings!

This Working Group on Buildings meeting will take the form of a dedicated policymaker workshop within the framework of the International Passive House Conference. The workshop will focus on energy efficiency ambitions for retrofits at the European level, as well as funding and quality assurance measures to support them. Stakeholders will present and discuss the implementation of energy efficient retrofit measures, including a look at the Renovation Wave Initiative and the EPBD. Furthermore, the workshop will explore practice-oriented implementation possibilities using Best-Practice Examples. This content will be generated through a dialogue-oriented format, using a mix of presentations and a discussions based exchange.

Agenda on 10 March
Free of charge for working group members; session held in English and German with simultaneous translation available; live streams of the opening plenary and workigng group available.

    10:00 – 12:15        International Passive House Conference opening plenary
    12:15 – 13:30        Lunch and building component exhibition tour
    13:30 – 15:45        Policymaker session / Working Group Meeting

Climate Alliance will be able to cover second class travel costs to attend this meeting for a limited number of Climate Alliance members on a first come first serve basis.

Interested in attending this meeting? Contact us by 28 February at buildings(at)climatealliance.org for more details!

The Climate Alliance Working Group on Buildings was launched in 2021 within the framework of the outPHit project to offer municipalities from across Europe opportunities for further training and knowledge transfer, as well as an exchange with each other and with experts on the topic of buildings.

Further information

Supporting sustainable local economy in North West Europe

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100

This conference will showcase testimonies and experiences of how public authorities can support small and medium enterprises in their just transition and how to promote carbon mitigation. The programme addresses political decision-makers, public officials and representatives of the economic sector and their federations.

The event is the final conference of the Interreg North-West Europe project Climate Active Neighbourhoods (CAN). The project aims to develop and implement innovative activation approaches for energy retrofits in Northwest European neighbourhoods. In its current phase, the CAN project focuses on SMEs with the help of a strong partner-ship bringing together European Cities and Energy Agencies, around the international Climate Alliance network, in order to test interven-tion methods and innovative field practices.

The conference will be held in English and French with simultaneous translation.

Learn more

EPAH Call for technical assistance to tackle energy poverty – informational webinars

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0100

As of 1 March 2023, the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) invites local governments and/or organisations working in strict collaboration with local governments from all the 27 EU Member States to submit their request for technical assistance and receive support in the process of tackling energy poverty. Awarded applicants will receive up to 9 months of tailored support by experts and the EPAH team to develop their energy poverty actions.

Climate Alliance is involved in organising a number of informational webinars to help interested local authorities with their applications and answer questions about the call for technical assistance:

27 February, 11:30 – 12:30, in English | Register now
28 February, 11:00 – 12:00, in Polish | Register now
1 March, 11:30 - 12:30, in French | Register now
2 March, 10:00 – 11:00, in German | Register now
2 March, 11:00 – 12:00, in Croatian |Register now
2 March, 14:00 – 15:00, in Dutch | Register now
3 March, 10:00 – 11:00, in English | Register now
7 March, 10:00 – 11:00, in Catalan | Register now
9 March, 15:00 – 16:00, in Portuguese | Register now
10 March, 9:30 – 10:30, in Italian | Register now

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Making nature-based solutions work for all: avoiding green gentrification

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The renaturing of a city should be of benefit to all residents, first and foremost to vulnerable neighbourhoods. Unfortunately, the opposite can be the case. There are more than a few examples in which greening projects contributed to the displacement of residents – through increased rents or inflated property taxes. These processes are known as “green gentrification”.

How widespread is green gentrification and which different forms are existing? What can municipalities do to anticipate those developments and take action against them? How can local governments deal with private investors and what are the limitations of local actions? And how can local alliances between local governments and their communities prevent or revert green gentrification processes?

This CITIES TALK NATURE event will discuss these and further questions building on the recently published GOLD VI Report on Pathways to Urban and Territorial Equality, developed by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in partnership with the Knowledge in Action for Urban Equality (KNOW) research consortium.

EPAH lunch talk: Supporting local governments in tackling energy poverty

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Before the launch of the second call for technical assistance, the EPAH team proposes to present several ongoing technical assistances to understand what can be developed to tackle energy poverty in a variety of local contexts.
Representatives of municipalities which are receiving expert support will present the different activities they are carrying out together with the dedicated expert organisation and the EPAH team. From realising a diagnosis to planning and implementing targeted measures and actions, you will discover a wide range of interventions.

The EPAH lunch talks are a series of webinars organised monthly to give a space to municipalities in Europe and other key stakeholders to share their experiences of local action to tackle energy poverty. The interest is to address different themes within the energy poverty issues. The lunch talk format includes 15-20 minutes of presentation and 40-45 minutes of discussion between participants.

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EPAH lunch talk - One year on the energy poverty topic in retrospective: reflections and expectations for 2023

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0100

The Energy Poverty Advisory Hub continues its series of lunch talk with a third event about a perspective of the year 2022 on energy poverty and what to expect for 2023 on this topic. Energy poverty has been an important issue during the year 2022. The geopolitical context and the energy crisis have reinforced situations of energy poverty. Many actors have acted to address this growing challenge, both by continuing the work already done and by being innovative and implementing new sets of emergency measures. This lunch talk proposes to have an exchange around this past year to reflect on what has happened, and to discuss together the challenges for the year 2023.

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EPAH Lunch Talk – Ein Jahr Energiearmut im Rückblick: Überlegungen und Erwartungen für 2023

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Die Beratungsstelle für Energiearmut (EPAH) setzt ihre Reihe von Mittagsgesprächen mit einer dritten Veranstaltung fort, bei der es um einen Ausblick auf das Jahr 2022 zum Thema Energiearmut und die Erwartungen für 2023 zu diesem Thema geht. Energiearmut war ein wichtiges Thema im Jahr 2022. Der geopolitische Kontext und die Energiekrise haben die Situation der Energiearmut verschärft. Viele Akteure haben gehandelt, um diese wachsende Herausforderung zu bewältigen, indem sie sowohl die bereits geleistete Arbeit fortsetzten als auch innovativ waren und neue Notfallmaßnahmen einführten. Bei diesem Mittagsgespräch soll ein Austausch über das vergangene Jahr stattfinden, um über das Geschehene nachzudenken und gemeinsam die Herausforderungen für das Jahr 2023 zu diskutieren.

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Die EPAH-Lunch-Talks sind eine Reihe von Events, die monatlich organisiert werden, um Kommunen in Europa und anderen wichtigen Interessenvertreter*innen einen Raum zu geben, in dem sie ihre Erfahrungen mit lokalen Maßnahmen zur Bekämpfung der Energiearmut austauschen können. Dabei sollen verschiedene Themen im Zusammenhang mit Energiearmut angesprochen werden. Das Format der Lunch Talks umfasst 15-20 Minuten Präsentation und 40-45 Minuten Diskussion zwischen den Teilnehmenden.

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The role of Real Estate Investment Trusts in financing building renovation in Europe

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Recently, investors have shown increasing interest in open real-estate funds, also known as Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT). A REIT is a publicly traded closed-end investment company that invests in a managed diversified portfolio of real estate or real estate mortgages and construction loans rather than in financial securities, such as stocks or bonds. REITs are set up as corporations or trusts and are not subject to tax at the corporate level if they distribute at least 90% of their net annual earnings to shareholders and meet certain other requirements. REITs manage a considerable volume of assets in the EU and worldwide. Investment strategies are not yet fully taking into account the risks and opportunities linked to the climate crisis. Sustainability criteria and ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategies are of particular importance to tap into the huge energy-saving potential of the real estate sector. REITs could therefore play a significant role in financing building renovation in Europe, though only a few sustainable real-estate funds are in operation, while the majority of funds still need to align their strategies with long-term climate targets.

This event will provide an overview of the sector, assess how REITs can contribute to climate goals, explore strategies and initiatives to make them greener and showcase some good examples.

Climate Alliance is supporting the event in the framework of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums, funded under the EU Horizon 2020 programme and managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).

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Energy Saving Tips: How can cities save energy in the short run?

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The concept of energy sufficiency is spreading all over Europe and it can help local and regional communities reach their climate and energy objectives. Energy sufficiency is firstly a matter of behaviour and consumption: It’s about having enough without using too much. It’s about acting differently and leading a good life within the limits.

The need to improve our consumption behaviours is the central idea around the Save@work project that will be presented at this event. The project has been looking at how we can reduce energy consumption in the office by encouraging staff to make small changes to their everyday workplace behaviours. Moreover, the event is part of the Cities Energy Saving Sprint, a joint initiative of the European Commission, the Covenant of Mayors – Europe and the European Committee of the Regions to support cities in taking measures that will immediately reduce their energy consumption. Saving energy has been an integral part of mid-term and long-term local climate and energy planning. The current energy crisis requires that these efforts be reinforced, while calling for emergency energy saving measures.

This event is free of charge. The Covenant of Mayors – Europe Office, the Energy and Climate Department of the Paris Region Institute and the Beratungs- und Service-Gesellschaft Umwelt mbH (B.&S.U.) joined forced for the delivery of an exclusive event on Energy Sufficiency.

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EPAH lunch talk: Indicators importance for local scale assessments of energy poverty

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The lunch talk will address the challenges surrounding the use and the application of the indicators available for diagnosing energy poverty. As it offers a great visualisation of energy poverty levels, the new EPAH dashboard on national indicators will be presented. The participants are invited to share their experiences regarding the challenges they can face in diagnosing energy poverty, as well as presenting their work with indicators, in order to bring together knowledge and inspirational cases to learn from each other.

The EPAH lunch talks are a series of events organised monthly to give a space to municipalities in Europe and other key stakeholders to share their experiences of local action to tackle energy poverty. The lunch talk format includes 15-20 minutes of presentation and 40-45 minutes of discussion between participants.

Learn more more about Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH).

Race against time: Indigenous territories and the salvation of Amazonia

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Indigenous territories play the decisive role in all measures to save the Amazon. The new study "Amazonia in a race against time" proves this with figures and new findings. There are still three years to preserve 80 % of the Amazon rainforest and thus prevent the ecosystem from breaking down, according to the study. Together with the indigenous umbrella associaation COICA, the authors emphasise concrete demands and measures for what needs to be done in the next three years. Carmen Josse from the Fundación EcoSciencia (Ecuador RAISG), co-author of the study (requested), will present the most important results at this event.

The experiences of the autonomous territorial government of the Wampís in Peru show: Indigenous territories can be protected and defended - with good (self-)administration, monitoring of territories e.g. with drones, also through cooperation with state institutions. Shapiom Noningo from the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampís People (GTANW) in Peru reports on how his government protects the territory of the Wampís and what experiences it has had in doing so.

The subsequent discussion will focus on how environmental and development policy groups and state development cooperation can support indigenous communities in protecting their territories and what strategies are needed for this in civil society and state development cooperation.

The event will be held in Spanish with simultaneous translation into German.

Smart City Expo World Congress

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) gathers leaders from the most innovative companies, governments and organisations to move cities towards a better future. Held in Barcelona since 2011, the event is aims to empower cities and collectivise urban innovation across the globe. By promoting social innovation and identifying collaboration opportunities, SCEWC is dedicated to creating a better future for cities and their citizens.

This year's exhibition and conference marks the 11th edition of the SCEWC and is expected to draw some 24,000 professionals from more than 700 cities to Barcelona to share their visions on building a more sustainable and liveable urban future. Eight main tracks will touch on the most pressing issues facing cities: Enabling Technologies, Energy & Environment, Mobility, Governance, Living & Inclusion, Economy, Infrastructures & Buildings and Safety & Security. A digital programme featuring interviews with representatives from cities from across the globe with will also be made available for interested stakeholders, free of charge.

Climate Alliance procurement session on 17 November
Climate Alliance will be organising an "agora" session at this year's expo on green procurement within the framework of the EU PROTECT project. The session, to be held on Thursday, 17 November from 9:00 to 12:30, will delve into the question of how pre-commercial procurement for climate services can unlock cities' capacity to innovate and implement decarbonaision and resilience measures.

Climate Alliance will also be present via the European Covenant of Mayors and the European City Facilty initative.

Free tickets and discounts
This year, Climate Alliance is proud to be an official event partner and will thus hold a limited number of free conference and exhibition passes for interested members. The network will also be able to pass on a 25% discount on all other conference and exhibition passes. Climate Alliance members interested in attending the event onsite are encouraged to contact communications(at)climatealliance.org regarding the free passes made available via this partnership.

Learn more

SCEWC website
Procurement session website, 17 November
Link for 25% off all conference and expo passes (code: DEUDMWYY)
Procurement session agenda
The PROTECT project
Climate Alliance contact for free passes: communications(at)climatealliance.org

A safe winter for all: sharing experiences of local energy saving actions from EU municipalities

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The consequences of the economic and energy crisis are hitting European citizens hard. The rising energy prices are indeed increasing the pressure on the most vulnerable people and are accentuating energy poverty situations. Emergency and short-term measures must be taken to address the direct consequences of the crisis. Local governments are responding to the challenges to help vulnerable consumers against energy shortages and rising energy prices by adopting extraordinary measures and practical solutions to ensure a safe winter for all.

This workshop is the opportunity to learn more about EU municipalities’ experiences and practices in emergency energy measures to prepare for extreme energy conditions, with a focus on how vulnerable consumers are taken into account in these emergency measures. This discussion should lead to get inspiration on how to take actions in local contexts regarding the rising energy poverty.

This event is jointly organised by the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH), the Covenant of Mayors Europe and ENPOR.

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COP27 | The UN Climate Change Conference

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0100

This year's UN Climate Summit will be both a moment of truth and a test for global solidarity. Being held for this first time since 2016 in Africa, this COP takes place in a corner of the world that some of the world's most vunreable comminities call home and a continent exceedingly hard hit by the climate crisis. As such, the event is widely expected to focus on critical topics such as loss and damage, finance for climate mitigation and adaptation and equitable access to energy.

Climate Alliance will be in Sharm el-Sheikh with a strong delegation, voicing the needs and concerns of its members as well as their ambitious efforts in pursuit of climate action that is both just and comprehensive.

Climate Alliance @COP27

One stop shops providing home renovation services

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

This conference will provide local authorities across Europe (cities, municipalities, and regions) with a model of how to set up their own One-Stop Shop for the renovation of residential buildings. We also welcome policymakers, researchers, and fellow EU-funded projects focused on OSSs.

Interested members wishing to travel to Padua can contact Masha Tarle at m.tarle(at)climatealliance.org.

This conference is the final event of the PadovaFIT Expanded project. Climate Alliance supported the project aiming at creating and piloting a One-Stop-Shop dedicated to home renovation services in the city of Padova (Italy.)

Learn more about PadovaFIT Expanded.

Sustaining Cities, Naturally: Urban ecosystem restoration

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

Poorly planned urbanisation can lead to societal challenges as social deprivation, climate change, deteriorating health and increasing pressure on urban nature. Urban ecosystem restoration can contribute to lessen these challenges, e.g. through implementing nature-based solutions (NBS). This online event illustrates how Horizon 2020 projects are supporting international cooperation in knowledge creation and knowledge exchange between local authorities and researchers to promote urban ecosystem restoration in Europe, China and Latin America.

In line with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the proposed EU Nature Restoration Law and the NetworkNature semester on nature-based solutions standards and quality, the workshop will focus on the following six topics: economics, governance, social aspects, ecological quality, environmental quality and education.

Attending the event is free of charge. The workshop will be held in English with simultaneous translation (Spanish and Portuguese on 13 October, and Chinese on 14 October). This workshop is jointly organised by Climate Alliance’s project INTERLACE, CONEXUS, REGREEN and CLEARING HOUSE as an official side-event of the The European Week of Regions and Cities 2022.

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Measuring energy poverty to ensure a socially fair green transition | EU Regions Week

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

As a part of the European Week of Regions and Cities online programme, Climate Alliance has pleasure of organising a session on measuring energy poverty. The session will bring together representatives from the European Anti-Poverty Network, The EU’s Joint Research Centre, the Covenant of Mayors, in order to discuss the importance of impact assessment and data collection inteh field. The Energy Poverty Advisory Hub approach will be described as well as a new set of indicators for local government, providing an overview of the data and indicators currently available in the EU. The dimension of social justice in the characterisation of energy poverty across the EU will also be explored with speakers highlighting the challenges of quantifying energy poverty and social justice towards a green transition.

The European Week of Regions and Cities is the largest annual, Brussels-based event dedicated to cohesion policy. This 20th edition, which runs from 10 to 13 October, will provide the opportunity to delve into four themes – green transition, territorial cohesion, digital transition and youth empowerment – in sessions both online and onsite.

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2022 Retro Talks – Upscaling Integrated Home Renovation Services in Europe

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0200

With the 2022 Retro Talks, the EUROPA Mid-term Conference brings the latest one-stop-shop topics right to you. This three-part series of online and offline events invites deep renovation stakeholders from across Europe to discuss how the sector can make retrofits accessible for all. A key focus will be on the EUROPA One-Stop-Shop, Energy Efficiency Subscriptions and success stories from the first half of the EU-cofunded EUROPA project. Since late 2020, EUROPA has been promoting and working to boost the implementation of deep energy renovation in the residential building sector.

Parts 1 of the 2022 Retro Talks focused on on the role of quality and impact in deep energy retrofits with the help of the outPHit project for deep energy retrofits that are faster, cheaper and more reliable. Part two, held as part of the Climate Alliance International Conference 2022 (CAIC22), explored the mobilisation of private households to carry out deep renovations by looking at the example of the Energy Caravan campaign.

In the third and final part of the series, participants will learn more about the EUROPA Mentoring Programme. Participating mentees and mentors have worked together for four months to increase their replication potential. During the event, examples and experiences from Hungary, Italy and Portugal will be presented.

Event registration

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Dobbiaco Talks: What do animals know?

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

The Dobbiaco Talks 2022 will explore the fierce contradictions we get caught up in when it comes to our relationship with animals. On the one hand, we pamper our pets, on the other hand, we grill beef steaks for dinner. On the one hand we watch astonishing nature documentaries, on the other hand we know that most farm animals lead a miserable life until they end up on our plates. This is the broad field of animal ethics that plays a strange role in the sustainability debate; repressed and marginal for many, vocal and fanatical for (too?) few.

At the interface between two cultures, the Dobbiaco Talks from 1985 to 1999 and from 2005-2007, under the direction of Hans Glauber, took up crucial environmental issues, debated them and proposed solutions. The annual talks became a renowned think tank for the ecological turnaround in the Alpine region and beyond.

The National Coordinator of Climate Alliance Italy, Karl-Ludwig Schibel, is curator of the event together with Wolfgang Sachs. The Dobbiaco Talks will be held in German and Italian with simultaneous translation.

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Energy Efficient Buildings: Next Generation Energy Performance Certificates

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

Next Generation Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) play an instrumental role in attaining a digitally transformed, healthy, safe, affordable, efficient, flexible and zero-emission EU building stock fit for ongoing building performance optimization. At this event we would like to highlight the challenges and solutions of the foreseen changes in the recast EPBD for local authorities especially shedding a light on what role EPCs play in building renovation and how municipalities could turn them in powerful tools.

Buildings have challenging and multiple roles to play in the coming decades: they can be shelters from extreme weather, healthy indoor environments, energy-positive and zero-emission, electric vehicle-friendly. As prosumers and active members of society, people have their own essential parts to contribute to this transition. Next Generation Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) can empower people by becoming a nudging and decision-making tool. EPCs create an open dialogue with building professionals thus allowing building owners to understand complexities surrounding building renovations. In addition, they can further facilitate interaction between different stakeholders within the building sector. This would greatly support people in making informed decisions e.g. choosing the next house to rent, in upgrading their own dwelling, in claiming workplaces that support their wellbeing and productivity and are at the same time environmentally friendly.

This event is being organised by the Climate Alliance project CrossCert.

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Climate Alliance International Conference 2022

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

The International Annual Conference is the highlight of the year in the Climate Alliance network. The motto of CAIC22 is "Unlocking local potential – driving global transition". In 2022, the conference will take place in Hesperange, Luxembourg. More information on the annual conference will follow in spring 2022.

Save the date now!

#CAIC22 #LocalAction

EU technical assistance as a multiplier for energy investments in cities

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

Cities have made great commitments to reduce their energy consumption and GhG emissions. However, when trying to implement their action plans they face financial constraints and a lack of capacity to access financing stemming from long-term impact of climate change and short term impact of EU’s dependency of fossil fuels import. This workshop focuses on the challenges cities face in financing sustainable energy projects.

This session is part of the extended programme of this year’s European Sustainable Energy Week and is being organised by the Climate Alliance project European City Facility.

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CITIES TALK NATURE EU Conference: Nature, Places, People

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

Urban areas are under pressure: Climate change, pollution and the conversion of open spaces threaten human well-being and biodiversity. Applying nature-based solutions to restore degraded, damaged, or destroyed urban ecosystems can help to address such challenges. This conference aims to strengthen knowledge and exchange on the implementation of nature-based solutions and will bring together city and city network representatives from across Europe.

How to create new green areas and allow for the recovery of degraded ecosystems? How to cultivate shared places for dialogue and exchange between urban, peri-urban and rural populations and administrations? How to strengthen connectedness between people in urban settings – both to one another and to their natural environment? This conference will endeavor to answer these and more questions during plenary sessions and workshops on the 21 September. On the 22nd, participants will be visiting three nature-based solutions within the Kraków Metropolitan Area, to give you the combined experience of your five senses! Furthermore, an assessment tool will be presented, which is currently under development within the INTERLACE project. The tool will be able to support the process of designing, implementing and monitoring restorative nature-based solutions.

The conference is hosted by the Krakow Metropolis and is part of CITIES TALK NATURE event series embedded in the INTERLACE project. INTERLACE aims to empower and equip European and Latin American cities to effectively restore and rehabilitate (peri)urban ecosystems towards more liveable, resilient and inclusive cities.

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2022 Retro Talks – Quality and impact in deep energy retrofits

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

With the 2022 Retro Talks, the EUROPA Mid-term Conference brings the latest one-stop-shop topics right to you and invites you to join us in Hesperange, Luxembourg. This three-part series of online and offline events invites deep renovation stakeholders from across Europe to discuss how the sector can make retrofits accessible for all. A key focus will be on the EUROPA One-Stop-Shop, Energy Efficiency Subscriptions and success stories from the first half of the EU-cofunded EUROPA project. Since late 2020, EUROPA has been promoting and working to boost the implementation of deep energy renovation in the residential building sector.

PART 1: Quality and impact in deep energy retrofits
15 September from 10:30 to 12:30 (online)

The 2022 Retro Talks start with an webinar on the Quality and Impact of Deep Energy Retrofits. Participants will be joined by experts from the field answering burnings questions such as what quality standards exist for of deep energy retrofits and what makes a good quality standard; what technical aspects need to be considered when working with quality standards; how can quality standards support financing applications; and what is an the role of a one-Stop-Shop when it comes to developing, integrating, and monitoring quality standards?

This first session is hosted in partnership with the outPHit project, which focuses on making deep energy retrofits faster, cheaper and more reliable. Further parts in the series include

PART 2 | 30 September from 11:00 to 12:30 (at CAIC22 in Hesperange, Luxembourg)
Mobilising private households to carry out deep renovations
PART 3 |4 October from 10:30 to 12:40 (online)
Peer-learning for long-term success

Register for Parts 1 & 3 | Register for part 2*

_{*Please note that Part 2 is being held within the framework of the Climate Alliance International Conference (CAIC22). You may either sign up for Part 2, “Mobilising private households to carry out deep renovations”, alone or also sign up for the other CAIC22 sessions on offer both in Luxembourg and online via this CAIC22 registration form}

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European Urban Reslience Forum

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

As extreme weather conditions - from heatwaves to wildfires to droughts - continuously hit Europe this summer, the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO) will gather experts, cities and stakeholders and take next steps towards climate change adaptation and urban resilience. The forum, organised jointly by the European Environment Agency and ICLEI, will feature a total of 17 sessions and workshops and more than 70 speakers. It will be rounded off by a marketplace featuring various exhibitors, project pitches and decision support tools as well as three excursions within Athens.

Climate Alliance is co-organising two key sessions within the framework of the event:

From seed to tree: Tackling climate hazards with the European Policy Support Facility
14 September, 14:00 to 15:00
How is your city adapting? An open conversation on implementing and accelerating climate adaptation!
15 September, 14:30 to 16:00

Register | View the programme

The registration deadline is 7 September

Info Session Series: NetZeroCities’ Call for Pilot Cities

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

The NZC Pilot Cities programme will test and implement innovative approaches to rapid decabornisation over a two-year period. The call for application will open on 5 September 2022. The selection of pilots will cover all thematic areas contributing to climate neutrality to ensure systemic transformation. Selected pilot cities will receive funding and hands-on assistance from the NZC Consortium partners. Cities interested in this Call for Pilot Cities are encouraged to join the series of info sessions organised by NetZeroCities on different aspects related to the call:

5 September - 15:00 - 16:30: Refresher on the Ambition and Approach & Technical Information
7 September - 15:00 -16:30: Refresher on Eligibility and Assessment Criteria
8 September - 15:00 - 16:30: Pilot City Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Info Session

NetZeroCities contributes to delivering the EU’s Cities Mission of “100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities”. As part of the NZC Consortium, Climate Alliance will help the 30 Pilot Cities to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.

Learn more about NetZeroCities.

Amazon Summit V: Solutions from indigenous peoples for a living amazon

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

This summit aims at rethinking the current schemes of action of international cooperation to respond efficiently to the need to protect the Amazon and avoid the point of no return, through the construction of a joint Action Plan between indigenous peoples, governments and civil society. This event is an effort to:

evaluate the current conditions of cooperation and international decision-making spaces in order to establish a roadmap for building more efficient mechanisms through virtual and face-to-face joint work spaces.
establish a joint action strategy through the organization of the Amazon Summit V.
consolidate the leadership of indigenous peoples to enable advocacy in the transition of global public policies, through direct implementation planningin territories with indigenous peoples.

Invited by its partner organisation COICA – the Coordinating Committee of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin – Climate Alliance is sending a delegation, including Climate Alliance’s president Andreas Wolter, to Lima to join the Amazon Summit. Climate Alliance is planning to bring relevant topics to the table, such as climate partnerships as well as renewable energies and strategies for Amazonia.

Learn more about COICA.

Coastal Habitat Restoration and Revitalization

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0200

Coastal ecosystems are of paramount importance in many ways. However, due to land use change, the modification of coastal waterways, trawling and other influences, coastal wetlands are degrading and decreasing rapidly. Nature-based solutions, such as a sustainable use of these ecosystems or the enlargement of flood plains, can contribute to the protection of existing coastal ecosystems as well as to the restoration of degraded ones. In this CITIES TALK NATURE event, two speakers will present examples of coastal habitat restoration and revitalization and share their experiences, challenges and found solutions:

Francisco Martínez Vázquez, Wildlands Conservation Manager, WILDCOAST, will share his experience as head of the WILDCOAST Mangrove Recovery Program in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Dr. Finn Andreas Viehberg, Head of the WWF-office Baltic Sea, will share his practical experiences in the implementation of coastal protection measures, such as the renaturation of polders and salt marshes. Furthermore, he will present ways municipalities can take to support the protection of coastal ecosystems.

The event is free of charge and is being held in English and Spanish, translation is provided. CITIES TALK NATURE is an event series facilitated by a unique cooperation between the Latin American Federation of Cities, Municipalities and Associations of Local Governments (FLACMA) and the National Union of Local Governments (UNGL), as member of FLACMA as well as Climate Alliance (CA) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). It was developed within the INTERLACE project that aims to empower and equip European and Latin American cities to effectively restore and rehabilitate (peri)urban ecosystems towards more liveable, resilient and inclusive cities.

Procurement of renewable energies in times of crisis

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0200

The procurement of renewable energies is of particular importance in the current crisis situation. This event will show how cooperation between SMEs and the public sector can be improved in the development and introduction of renewable energies in the regions. Green public procurement is a strong incentive for eco-innovation. In fact, it stimulates a critical mass of demand for greener products and services that would otherwise not easily enter the market.

This Stakeholder Café is part of the XPRESS project and will be organised by the City Council of Murcia, Centro de Investigación de Recursos y Consumos Energéticos (CIRCE), Climate Alliance and the Covenant of Mayors - European Office. The event will be held in Spanish.

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Energy crisis: urgency and planning in heating sector

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0200

This event aims at presenting different information for impactful heating and cooling strategies to achieve results in the next months without jeopardising mid-term and long-term actions. Due to the fast-evolving political landscape, the EU policy is also constantly changing, and this event will present an update of the EU policy framework and discussions.

The event is part of the Covenant of Mayors’ campaign The Cities Energy Saving Sprint which is a joint initiative that encourages cities to take measures that will immediately reduce their energy consumption. As part of the campaign, the Covenant of Mayors office developed the Cities Energy Saving Toolkit, which gives cities simple and quick measures they can take in the emergency to prepare for the next winter.

Read more about the Cities Energy Saving Sprint Campaign.

How to give cities the staffing means for their climate ambitions?

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0200

To achieve their climate goals, the EU and its Member States need strong local public services, especially in the energy field. Energy Cities assessed in its publication “Human capacity in local governments: the bottleneck of the building stock transition” the gap between the necessary and the existing staff focusing on the European building stock transition. The positions to be filled are diverse: energy analysts, project managers, urban developers, energy advisers and many more.

This event will be the opportunity to present the results of this study for the building sector and discuss with mayors, the Committee of the Regions, the European Commission, and the think tank I4CE about the measures that the EU, the Member States and the local governments can take to face this gap!

This event is part of the EU wide campaign “more local staff for the climate” which is also supported by Climate Alliance, among others.

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Towards Energy Autonomy: How to Guarantee Social Inclusion

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0200

The 2nd Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) international conference took place on 28-29 June 2022 in Zagreb under the theme “Moving towards energy autonomy: How to guarantee social inclusion”. The conference was co-hosted by the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub initiative, the city of Zagreb and DOOR, the civil society organisation devoted to the promotion of sustainable energy development.

The geopolitical context and the energy market reality that it creates have made it even more challenging for not only energy-poor consumers but all EU citizens to cope with soaring energy prices. The pressing need for just energy transition is now more needed than ever. REPowerEU is the EU’s new plan aiming to diversify gas supplies, speed up the roll-out of renewable gas and replace gas in heating and power generation with the ultimate goal of phasing out the dependence on fossil fuels from Russia before 2030. The ambiguous plan comes as a response to soaring energy prices and as a complementary plan to the European Green Deal, the EU’s overarching growth plan to reach climate neutrality by 2050.

This shift towards a faster and more sustainable energy transition for all can become an opportunity for mitigating energy poverty. What are the lessons learnt from the current geopolitical crisis and how can the EU, national and local governments work together in turning this challenge into an opportunity for tackling energy poverty and ensuring just and sustainable energy for all?

The conference brought together almost 100 motivated participants, representing local governments of EU Member States, EU institutions, energy agencies, civil society organisations and all stakeholders active in energy poverty to debate and share experiences on the lessons learnt from the current geopolitical crisis and how the EU, national and local actors can work together in turning this challenge into an opportunity for tackling energy poverty and ensuring just and sustainable energy for all.

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Info event: EUCF launches 4th call for applications

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0200

The European City Facility (EUCF) launches the fourth call for applications. In the framework of this event, the initiative will present everything you need to know about the EUCF, the fast-track application process and the eligibility criteria.

The EUCF is an initiative that supports cities and towns in developing investment concepts and finding investors for their sustainable energy projects. From 9 June, municipalities from across Europe can apply for EUCF's support.

WHY Open Day: What types of energy consumers are there in Europe?

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0200

This workshop will be an opportunity to know more about how energy is consumed in households and state-of-the-art quantitative and qualitative techniques to assess behaviour in households. Participants will learn about the most typical yearly electricity consumption patterns from different countries in Europe as well as how the lockdowns have affected them. Moreover, the event will provide a list of the most relevant socio-psychological determinants that impact on the investment decisions related to different aspects of the energy transition in households (mobility, energy efficiency, flexibility and building thermal isolation).

The workshop will be held in the framework of the European Sustainable Energy Days 2022. Climate Alliance helps organising the Energy Day as part of the WHY project.

Learn more about the WHY Project.

EU Green Week event: Proposals for the implementation of the EU Green Deal at local level

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0200

This workshop run by Climate Chance will synthesise the proposals which emerged from the many workshops of the Climate Chance Summit Europe 2022 followed by 3 months of collaborative brainstorming and drafting between the main European local government networks (European Committee of the Regions, Climate Alliance, Energy Cities) and sectoral experts from the community of European non-state actors.

Thomas Brose will present the outcomes of Climate Alliance’s workshop on how local authorities are adapting their building stock and addressing energy poverty. He will further tie the key points to the recent launch of the EU’s RePowerEU, which specifically addresses energy efficiency in buildings.

This event is an official partner event of EU Green Week, which runs from 30 May to 5 June.

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ENPOR Lunch Talk | Tackling Split Incentives: A European Outlook

Tue, 31 May 2022 00:00:00 +0200

The energy efficiency potential of the building sector has been an important topic of discussion in recent years, yet despite the opportunities it presents, modernising the building sector is associated with a number of barriers. Split incentives are common barriers between building owners and tenants that hinder the uptake of energy efficiency investments in various segments of the building sector such as privately rented homes.

This Lunch Talk will explore the dimensions of split incentives as well as how the issue is linked to energy poverty, energy savings, and Article 7 of the EED. Experts involved in the EU-funded ENPOR and ENSMOV projects will also present practical recommendations on how several EU countries can overcome problems arising from split incentives.

Introduction to the session by Ivana Rogulj, IEECP
The tenancy aspect of the split incentives issue by Stefan Bouzarovski, University of Manchester
The Greek case by Christos Tourkolias, The Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving
The German case by Florin Vondung, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment
Discussion

Climate Alliance supports the organisation of ENPOR’s Lunch Talk as part of the project consortium. ENPOR is aiming at Mitigating Energy Poverty in the private rented sector.

Learn more about the ENPOR Project.

Conference Urban-Rural Partnerships for Renewable Energy

Wed, 18 May 2022 00:00:00 +0200

The conference marks the conclusion of the Interreg North-West Europe project Renewable Energy Regions, in which Climate Alliance acted as project coordinator. RegEnergy aims to break up existing structures to increase the use of renewable energy in northwestern European regions. Creating renewable energy demand–supply partnerships between urbanised and surrounding rural territories will lead to greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

The conference will focus on how to reinforce the territorial cooperation to achieve a successful energy transition and will showcase the results achieved by the European partnership. The complementarity between the European level and the national, regional and local levels will be illustrated through concrete examples. With the objective to discover innovative solutions and case studies for an efficient energy transition, a focus will be dedicated to the link between the involvement of local authorities and citizens’ engagement with renewable energy projects.

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Launch event: Covenant of Mayors – Europe pillar on energy poverty

Wed, 11 May 2022 00:00:00 +0200

Join us for the official launch of the energy poverty pillar of the Covenant of Mayors in Europe! Participants will be guided through the support available to municipalities when it comes to diagnosing, planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting actions to tackle energy poverty. Featuring two municipal examples, the event will help participants explore how energy poverty can be addressed on the ground and invite them to discuss concrete challenges as well as possible solutions.

This event is particularly relevant for signatories of the Covenant of Mayors initiative, which commit to tackling energy poverty as one key action to ensure a just transition. The information provided will, however, also be of interest to municipalities outside of the Covenant of Mayors taking on energy poverty and is open to all Climate Alliance members.

The launch is organised by Climate Alliance within the framework of the Covenant of Mayors. The Covenant of Mayors Office Europe, in collaboration with Climate Alliance’s Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH), provides guidance on how municipalities can alleviate energy poverty at the local level, helping them to reach their energy poverty goals.

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Sustainable Mobility Policies, Tools & Challenges

Wed, 04 May 2022 00:00:00 +0200

How does one best plan intelligent load management for e-vehicles in Local Public Transport (LPT) and Last-Mile Freight Logistics (LML) in the Alpine region? How can we foster cooperation among private and public actors in this regard? The e-SMART project has been addressing these and related questions since 2019. Since then, the project team has developed various tools for integrated planning of e-mobility smart grids. These tools as well as other project outcomes and e-mobility topics will be highlighted at the e-SMART final event taking place in the framework of The Next Generation Mobility event in Turin.

Hosted by the Next Generation Mobility Conference in Turin's National Automobile Museum, the e-SMART final event will be all about sustainable mobility policies, tools and challenges. The programme features a variety of speakers from municipalities, the private mobility sector and experts on the electrification of mobility and transport in cities.

Registration
Online participants will also have to register for the Next Generation Mobility Conference, host of the e-SMART event.

Registration form for all participants
Next Generation Mobility Conference registration
(required additionally for online participants)

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POSTPONED: Working Group on Buildings: Energy independence

Tue, 03 May 2022 00:00:00 +0200

In order to increase energy independence in the building sector, we need to ensure our energy demand is reduced and our supply is both clean and secure. This working group meeting will have a look at short and medium term solutions to reducing energy in light of the current crisis. Jessica Grove-Smith, Joint Managing Director and Senior Scientist at the Passive House Institute, will speak on buffering energy scarcity with energy efficiency in our building sector. Municipal representatives are also welcome to share their experiences and challenges.

This workshop is organised by Climate Alliance’s Working Group on Buildings. All Climate Alliance members and municipal representatives are invited to join and participate in the working group.

Want to learn more? Contact us at buildings(at)climatealliance.org.

Connecting Nature Summit Series 3rd edition

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0200

How do cities develop inclusive nature-based strategies that tackle climate change and provide multiple benefits for citizens and biodiversity? From 28 - 29 April, the ‘Connecting Nature Impact Summit’ will bring together a wide range of local, regional and international participants to demonstrate how nature impacts our lives, socially, environmentally, economically and how nature-based solutions can provide a positive impact for urban environments.

On the final issue of the Connecting Nature Summit series, participants can expect an exciting (hybrid) programme

Online and in-person presentations & workshops
Round table discussions with representatives of the European Commissions and other important policy makers
Site visits, exhibitions and performances

Being embedded in a creative and festive atmosphere, the event takes place at Thor Park in Genk. It is hosted by the City of Genk and supported by Climate Alliance.

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CITIES TALK NATURE Event Series | Nature based solutions: Leave no one behind

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0200

In this fourth CITIES TALK NATURE webinar, "Leaving No One Behind. Inclusion of Vulnerable Communities in the Planning and Implementation of Nature Based Solution projects", we will focus on the main actions that allows the inclusion of vulnerable groups in our societies (women, children, low-income groups, indigenous communities, members of the LGBTTTIQ+ collective, etc.) not only as beneficiaries of these projects, but also as architects of them. Two examples from Latin America will be presented to illustrate the challenge of including the insights and views of vulnerable communities in planning processes of nature based solutions. The event will also demonstrate how these examples can be applied in a European context and what potential adjustments need to be made. As in all webinars of the series, the goal will be to foster mutual learning and cooperation between municipalities, their stakeholders and initiatives in Latin America and Europe.

Speakers

Marcelo Lorberg
Secretary of Environmental Management and Renewable Energies, Autonomous Municipal Government of La Paz, Bolivia
Extensive experience in resource management and implementation of environmental projects and activities
Vladimir Ameller
Municipal Secretary of Planning for Development, Autonomous Municipal Government of La Paz, Bolivia
Extensive academic and professional experience in public management
Nicolás Salmón
Co-founder and CEO, Yes Innovation
Expert in the development and management of innovation projects in the field of sustainable construction, architecture and urban planning

The event is free of charge and is being held in English and Spanish, translation is provided.

CITIES TALK NATURE is facilitated by a unique cooperation between the Latin American Federation of Cities, Municipalities and Associations of Local Governments (FLACMA) and the National Union of Local Governments (UNGL), as member of FLACMA as well as Climate Alliance and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).

Learn more

Want to learn more? Contact Svenja Schuchmann at s.schuchmann(at)climatealliance.org.

Off-balance sheet energy performance contracts for public buildings

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0200

Since the publication of the Eurostat guidance note on the conditions for accounting for off-balance sheet public energy performance contracts (EnPCs) in 2017, a number of Member States have developed or strengthened existing EnPC frameworks for the use of off-balance sheet contracts for the energy renovation of public buildings. These frameworks combine amendments of local regulatory barriers, development of Eurostat compliant model contracts and guidelines for users, the set-up of framework contracts for suppliers and project development assistance, specifications of targets or mandatory objectives for public authorities, and for the most advanced ones the set-up of dedicated EnPC financing instruments combining EU or national funds with private funds to support market development.

This event will give an overview on the development of off-government-balance sheet EnPC frameworks for the energy renovation of public buildings across different Member States and update on most recent development of EnPC financing models.

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More sufficiency in municipal climate action

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0200

In light of the difficulties in achieving (national) climate action goals and the current geopolitical situation, reducing our energy demand and changing our consumption behaviour have never seemed more necessary than now. Sufficiency also plays an important role for municipal climate neutrality strategies. But why has this debate been in the background for so long, how can municipalities act in this field and what are good practical examples?

These questions will be answered during the TANDEM online seminar on 6 April 2022, with the support of German and French experts and municipal representatives:

Barbara Nicoloso, Managing Director of Virage Énergie
Lars Brischke, Scientist at the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Ifeu)
Henning Brüggemann, Mayor of the City of Flensburg
Philippe Guelpa-Bonaro, Vice-President of Lyon Metropole

This event with simultaneous translation into French and German is organised by Climate Alliance and Energy Cities. Both city networks have been working together for eight years within the framework of TANDEM for the German-French energy transition.

Want to learn more? Contact Jenny-Claire Keilmann at j-c.keilmann(at)climatealliance.org.

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Electrifying public transport and urban logistics

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0200

This event shows how municipalities can expand the electrification of public transport and last mile logistics. As part of the Climate Alliance project e-SMART, a digital tool was developed that can support cities and towns in this process. The roadmaps developed in the project will be presented to interested participants on 31 March.

The e-SMART project focuses on the goal of accelerating the development of electric mobility. The Living Labs aim to initiate cooperation between municipalities and operators of electric mobility and energy at all levels of administration.

Climate Chance Summit Europe 2022

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The Climate Chance Summit was the first major climate event since COP26 and took place in conjunction with the European Climate Conference, organised by the French Presidency of the European Union (FPEU). The summit brought together the international climate community in order to identify synergies between European climate goals and local action to implement these policies on the ground. Climate Alliance sent a delegation of board members and European Secretariat staff to Nantes to voice the needs of the local level.

On 7 March, Climate Alliance was heading up a workshop on the topic of buildings entitled Adapting Buildings: Empowering municipalities to decrease GHG emissions and energy poverty through sustainable building renovations. The workshop focused on the “Just Transition”, demonstrating how local authorities are adapting building stock for sustainable development, reducing GHG emissions, boosting energy security and addressing energy poverty. It also offered policy recommendations for the efficient implementation of the Green Deal/Fit for 55 EU proposals, which fed directly into the Summary for Policy Makers that will be offered to EU policy makers as well as into international processes relating to COP27 as follow up from the Summit.

Climate Chance is an international organisation that brings together non-state actors in the fight against climate change and supports the central role of local climate action. The event in Nantes was the first “Climate Chance Summit Europe”.

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Energy Management Tools at a glance

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Three new tools for energy management will be presented at this event:

The Autarky Rate Tool is an easy to use online tool, which you can open on a web browser. It helps homeowners to figure out what kind of investment in a PV and battery system fits to a certain household and energy usage patterns.
The Optimal Sizing Calculator provides the optimal dimensions of a PV and battery system fitting your home’s energy demand patterns.
The Optimal Heat Source Scheduler calculates an optimal heating schedule for multiple heat sources and a storage system.

The Optimal Sizing Calculator and the Optimal Heat Source Scheduler are for the expert users, both need an experienced user and some computing power, but are able to produce precise results.

After the presentation of the tools, the results from the pilot projects will be presented and a final Q&A session will allow participants to ask their questions. All tools have been developed within the Climate Alliance project Store4HUC. The aim of the project is to improve territorial low-carbon energy planning strategies.

Working Group on Financing Meeting: Circular Economy

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

How relevant is circular economy for the local level? This question will be the focus of the first meeting of the Climate Alliance working group in 2022. Municipalities that are already active in this field or have already developed strategies on the topic of circular economy are invited to present their experiences and knowledge at this workshop.

Since 2012, the working group has offered municipalities the opportunity to exchange ideas on the topic of financing and to learn about upcoming calls for proposals, European funding programmes and new funding resources.

Are you interested in sharing your experiences on the topic of circular economy? Contact us at financing(at)climatealliance.org.

CITIES TALK NATURE Event Series: Facing Funding Challenges

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

The third event of the CITIES TALK NATURE event series will focus on the topic of funding: Facing Funding Challenges: How to make profitable Nature Based Solutions Projects for our cities. Two European cities will present their experiences – the City of Granollers (Spain) and the City of Glasgow (Scotland). The challenges of financing nature-based solutions in Latin America will also be highlighted. CITIES TALK NATURE offers a series of events to create and promote learning and cooperation between municipalities, their stakeholders and initiatives in Latin America and Europe.

The event is free of charge and will be held in English and Spanish, translation is provided.

Learn more

Programme (pdf)
Cites Talk Nature Event Series

Want to learn more? Contact Svenja Schuchmann at s.schuchmann(at)climatealliance.org.

How to strengthen e-Mobility solutions in the transport sector

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

What are the main challenges of electrifying the local public transport and the last mile logistic sectors? How to effectively implement mobility plans within a regional territory? Which measures can a public authority apply in order to strengthen e-mobility solutions in the transport sector?

A variety of training materials and best practice examples on different aspects of e-mobility integration in the local public transport and last mile logistic sectors have now been collected and published by the e-SMART project. They cover four different areas: "energy distribution", "policy and governance", "technical issues" (such as digitalisation and electric charging stations), as well as "urban and peri-urban e-mobilty".

Two upcoming training sessions will provide an introduction to the training materials and best practices as well as an opportunity to answer related questions.

Session on training materials: 23 February 2022, 11.30-13.00, online | Register here
Session on best practices: 1 March 2022, 11.30-13.00, online | Register here

The e-SMART project designs, tests and validates transnational instruments for an integrated planning of e-mobility smart grid services and charging stations for local public transport and last mile freight logistics. Climate Alliance is in charge of project communications.

Learn more about e-SMART.

Taking Energy Poverty Action and Measuring Its Impact

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Energy communities, NGOs, civil society organisations, clean energy investment cooperatives and public authorities - an increasingly broad range of actors is building to end energy poverty into their missions. Many more are keen to do so but not sure where to start. This two-part session will first explore some innovative approaches, ranging from identifying and engaging with households affected to financing and implementing technical solutions or establishing better policy and legal frameworks. In the second part, we’ll turn our attention to insights on measuring energy poverty itself and evaluate the effectiveness of measures being applied.

The session makes up part of the International Energy Poverty Action Week from 21 to 25 February and is organised in part by Climate Alliance via the ENPOR project. The week will bring together academics, policymakers, and practitioners in the field of energy poverty for a series of five seminars, discussion and workshops centred on finding actionable solutions to this global issue. The first day will launch with a discussion on the right to energy and energy justice. Each subsequent day will focus on Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Social Media activity, project and research news, will also occur over the week.

Learn more

_{Photo: Ricardo Annadale via Unsplash}

EPAH info sessions: Call for technical assistance to tackle energy poverty

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

From 1 February, cities and towns across Europe have the chance to apply for technical assistance through the European Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) call for applications. Municipalities can receive tailored support by experts to develop their own energy poverty action. Applications can be submitted until 1 March.

As coordinator of EPAH, Climate Alliance organises two informational events to answer questions from interested municipalities:

On 3 February (13h CET), the team will address signatories of the Covenant of Mayors in particular | Register here
On 9 February (10 a.m. CET), the team will address German municipalities in particular| Register here

Between 3 and 15 February, however, the EPAH consortium will be offering numerous other events with different country focuses.

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Info session: EUROPA Mentoring Programme for deep energy retrofits

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

A new mentoring programme aims to share knowledge and skills regarding the development and adaptation of One-Stop-Shops and Energy Efficiency Subscriptions to advance deep energy renovations of residential buildings on a regional level. The programme is designed to transfer know-how from the EU project EUROPA to peers and work through potential challenges of local contexts. From 24 January to 21 February, municipalities can apply to participate in the programme.

On 2 February, Climate Alliance is organising an info event to present the programme to interested municipalities and to answer questions.

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Cities Talk Nature: River Restoration and Revitalization in Latin American and European Cities

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0100

In order to strengthen urban ecosystems restoration in municipalities of European Union and Latin America, CITIES TALK NATURE offers a series of webinars to create and promote learning and cooperation between municipalities and their stakeholders, but also initiatives and projects. We will exchange on objectives, processes, practical examples, technologies and financing options. Furthermore we will provide access to tools, methods and approaches that support the planning, implementation and management of river restoration.

In this webinar “Flowing towards Knowledge – River Restoration and Revitalization in Latin American and European Cities” we will focus on river restoration and it’s benefits for the environment, biodiversity, social cohesion and the local economy. Best practice from the INTERLACE cities Portoviejo (Ecuador) and Metropolia Krakowska (Poland) will be discussed.

Cities Talk Nature is facilitated by a unique cooperation between city networks FLACMA / UNGL, Climate Alliance and UCLG and developed within Interlace, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

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One-Stop-Shop Success Stories: Increasing Citizen Participation in Home Renovation

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Home renovation One-Stop-Shops (OSS) function as citizen advice and support hubs which help to increase energy renovation rates, decarbonize the private building stock, improve citizen wellbeing, combat energy poverty and facilitate the Renovation Wave in Europe. Despite their potential to play a pivotal role in greening the EU’s future, citizen engagement via OSS has been limited and must therefore be improved if building renovation targets are to be met by 2030.

During this event, industry experts will frame the issue of citizen engagement, discuss real challenges, and provide guidelines based on success stories which can be used to further replicate successful OSS models within all Member States.

This event is addressing municipalities and policy makers who want to learn more about citizen engagement via home renovation One-Stop-Shops. The session is being organized by the Padova Fit project, that aims at creating a One-Stop-Shop in Padova (IT) and expanding the process to further cities.

Multipurpose usage of public transport infrastructure

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0100

How can different vehicle types and actors use public transport charging infrastructure efficiently? How can green and locally produced energy be fed into the grid? How can this be planned for? And what can we learn from current innovative research projects about this fascinating topic? The event will dive deep into planning, implementation and research related with piloting and testing solutions for multimodal and multifunctional charging bus stations and their integration with the existing urban transport network.

The Municipality and University of Maribor and Piedmont Region will speak about their local and regional approaches to planning, while the public transport operator Turin (GTT) presents its pathway towards implementing a multifunctional network. The University of Gdansk presents experiences how to make a trolleybus grid green, and TU Delft shows simulation results for multipurpose use of the trolleybus network in Arnhem including an outlook on integration of local renewable energy production. The event is completed with a presentation by the e-lobster project by University of Birmingham on how to use traction power supplies to charge electric vehicles.

The event is a joint effort of the Interreg EfficienCE and e-SMART projects. Climate Alliance is part of the e-SMART consortium. The project is promoting e-Mobility Smart Grid solutions for passengers and the last mile freight transport in the Alpine Space.

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ENPOR Lunch Talk 3: Will Fit for 55 help the energy poor?

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0100

The third ENPOR Lunch Talk focused on how the EU's Fit for 55 Package impacts energy poverty with a special focus on Minimum Energy Performance Standards. Invited guests: Louise Sunderland (Regulatory Assistance Project, RAP), Hélène Sibileau (Building Performance Institute Europe, BPIE), Emmanuelle Causse (International Union of Property Owners, UIPI), Ina Karova (Energy Agency Plovdiv), and Gyorgy Sumeghy (Habitat for Humanity International EMEA).

We discussed with the invited guests how the EU’s Fit for 55 package of legislative proposals could trigger renovations in the private rental sector, what the impacts are for municipalities and energy poor citizens, and specifically Minimum Energy Performance Standards for buildings. We explored whether these Standards of MEPS could be a tool for municipalities to ride on the renovation wave while protecting energy vulnerable groups.

Watch the recording of the event

Climate Alliance supported the organisation of ENPOR’s Lunch Talk as part of the project consortium. ENPOR is aiming at Mitigating Energy Poverty in the private rented sector.

Learn more about ENPOR.

On the way to climate neutrality in German and French municipalities

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0100

How can municipalities achieve stricter climate protection targets in times of the EU Green Deal? How can ambitious mobility concepts contribute to the reduction of emissions? How can the balancing act between municipal finances and climate action goals be achieved? This workshop will focus on the implementation of climate-neutral urban planning in German and French cities.

During these two days, Climate Alliance, together with Energy Cities and the Franco-German Future Work, would like to give municipal actors from Germany and France the opportunity to get exciting inputs and to exchange ideas with each other. The workshop also offers the chance to learn more about TANDEM cooperation projects and partnerships as well as about funding opportunities for Franco-German projects.

Register now
After registration, you will receive a Zoom invitation by email a few days before the start of the event.

The entire workshop will be bilingual. Participation is free of charge. Due to the Corona situation, our workshop on 6 & 7 December can no longer take place in Strasbourg as planned. It will be held online instead. The date remains unchanged!

Want to learn more? Contact Coline Chardon at c.chardon(at)climatealliance.org.

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Workshop program (in German)
TANDEM project

Migration and Climate Crisis: Challenges and Perspectives

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0100

The economies and populations that are the main contributors to the climate crisis are least affected by the consequences. People in the Global South are already exposed to drought, forest fires, flooding and water shortages. According to the UN, there were some 270 million migrants worldwide in 2020. Recent forecasts predict that the climate crisis will force up to 1.2 billion people to leave their home countries by 2050.

This online event will discuss the topic of migration and climate crisis: How does the outside world view Europe and which expectations does this view give rise to? What is the role of global networks, intergovernmental organizations and the international civil society in this context? And what are 'good' cultural relations practices under these circumstances?

The event is a part of the web talk series 'Totally Glocally. Europe from the outside: Dealing with the climate crisis'. It is being organised by ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen) in cooperation with Ecologic Institute and Climate Alliance.

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Conference on European Missions

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

This event will feature information on the European Commission's call for interest for the 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission in the form of a debate with Committee of the Regions members and city representatives.

EU missions launched by the European Commission on 29 September 2021 are a new and innovative way to work together and improve the lives of people in Europe and beyond. EU missions aim to tackle big challenges in health, climate and the environment, and to achieve ambitious and inspiring goals in these areas by 2030. Their implementation requires a collective effort cutting across the boundaries of policies, programmes and different levels of governance. They aim to mobilise and activate public and private actors, such as EU Member States, regional and local authorities, research institutes, entrepreneurs and investors to create real and lasting impact. EU Missions will engage with citizens to boost societal uptake of new solutions and approaches.

The aim of this conference is to launch the EU Missions with cities and regions and to discuss the objectives and next steps of the Cities Mission in more detail, including the upcoming call for expression of interest. This hybrid event is being organised by the Committee of the Regions in cooperation with the EU Commission and will be available in English, German, French and Polish.

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Climate Alliance Working Group on Buildings Kick-Off

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

A survey conducted by Climate Alliance this summer revealed high levels of municipal interest in the topic of buildings and retrofits. This makes sense: our building stock is generally inefficient and thus a driver of both climate change and energy poverty. In the survey, municipalities expressed the need for training, knowledge sharing and exchange on energy consulting and retrofitting methods. The first Climate Alliance working group on buildings is now building on these results.

The Climate Alliance Working Group on Buildings launch will provide an initial opportunity for members to get to know each other and to analyse the current situation. Where do we stand and where do we want to go? A discussion on communicative measures to promote energy efficiency at the local level will be the highlight of this first meeting with a presentation on the Energy Caravan, a highly effective campaign that municipalities can use to encourage homeowners to carry out energy-efficient retrofits. Interested municipalities from across Europe are invited to join in, share their experiences and questions and exchange ideas.

The buildings working group is made possible by the EU project outPHit, which promotes solutions for cheaper, faster and more reliable retrofits with the rigour of Passive House principles.

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Concepts for Climate Justice: How can we empower the most vulnerable?

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

The economies and populations that are the main contributors to the climate crisis are least affected by the consequences. And other countries that are undergoing economic development at a later stage are demanding to use resources in a similar way to those that completed industrialisation earlier. With the European Green Deal, the EU claims for itself a pioneering role in climate protection, but does it have solutions ready that do justice to the structural inequality and unfair distribution of social, economic and political opportunities between the communities that populate the earth?

This online event will discuss questions such as: How does the outside world view Europe and which expectations does this view give rise to? What is the role of global networks, intergovernmental organizations and the international civil society in this context? And what are 'good' cultural relations practices under these circumstances?

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Energy Poverty Advisory Hub Launch Event 2021

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

The Energy Poverty Advisory Hub Launch Event will bring together EU, national and local stakeholders to discuss how EU policies and the initiative, are stepping up energy poverty alleviation efforts, particularly as just transition commitments are bolstered by the Fit for 55 Package and as the current high price environment requires attention to the needs of the energy poor and vulnerable consumers. Through high-level presentations, interactive debates and workshops, the launch event of the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub will create an enabling environment of sharing good practices that identify both opportunities and challenges perceived from different levels of governance.

The European Commission has long supported the idea that municipalities need to be at the forefront when it comes to driving forward the just transition with targeted action and by example. As the EU’s leading initiative on local action addressing energy poverty, the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH), an initiative where Climate Alliance is the lead partner, will be the go-to place for local authorities and practitioners pursuing a wide range of solutions to reduce energy poverty.

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Moving beyond Western discourses: frameworks for climate ethics

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Climate change and the resulting global warming are the largest and most all-encompassing global crisis of our time. As an ecological crisis it stands for the misuse of fossil fuels and the exploitation of natural life-support systems, which includes the destruction of biodiversity and also irreversible damaging impact on the geological sphere. Furthermore, climate change is a geopolitical problem. It is already stoking socio-political instability, creating migratory pressure, exacerbating global inequality, endangering human rights and putting peace in the world at risk.

This online event will discuss questions such as: how is the world looking at Europe from the outside, and what are the associated hopes and disappointments? Which answers does international law and multilateral institutions offer and also which challenges are they facing? When are relational non-Western models of knowledge production and exchange required? And how can the role of international civil society be discussed in this context?

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SCORE Final Conference: Supporting Consumer Ownership in Renewable Energy

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

The EU Clean Energy Package introduced the active consumer as prosumer and their rights to produce, sell and share their own electricity in Renewable Energy Communities (RECs). Currently EU Member States are transposing the new rules (RED II & IEMD) into national law. The national rules differ widely especially regarding the “enabling framework” for RECs and the economic conditions for energy/electricity sharing.

In this light the conference discusses four main themes:

What lessons to be drawn from SCORE pilots and follower city projects esp. for municipalities?
How to activate individual consumers to become prosumers and engage in energy efficiency?
What opportunities and synergies can energy / electricity sharing provide for RECs?
What business opportunities for professional actors from the energy world?

Climate Alliance is promoting the conference as part of the SCORE project that is supporting the consumer ownership in renewable energy. As of now, the event will be held in a digital format due to the uncertainty of the development of the COVID pandemic. Further information will follow shortly.

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Investment Platforms: a tool to boost investments in energy efficiency

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Investment Platforms backed by EU funds are investment facilities which typically pool smaller and/or higher-risk projects by geographic location or sector. This helps to better share risk, make it easier to attract private investors and eventually unlock financing for individual projects. By aggregating investment projects, Investment Platforms also reduce transaction and information costs, which in turn facilitate smaller tickets. The platforms itself can then provide loans and/or equity financing to the underlying projects, depending on their specific needs. Investment Platforms are being specifically promoted by the European Commission and the EIB as a valuable feature to boost investments.

This workshop will showcase some good examples of EU-backed Investment Platforms that are addressing the energy efficiency sector in various member states and could be replicated elsewhere in Europe. The event will be conducted in English and is being organised as part of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums, funded under the EU Horizon 2020 programme and managed by CINEA.

Open Days 2021: experience the Passive House

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Passive houses actively contribute to climate protection and play an important role in the energy transition. Between 5 and 7 November 2021, passive house residents will open their doors and share their experiences. Visitors can learn about energy efficient buildings and that building a passive house or retrofitting with passive house components is worthwhile. Some open houses and buildings will even have professionals on hand with the knowledge and tools to explain the technical details of Passive House projects.

All participating passive houses as well as the associated visit information and conditions will be published online at www.passivehouse-database.org. This list will be updated shortly before the event. The 2021 International Passive House Open Days will be a hybrid event, with tours, Q&As, panel discussions and other offerings taking place in-person or online depending on the region and current COVID-19 status.

Climate Alliance supports this event as part of the outPHit consortium. The EU project develops solutions for cost-effective and fast retrofits in the EnerPHit energy standard according to passive house principles.

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_{Photo: ecoworks}

ENPOR Lunch Talk 2: Making Energy Poverty Measures Visible for the Private Rented Sector

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Do you think energy poverty measures should be made more visible in your area? Do you run projects, measures or interventions that target vulnerables groups in the private rented sector struggling to meet their energy needs? Are you looking for inspiring practices? Listen to the second edition of the ENPOR Lunch Talk on the 2nd of November!

This event is the launch of a new online tool to support authorities to improve local, regional and national policy measures targeting citizens in energy poverty in the private rented sector (PRS). The Energy Poverty Dashboard (EPD) will increase the visibility of energy poverty in the PRS, particularly compared with levels of energy poverty within the general population. It will increase opportunities for collaboration between stakeholders, as best practices and policies tackling energy poverty in the PRS are mapped. This tool will indicate where they are concentrated and the effects/impacts of the policies on tackling energy poverty in a particular local.

Climate Alliance supports the organisation of ENPOR’s Lunch Talk as part of the project consortium. ENPOR is aiming at Mitigating Energy Poverty in the private rented sector.

Learn more

_{Photo: ENPOR}

Event series: CITIES TALK NATURE

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Nature-based solutions support the EU biodiversity strategy and climate adaptation strategy, as a way to foster biodiversity and make Europe more climate-resilient. As Part of INTERLACE project, CITIES TALK NATURE is a community of practice that promotes the exchange between municipalities, universities, private actors and citizens as well as between other initiatives and projects. The goal: strengthening the restoration of urban ecosystems in cities and towns in the European Union and Latin America.

Climate Alliance is organizing the CITIES TALK NATURE event series that starts on 28 October 2021. Participants will learn about valuable use cases of nature-based solutions in urban contexts and hear first-hand from our speakers how to use the many advantages for the environment, people and the economy of restorative nature-based solutions.

The workshop languages are English and Spanish. The CITIES TALK NATURE event series is organized in cooperation with the city networks FLACMA / UNGL und UCLG.

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_{Photo: Volker Sachse via Pixabay}

ENPOR Energy Talk at EUSEW 2021

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

This energy talk will present the first recommendations to demonstrate research-based policy support, using findings of EU-funded Climate Alliance project ENPOR’s latest research outputs on energy poverty in the specific framework of the private rented sector (PRS). With a number of questions directly engaging the audience, the talk will be based on the analysis and assessment of existing policies in the PRS, as well as structural factors impacting these energy poverty policies, using key figures, facts and infographics. This energy talk will be led by the ENPOR’s coordinator, Vlasis Oikonomou (IEECP), with support from Manon Burbidge from the University of Manchester.

Energy Talks are part of the European Sustainable Energy Week 2021. Contributors will deliver a presentation to stimulate interaction and discussions with the audience. Each Energy Talk session lasts a total of 20 minutes.

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_{Photo: Riccardo Annandale via Unsplash}

How Energy System Modelling can ease the path to Climate Neutrality

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Several skills workshops on energy system technologies and collaborative modelling will point out how energy system modelling can support the European Green Deal during the 2021 EMP-E conference. The workshops are being organised by the WHY project that Climate Alliance is supporting as member of the consortium. The project is aiming at understanding and projecting the energy demand of the residential sector. WHY is organising the following workshops:

26 October, 16:00 – 17:30

Skills Workshop 1: Energy System Models: Basic principles and concepts
Skills Workshop 2: High resolution time series processing

27 October, 9:30 – 10:30

Skills Workshop 4: How to set up a scenario for energy system modelling?
Skills Workshop 5: Technical possibilities vs. Economic Feasibility: The issue of viable business models for innovative technologies – a modellers approach
Skills Workshop 6: Communicate and inspire: How to convince with a pitch

28 October, 9:00 – 10:30

Skills Workshop 8:How to model citizens‘ behaviour

The EMP-E 2021 will feature a balanced mix of high-level panel discussions on how modelling can support reaching climate neutrality and interactive workshop sessions to enable a peer-reviewed digest of models and policy insights for the transformation of the European energy system.

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_{Photo: Matthew Henry via Unsplash}

EU Sustainable Energy Week

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Do you want to engage with others about the latest in clean energy and the green transition? The EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), taking place on 25-29 October 2021, brings together leading professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts in the field.

The event features a high-level policy conference, a prestigious awards ceremony and the second iteration of the European Youth Energy Day. Alongside this, a series of locally organised Energy Days, taking place throughout September and October, allows individuals and communities to engage with the EUSEW community. Each of these elements offers ample opportunities to get involved, join the conversation and make the EUSEW community stronger and more exciting than ever.

Among other European organisations, Climate Alliance is an official partner of this year’s EU Sustainable Energy Week.

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Smart mobility in public transport and last mile logistic

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

e-SMART Transnational Living Lab

The event will be addressing smart energy provision for the electric fleet busses and last mile logistic with a smart city digital solution. The event will host speakers from energy sector, experts in innovative mobility technology solutions and smart city service developers and representatives from the national government.

One of the key speakers will be Tomaž Račič, vice president and responsible for marketing in the LIT Transit. LIT Transit is offering real-time transit operation monitoring, transit management toolset giving real-time visibility and control over one’s entire fleet, providing flexible, responsive and reliable bus services that meet people’s everyday mobility needs.

The event is being organised by the Economic Interest Association Automotive Cluster of Slovenia. Participants will be able to attend the event, free of registration fee, online or physically.

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_{Photo: Ruiyan Zhang via Pexel}

European Urban Resilience Forum

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

In the past 8 years, the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO) has been a unique exchange platform for city representatives, experts and stakeholders from local and regional institutions to discuss strategies, initiatives and actions for adapting to climate change and building urban resilience.

Implementation of the EU Adaptation Strategy with a focus on cities and regions, climate justice and equity in climate adaptation or sustainable finance and innovative funding for adaptation are just a few of the many topics of this year’s EURESFO. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences and points of view.

The event will take place as a hybrid event, inviting local and regional institutions from Scandinavia and beyond on site and offering live streaming for those who cannot travel. Climaet Alliance is involved in shaping the content of the Forum through the European Environment Agency in the framework of the ETC/CCA project.

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_{Photo: European Urban Resilience Forum}

All about EU City Facility: 3rd Call for applications to open soon

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

The European City Facility (EUCF), an initiative that supports cities and municipalities with developing investment concepts and finding investors for their sustainable energy projects, is launching its 3rd call for applications. Local authorities from across Europe) can apply for EUCF’s support from October 15th to December 17th 2021. The 3rd Call will provide funding for 68 cities or municipalities spread all over Europe. The total budget available for the call is 4,08 M EUR.

Climate Alliance members can find out more about the 3rd Call by attending the EUCF Launch webinar. During the workshop, interested participants will learn more about the EUCF as well as the fast application process and the eligibility criteria.

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_{Photo: Adeolu Eletu via Unsplash}

Covenant of Mayors Ceremony: Towards a fairer, climate-neutral Europe for all

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

In April 2021, the Covenant of Mayors initiative has entered a new phase, officially launching its renewed ambition of a fairer and climate-neutral Europe. Signatories now commit to reaching climate neutrality by 2050, implementing adaptation to climate change measures and alleviating energy poverty through a just transition. They also commit to engaging their citizens, businesses and local stakeholders in the transition.

The online Covenant of Mayors Ceremony celebrated this new phase, the achievements of the Community, and debated how to commit, engage, act and network towards a fairer and climate-neutral Europe. The European Commissioner for Energy Mrs Kadri Simson and the Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans joined mayors, local leaders, Presidents of Regions, and representatives from municipalities of all sizes, in this celebration.

Watch the recording of the event here.

The main high-level, EU Ceremony took place online on 7 October 2021, with a wide variety of satellite events all across Europe in the weeks around the ceremony.

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SaMBA Final Conference: Changing mobility behaviour in cities and regions

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Triggering behavioural changes that lead to an increased use of sustainable transport options – this is what the Interreg project SaMBA is all about. At the final project conference in Turin participants can get inspired on how to start changing mobility behaviour. Recommendations for the development of behaviour change policies as well as the SaMBA tool that helps finding the right measures will be presented. The pilot cases of the project will provide inspiration for other local authorities. In addition, the official winner of the SaMBA video and photo competition "YOUR VISION OF THE FUTURE ALPINE MOBILITY" will be awarded.

The event will take place in cooperation with the renowned Italian Film Festival dedicated to the environment: CinemAmbiente Torino. The conference will be held in English with simultaneous translation in Italian. It will also be streamed online for everyone who is not able to participate in presence.

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_{Photo: Markus Spiske via Unsplash}

RegEnergy Talks: Contrasting energy community environment in two European countries

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

How are energy parks of North-West Europe involved in the energy transition? What kind of technological innovations for renewable energy are they developing?

In this second session of the RegEnergy Talks participants will learn more about the experience and solutions tested in technological energy parks based in Switzerland and Ireland to provide better access to renewable energy for local communities. Geoffrey Orlando (Planair, Swiss) and Sean Lyons (Walton Institute of Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland) will first provide necessary background about the regulatory and political environment of their respective countries before sharing their experience about the technological solutions they are developing for two energy parks.

This session is an official Energy Day event of this year’s European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) and is the second edition of the RegEnergy Talks. Climate Alliance operates as lead partner in the RegEnergy project that aims at creating renewable energy demand–supply partnerships between urbanised and surrounding rural territories

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_{Photo: Unsplash}

Dobbiaco Talks: How green is the European Green Deal?

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

The European Green Deal is a concept presented by the EU Commission with the goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union to zero by 2050 and thus becoming the first continent to become climate neutral. It is a large package of investments, laws and strategies aimed at making many areas of life climate-friendly, for example agriculture, transport, but also the energy industry and construction.

The 32nd Dobbiaco Talks are dedicated to the question: "How green is the European Green Deal?”. Representatives from politics, science, business and other interest groups from society are invited to critically question the steps envisaged in the Green Deal in Europe's fight against climate change, and to come up with solutions for possible controversies.

The National Coordinator of Climate Alliance Italy, Karl-Ludwig Schibel, is curator of the two-day event together with Wolfgang Sachs. The Dobbiaco Talks will be held in German and Italian with simultaneous translation.

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Dobbiaco Talks (in Italian)
Programme (in Italian)
Registration (in Italian)

25th International Passive House Conference

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0200

“Passive House – the key to sustainable building” is the motto of this year’s 25th international Passive House Conference. Participants will be offered a series of exciting presentations and interactive workshops about energy efficient buildings. The accompanying Passive House Exhibition will offer information materials and further insights. In addition, participants will be able to participate in excursions and find a wide range of networking opportunities.

The conference will take place in two parts:

On 10 and 11 September, the first part of the conference will take place in the Historische Stadthalle in Wuppertal, Germany. A live broadcast will be available.
On 14 and 15 September, the second part of the conference will take place as an online-only event.

Climate Alliance will be part of the conference in the framework of the EU funded project outPHit. Der project provides solutions for faster, cheaper and more reliable deep retrofits.

The conference is under the patronage of the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Di-gitalization and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and is organised by the Passive House Institute together with co-organiser, the EnergieAgentur.NRW.

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Climate Alliance International Conference

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Building event series: Mobilising home-owners for deep renovations

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Energy efficient buildings are an important pillar in order to allow for a just transformation process and for reaching the goals of the European Green Deal. However, the current building stock in Europe has large gaps in respect to its energy efficiency. Deep renovations and a high energy efficiency standard are therefore playing a crucial role. But what can municipalities do to activate home-owners for deep renovations?

This question was the main focus of this workshop. Different approaches were presented – from one-stop-shops to the role of local multipliers to communication campaign about energy advisory. After short presentations, participants had the chance to exchange and discuss their questions and needs with speakers and other local representatives.

Climate Alliance was organising the event as part of the event series on buildings over the summer. In order to give municipalities the opportunity to learn more about relevant and buildings related topics, the network was offering workshops on a wide range of topics – from storage solutions and deep retrofits to energy poverty.

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Other events in the series

Building event series: Prefabrication, deep retrofits and the municipal perspective

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Our building stock is generally inefficient. The energy that our buildings waste results in up to 40% of Europe‘s greenhouse gas emissions, making them both key contributors to climate change and amplifiers of energy poverty. By retrofitting their aging building stock, municipalities are in a position not only to make a real dent in their own emissions, but also to set a good example while transforming their buildings into more pleasant spaces to live, work and learn.

In this workshop, participants have learned why the Passive House and EnerPHit Standards form an ideal basis for such renovation initiatives and gained insight into the experiences of the District of Darmstadt-Dieburg (Germany) in retrofitting its school buildings in line with these standards. We then delved into the myriad benefits of using prefabricated timber elements, which have the potential to greatly decrease the time and cost associated with retrofitting.

The event was made possible via Climate Alliance's outPHit project, which aims to make deep retrofits faster, cheaper and more reliable. It was being organised in partnerhsip with the Passive House Institute as part of Climate Alliance's building event series this summer.

Event materials

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Other events in the series

_{Photo: ecoworks}

Connecting Nature Summit Series 2nd edition

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0200

The demand for nature-based solutions (NBS) has increased over the last years. These types of solutions could contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation, and to healthier, cleaner and greener cities. As cities all over the world demand more nature-based solutions, a new challenge has emerged: How to find skilled suppliers of NBS? Nature-based enterprises can help to meet this challenge. They use nature as a core element of their product or service offering and support cities, private sector and third sector organisations in the planning, delivery and management or stewardship of nature-based solutions in urban, peri-urban and rural contexts.

Participants could expect an exciting programme:

High-Level Policy Roundtable with European Commission representatives, World Economic Forum (WEF) and other national/city policy makers on actions needed to support nature-based enterprises
Community and Capacity building workshops for nature-based enterprises
Nature-based Enterprise Award
Nature-Based Enterprises in Poland

The summit was hosted by the City of Poznań, organised by the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform, and supported by Climate Alliance.

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Building event series: energy storage systems

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Up to 80% of total energy consumption in the EU is attributed to urban areas. At the same time, low carbon energy supplies in the style of energy storages are a rarity in central Europe. In the framework of this event, four municipal examples will demonstrate how energy storage systems for renewable energy source heating and electricity production were successfully integrated:

Lendava (SLO): paraffin based latent storage in connection with geothermal district heating system
Weiz (AT): Central thermal energy storage tank in connection with decentralized hot water storage tanks
Cueno (IT): “Slope Elevator” – realisation of a new system for the production and storage of electrical power
Bračak Manor (HR): Central battery (bank) system, installation and integration of photovoltaic system for an advanced energy management system

The event is being organised within the Climate Alliance Store4HUC project that aims to improve territorially based low-carbon energy planning strategies. It is also the kick-off for Climate Alliance's building event series this summer.

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Other events in the series

WHY Open Day: Predicting the Impact of Household Behaviour Intervention on Environmental Pollution

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0200

The WHY open day on 11 June invites stakeholders and policy makers to join experts and academics and share ideas and insights to the importance of including behavioural aspects in climate policy. The event will explore what Energy System Models can do to help reducing the pollution through the example of 5 use cases. Expert discussions will unveil what stakeholders around Europe say about different behaviours using electricity at home and why people invest in the energy transition.

The event is part of this year’s EU Green Week. Climate Alliance promotes this event within the WHY project that builds a Causal Model to improve the understanding of human decision processes behind energy demand patterns at residential level. It will enable to accurately forecast the impact that different policies will have on the household energy consumption behaviour of the citizens. This way energy consumption in residential areas can be changed and the targets of the EU Green Deal reached.

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Tackling energy poverty and air pollution

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 13:30:00 +0200

Proper combustion of fuels is essential to minimize impacts on air quality and for efficient use of energy. In large parts of Europe, low-income households often suffer from a combination of poor domestic heating systems, insufficient insulation and limited financial resources to access sustainable energy services.

This event, organised as a partner event of the EU Green Week 2021, focuses on the tight connections between air quality and energy poverty and the multiple wins household energy renovations have for the vulnerable energy consumers.

Confirmed speakers:

Ina Karova, sustainable development expert at the Energy Agency of Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

João Pedro Gouveia, Senior Researcher, PhD at CENSE, FCT-NOVA University of Lisbon.

The event is moderated by the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub project that is coordinated by the Climate Alliance.

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Renewable Energy Regions – Creating Partnerships for Renewable Energy

Thu, 20 May 2021 00:00:00 +0200

How to match renewable energy demand and supply within a region? How can urban areas meet their energy demand with renewable energy from reliable regional sources? These questions will be the main focus of this online conference.Tarek Al-Wazir, the German State of Hesse's Minister for Economy, Energy, Transport and Housing, will open the event with a video contribution. Participants will then gain insights into how cities such as Barcelona and Hamburg are tackling challenges by establishing partnerships for renewable energies and hear contributions on the energy transition and renewable energies. A space for networking and exchange with the speakers and other participants will round out the event.

Climate Alliance is promoting the event within the Interreg project RegEnergy that aims to create renewable energy demand and supply partnerships between urbanised and surrounding rural areas. Participation is free of charge. A translation from English to German will be available.

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Smart, clean and quiet? Electrifying transport in cities and regions

Wed, 12 May 2021 00:00:00 +0200

The session will explore the interconnection between zero pollution and the electrification of freight and public transport. Aimed at decision makers, both from the public and private sector, it will highlight the interdependency of e-mobility and the reduction of air and noise pollution. To this end, expert speakers will draw future scenarios where public and private actors work hand in hand to set up policies and charging infrastructure, contributing to healthier and more liveable municipalities.

Climate Alliance promotes this event as part of the Interreg project e-SMART aiming for an integrated approach to electric vehicle charging infrastructure planning and e-mobility services development. The event is part of this year’s EU Green Week.

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Climate Star Ceremony – Meet the Climate Stars

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0200

On 22 April, the winners of the 9th Climate Star competition will be awarded at the digital Meet the Climate Stars award ceremony.

This year, a total of 16 Climate Alliance members will be honoured for their committed local climate action. Participants can learn more about the winners and their projects, from ambitious energy and climate plans, innovative ideas for conserving resources to motivating competitions. In a total of four breakout sessions, participants will have the opportunity to get to know this year’s Climate Stars and ask their questions.

Participants who register by 24 March can look forward to toasting to the Climate Star winners with a bottle of organic sparkling wine (while supplies last). Climate Alliance invites you to the event together with Climate Alliance Austria and the State of Lower Austria.

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European Covenant of Mayors – official launch of the renewed ambitions

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Building on a survey among local authorities, which Climate Alliance members could also contributed to in 2020, and on the climate-neutrality target of the European Union, the Covenant of Mayors movement in Europe is getting bolder: signatories are invited to step up their ambitions and accelerate a just climate transition. Within the framework of the launch event, local leaders from the Political Board of the Covenant of Mayors will talk about the new Covenant vision and explain why it makes sense for local leaders to renew their ambitions. In the second part second part of the event, the Covenant of Mayors office will provide information on the new commitments and answer questions of participants.

This event is organised by the Covenant of Mayors – Europe Office funded by the European Commission, and in cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions. The event will be held in English. Interpretations for the first part will be provided in German, French, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak and Spanish.

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European City Facility: Peer-to-Peer Workshop

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0200

The EUCF has announced its 2nd call for proposals, which will run from 29 March to 31 May. Time for municipalities to get prepared! Successful applicants from the 1st round will join this workshop and train participants on how to submit successful applications.

The EUCF supports municipalities and local authorities across Europe in developing investment concepts. With a grant of € 60,000 and additional support, it aims to unlock investment in sustainable energy projects, leading to accelerated implementation of local energy and climate action plans.

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Online discussion: Climate Alliance targets

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Back in 2019, Climate Alliance has launched the discussion on the network’s objectives with the paper „Net-zero and carbon neutrality – pathways to a low carbon future“. Since then, the discussion with members has been further advanced, as most recently in the context of the Climate Alliance Digital Days in October 2020. Now, the European Secretariat of Climate Alliance has developed initial proposals for a Climate Alliance Charter, which is to serve as a continuation of the Bolzano Declaration from 2000. It takes into account current developments such as the Paris Agreement and the discussion on climate neutrality. These aspects are also placed in the context of the Climate Alliance principles.

Climate Alliance members are invited to join in on the discuss and help us further develop the Climate Alliance Charter. The following two dates are offered for a direct exchange:

Monday, 29 March 2021, 10:00 – 12:00
Wednesday, 31 March 2021, 10:00 – 12:00

Are you interested in participating? Please contact Thomas Brose at t.brose(at)climatealliance.org and indicate your date preference. Registered participants will receive the draft text of the Charter in advance.

In the run-up to the Climate Alliance Digital Days, interviews were conducted with member municipalities to find out how they discuss the targets issue locally. The most important findings have also been taken into account in the development of the Climate Alliance Charter:

Ambitious targets are crucial. Without ambitious goals there is no money, no political support and no credible communication
Targets should be “digestible” (i.e. implementable or achievable)
Many members want support/guidance from the European Secretariat on the implications of different objectives for the implementation pathway

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Review Climate Alliance Digital Days Discussion (2020)
Discussion paper on net-zero and carbon neutrality (2019)
Bolzano Declaration (2000)

Stakeholder Café – Investments in renewable energy sources for local city councils

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Public procurement can be an effective tool for promoting innovation and integration of renewable energy sources (RES) - for municipalities and businesses. However, there are several barriers that need to be overcome. The workshop will be evaluating barriers and enablers to the collaboration between innovative SMEs and local government while evaluating low carbon business opportunities (RES innovations) not only from an economic point of view but also considering their environmental impact via the LCA (Life Cycle Analysis). The stakeholder cafe is aimed at identifying solutions and proposals, considering both barriers (including EU procurement rules) and opportunities based on the most up to date results of the XPRESS project.

The event is organised within the XPRESS project for the uptake of renewable energy sources in public buildings and public transportation via green public procurement. Climate Alliance is part of the project team and helps facilitating the direct dialogue between local public authorities and innovative SMEs.

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Connecting Nature Summit Series | 1st edition

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0100

We are facing huge, unprecedented problems: a global pandemic, climate change and an ecological emergency. As countries and cities adapt to living with Covid-19 and implement recovery strategies they have been presented with a unique opportunity: an opportunity to build back better and to use innovative solutions to do so. Building a strong city ecosystem using nature-based solutions that support society, nature and economic growth is key but it will be challenging to build.

Over three days in March the Innovation Summit brought together an international audience to explore how we shift to sustainable, greener cities that deliver for their citizens using nature-based solutions. It shared the learning from the community of cities involved in Connecting Nature and introduced the innovative tools and methods being developed through the project.

The Connecting Nature Innovation Summit was co-hosted by Glasgow City Council and greenspace Scotland and supported by Climate Alliance. The summit took place virtually, but participants could still experience a bit of Glasgow’s culture, the host city of the UN COP26 in Nov 2021, by discovering the city virtually. The multi-day event was the first edition of the Connecting Nature Summit Series.

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Energy Vulnerability in Private Rented Homes

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0100

The focus of this event is the presentation of a first report that explores the impacts of energy poverty in the context of privately rented households. Three experts will discuss the challenges of energy poverty:

Marine Cornelis, EU Ambassador of the European Climate Pact and director and founder of Next Energy Consumer
Stefan Bouzaroski, Professor at the University of Manchester, chairman of the European Union Energy Poverty Observatory, as well as the COST ENGAGER Action
Manon Burbidge, Research Associate at the University of Manchester’s School of Environment Education and Development (SEED)

Climate Alliance promotes the event in the framework of the ENPOR project. This launch event marks the kick-off of the ENPOR project's series of activities around Europe, exploring ways to alleviate energy poverty in the private rented sector.

The report and a related analysis will be available for download after the event. As of now, a summary of the report is available online.

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Working Group on Financing Workshop: Energy efficiency & investment concepts

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0100

This workshop focuses on innovative financing models for energy efficiency in municipal and residential buildings as well as the development of an investment concept for climate action concepts. Furthermore, we want to hear from participants about their local challenges. A short presentation will provide insights into municipal financing models.

The event is aiming at members of the Working Group on Financing as well as interested Climate Alliance members.

Register now

The event will be held in English. After a successful registration, you will receive the login as well as the link for the workshop.

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Working Group on Financing
Climate Alliance projects on financing: SCORE | FALCO |EUCF

A River with Rights: How communities are fighting for the rights of the Atrato River in Colombia

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0100

The case of the „Atrato River as a legal subject“ must receive greater visibility at the European level. With this aim in mind, the online event focuses on indigenous communities of the Chocó and shows how they inhabit the Atrato River and defend this important source of life. In a series of short presentations, field reports and subsequent discussions, participants learn more about the ethnic communities in the Chocó as well as the interrelations between the rights of the Atrato River and the (over)quality of life of the local population.

Climate Alliance Vorarlberg is organising this event together with the Lutheran World Federation, the European Secretariat of Climate Alliance, FIAN International and FIAN Colombia. Together with its partner organisations in Chocó, Colombia, Climate Alliance Vorarlberg has been consistently engaged for almost three decades. The network supports projects in this impressive rainforest region with its ecological and cultural wealth.

The entire event will be conducted via Zoom with simultaneous translation in German, English, Spanish and French. The event can also be followed in Spanish via YoutTube.

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Event Flyer (in German, pdf)
Climate Alliance Vorarlberg

UK100 launch: local pathway to COP26

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0100

This online event will launch a year of activity that supports the ambition and commitment of local authorities to reduce emissions as soon as possible in a way that benefits their communities. The event will also explore how leading organisations are collaborating with local authorities to develop a holistic approach to the challenges of how to deliver an effective economic and social response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while staying true to the green transition.

The event is being organised by UK 100, a network of highly ambitious local government leaders in the United Kingdom, and aims at local leaders across the UK and beyond. A group of local leaders who have re-pledged to UK100’s new, more ambitious membership pledge will be speaking and Nigel Topping, UK High Level Climate Action Champion for the UN Climate Summit, COP26, will be giving a keynote.

Cycle E-Sufficiency: Mobility and Public Space

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Overconsumption of energy and materials has devastating effects on climate and the environment. It is urgent to start consuming less and better, in line with the concept of energy sufficiency, which is still largely unknown and misunderstood at the European level. According to Environmental Change Institute, “Energy sufficiency is a state in which people’s basic needs for energy services are met equitably and ecological limits are respected.”

This online event on energy sufficiency will discover how to apply this concept to the field of transport. Participants will learn from experiences of FEDARENE members from Sweden and AREC IDF (Regional Agency for Energy and Climate, Île-de-France) on energy sobriety and sufficiency and discuss different visions in Europe.

The event is the second online discussion of the Sufficiency event series of FEDARENE and AREC IDF. The event will be held in English.

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Online-Training: Financing solutions for ambitious climate investments

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0100

This event focused on financing solutions for three types of investments: energy efficiency measures for SME’s, renovation of private buildings and renovation of public buildings. This online training was aimed at all municipal representatives who are interested in learning how municipalities can use these solutions. Municipalities could also obtain direct feedback on their situation on the ground and then examine the ideas.

Climate Alliance was organising the online training within the FALCO project, which aims at financing ambitious climate targets. The FALCO team will support municipalities in testing these solutions and was available for discussions following the online training.

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Recording of training: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 (Youtube)
FALCO Online-Training 2020
FALCO Project

Public-private cooperation to support the transition to electric mobility

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0100

How can local public transport and the Last Mile of logistics be electrified in the Alpine region? This virtual conference takes a closer look. Stakeholder from France, Austria, Italy, Germany and Slovenia discuss the promotion of electric local transport, the development of electric freight solutions for Last-Mile-Logistics and renewable energy grid planning. Expert speakers of different Alpine countries will provide interesting insights into their fields of expertise.

Climate Alliance supports the event within the framework of the Interreg Alpine Space project e-SMART. The project aims to foster transnational cooperation among public and private actors for an integrated approach to electric vehicle charging infrastructure planning and e-mobility services development.

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EU Regions & Cities Week: Financing Climate Action in Cities

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0200

How can financing schemes for climate & energy be implemented best at local and regional level? The workshop will focus on this question and aims at creating a unique opportunity to move forward on the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).

For this event, the Climate Alliance project European City Facility (EUCF) joins forces with the Covenant of Mayors and the H2020 PROSPECT project. It will harness the extensive experience of the Covenant of Mayors and look at initiatives like the EUCF and the PROSPECT peer-to-peer learning programme to overcome the financial gap between local climate action planning and implementation. Financing local authorities' sustainable energy and climate projects is hindered primarily by lack of internal capacity to identify and implement financing schemes and investment programmes. How can cities enhance their ability to attract investments? In this context the key role of the EUCF in synergy with Covenant of Mayor and PROSPECT activities will be discussed.

The workshop is part of this year’s European Week of Regions and Cities. To participate, you first need to register to the EU Week of Regions and Cities and then sign up for the specific session.

Register here for

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How to incentivise sustainability mobility behaviour

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The on-going pandemic has had a long lasting impact on various aspects of our lives. In the last few months, societies had to make drastic changes to adapt to the new reality. A new normal has been established. Apart from the socialising restrictions, mobility was one of the aspects most heavily impacted by the pandemic.

Due to the nature of the pandemic, public transport usage dropped significantly and many people switched to their private cars. Yet not all effects were negative. Some cities have taken the pandemic as a once in a lifetime chance to implement measures that would have been considered controversial or hard to implement before. These positive changes include the fast improvement of the biking infrastructure in several European cities.

In this transnational workshop, held in the framework of the Interreg funded SaMBA project, we will explore how to achieve behavioural changes towards sustainable mobility, with a focus on the effects of Covid-19.

Want to learn more? Contact Marie Kleeschulte at m.kleeschulte(at)climatealliance.org

Nature-based enterprises: delivering the Green Deal for Europe

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The European Green Deal is at the heart of the EU Recovery Plan and Europe’s growth strategy for the next generation. In this event, John Bell, Director Healthy Planet of the European Commission & Hazel Chu, the Lord Mayor of Dublin will lead discussions on the potential of the nature-based economy to expand sustainable and job-intensive economic activity. This session brings together an expert panel of politicians and policy makers, nature-based enterprises and industry leaders to raise awareness of the economic, social and environmental potential of this emerging market sector.

The event is aimed at all stakeholders that are interested in the potential of nature-based enterprises to contribute to economic development and sustainable growth. Participants can get involved through interactive polls and the chat. The event will be held in English and will be supported by Climate Alliance through the project Connecting Nature.

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EU Regions & Cities Week: Partnerships for Renewable Energy Regions

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0200

A greener Europe will require local and regional authorities to increase the share of renewable energy in their production and consumption mixes. This workshop will explore how regions and cities can join forces with rural communities to create renewable energy partnerships. Such partnerships help cities meet their demand for renewable energy from reliable regional supplies while strengthening the economic resilience of rural communities. Best-practice examples from across Europe will shed light on how to overcome regulatory and other barriers.

This workshop is being organised within the Interreg project RegEnergy and is part of this year‘s European Week of Regions and Cities. In RegEnergy, Climate Alliance is working with eight project partners to increase the use of renewable energy in northwestern European regions.

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Climate Alliance Digital Days

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Yet while the acuteness of the Corona crisis makes it difficult to ignore, it is the climate crisis that will endure in Corona’s wake. How can our cities and towns emerge from the Corona crisis both more sustainable and more resilient? Which responses can break business as usual patterns for the benefit of the planet and its people? How do we harness this moment of change within our municipalities and how can the EU Green Deal contribute? This is a turning point for the climate. Which way forward will our network, our municipalities and our society take?

The Climate Alliance Digital Days will explore local solutions out of the Corona crisis towards a truly green recovery. The event includes a variety of thematic workshops, discussions and exchange opportunities. As part of the Climate Alliance Digital Days, this year's General Assembly will take place digitally on 8 October from 13:00 to 15:30.

Detailed information on the registration process will follow shortly. The registration for the General Assembly, however, is available as of now.

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Programme
Registration
Technical information

Environmental Aspects in Public Procurement in Europe

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Public authorities serve as an example in environmentally friendly procurement. But what role do environmental aspects currently have in public procurement in Europe and how can the aim of environmentally friendly procurement be implemented in practice? What kind of initiatives, experiences and criteria do already exist? Together with experts, practitioners and scientists in the field of public procurement from all over Europe we would like to discuss the goals of climate protection, circular economy, biodiversity and a non-toxic environment.

Participation is free of charge. The event will be held in English.

The two-day conference will be hosted by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the German Environment Agency (UBA) and organised by the Berlin Energy Agency GmbH (BEA).

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Urban Mobility Days 2020

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Over the course of the digital conference, delegates will hear sustainable urban mobility success stories from Europe and further afield. These will equip attendees with inspiration, tools, and know-how to further advance clean and sustainable transport in line with the European Green Deal. The conference will also go beyond transport by connecting zero-emission mobility initiatives with broader EU efforts to tackle climate change and make Europe a carbon-neutral continent by 2050. Conference activities will also address the resilience of urban mobility in unforeseen circumstances, and take stock of lessons learned to date during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conference combines two leading events from Europe’s transport calendar: the CIVITAS Forum Conference and the European Conference on Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). It will allow policymakers, local authorities, academics, NGOs, urban transport practitioners, urban planners and all those putting the SUMP concept into practice to share their experiences using a virtual forum.

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Dobbiaco Talks: Against climate chaos – between technology and sufficiency

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0200

No one questions climate change anymore and very few question our role in global warming. Most people are committed to climate protection. But what are the new conflicts and controversies? The Dobbiaco Talks 2020 want to give participants the opportunity for information and discussion, for deepening and orientation in this exciting field of action. As climate protection, but also the increasing frequency and growing intensity of extreme weather events, come to the fore for the public, politics and economy, those who have been committed to climate protection for years see themselves challenged to redefine options and strategies for action

This year's discussions will focus on the relationship between smart solutions, technology and sufficiency – whether it is the potential contribution of these solution paths to mitigate climate change or their social acceptance and feasibility in a democratic society.

The event will be held in German and Italian. A simultaneous translation will be available. The number of participants is limited.

Register here!

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Dobbiaco Talks (DE | IT)
Programme (DE | IT)
Registration (DE | IT)

24th International Passive House Conference 2020

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The 24th International Passive House Conference will take place, this year for the first time as an online conference. With this year’s motto „Passive House: Building the future – sustainably!“ the conference demonstrates the building sector’s contributions to a sustainable future.

Participants can expect a comprehensive conference programme: scientific lectures, building tours and the accompanying informative Online Passive House exhibition. Additionally there will be networking opportunities and basic as well as advanced workshops.

The event is subject to a fee. The early bird discount is valid until 10th August.

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Preconditioning the ratification of the EU-MERCOSUR trade agreement – what needs to change?

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Building on our June webinar, this event continued the open dialogue between civil society and policy makers about the EU ratification of the MERCOSUR free trade agreement. While the recently published Sustainability Impact Assessment of this agreement emphasizes that deforestation in the Amazon can be halted only “provided that sound policies are in place”, opposing trends continue to unfold under the current Brazilian government. For that very reason, refusal to ratify the agreement is growing in the EU with Austria, France and the Netherlands strongly opposing it. Bringing the voices of both our indigenous partners and the financial sector, we asked: what needs to change to turn things around in the Amazon and for the Mercosur agreement to reduce deforestation rates?

This webinar was organised in cooperation with the Rainforest Foundation Norway and Society for Endangered Peoples. Below are the highlights of the webinar, while a full recording is available online here (in English).

Kretã Kaingang set the scene, reminding about the gravity of the situation in Brazil; a country with a government that does not support the fight against the forest fires, but in contrast is accusing NGOs of lying about the ongoing environmental destruction. Kaingang stressed the necessary support from Europe to prevent further ecosystem losses. For him and the Indigenous Peoples he represents, the EU-MERCOSUR free trade agreement opposes any climate goal, and instead would finance even more fires, deforestation and mining. He believes that since the current government never kept his word, only international commercial pressure, such as a European boycott of Brazilian products, could yield positive effects and force the authorities to better protect the environment.

Graham Stock (BlueBay Asset Management, see slides here) explained that since June, a Policy Dialogue on Deforestation exists between the Brazilian government and investors, who view deforestation as a major risk and the protection of existing ecosystems as increasingly important. According to this high level dialogue, some people in the administration and Congress are more sympathetic towards climate issues than the President. This format could inspire other investors, using the cost of financing as leverage to improve transparency and accountability.

Both panelists made clear that prior to the ratification, certain preconditions need to be implemented. See recommendations from Brazilian civil society in full here and from the investors’ side here. The main points are the following:

Moratorium on deforestation in the Amazon
Increased penalties for environmental crimes and deforestation, including freezing the assets of the 100 worst criminals
Implementation and respect of Brazil’s Forest Code
Strengthening Brazil’s agencies tasked with enforcing environmental and human rights legislation so they can carry out their mandates effectively
Demarcation of indigenous and quilombola lands
Legal framework for supply chain transparency, public access to data on deforestation, forest cover, tenure and traceability of commodity supply chains
Application of the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon

In the subsequent political discussion, Rainer Handflinger, Mayor of an Austrian municipality, highlighted the importance of pressure from the local level to the national level about the ratification of free trade agreements through a Resolution from European municipalities against the MERCOSUR agreement. Irmi Salzer (Deputy Head of the cabinet of the Austrian Ministry for Environment) also stressed that the climate crisis is a global one, for which we need global solutions. Ratifying the EU-MERCOSUR agreement without conditions is inacceptable for both, climate goals and indigenous rights!

Saskia Bricmont (MEP, Greens) confirmed that an environmental impact assessment commissioned by the Greens showed the huge human and environmental impact this agreement could have. Recommendations on these topics also figure in the official Impact Assessment, as the current safeguards are entirely insufficient. Despite all this, the Commission made clear that they won´t reopen negotiations, which means that the only option is to increase the public pressure asking for a rejection of this agreement and the inclusion of enforceable environmental and social safeguards in European trade.

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Smart urban solutions for climate mitigation

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0200

This event focuses on case studies in the fields of mobility and energy from Kiel, Germany, and the Baltics. It discusses the lessons learned for conceptualizing smart climate friendly solutions and analyses next steps. Climate Alliance is also part of the workshop and will present the CITY CYCLING campaign as well as the corresponding app.

The is event is part of a multi-day webinar series of the Smart City project, which aims to foster European dialogue and learning on smart cities for climate mitigation. The workshop will be held in English. A German version will be offered on 9 September.

Register here

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European Mobility Week 2020

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The European Mobility Week is a campaign of the EU Comission. Since 2002, the campaign provides the perfect opportunity to present sustainable mobility alternatives to local residents and to explain challenges that cities and towns are facing. This year’s theme is „Zero-emission mobility for all“. Important components of climate-friendly mobility at the local level are, for example, walking and cycling, local public transport and a redistribution of scarce public space in favour of these modes of transport. During this year’s Mobility Week, municipalities have the opportunity to highlight these important aspects by participating in the campaign through local activities.

The European Mobility Week consists of three parts: week of activites, permanent measures and the Car-Free Day on 22 September. Participating municipalities should organise at least one of these. Registration is open to all cities, municipalities and counties, who want to promote sustainable mobility.

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Procuring Green Electricity

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0200

There are many ways to purchase electricity generated from renewable energy technologies, or other sources which produce low levels of carbon emissions. There are pros and cons associated with each option and it is questionable whether some provide any additionality. When purchasing “green” electricity, organisations need to understand what they are buying, the likely impact of their purchase and the potential reaction of their stakeholders to any public announcements they make in relation to the associated emissions.

This session will compare the various green electricity offers, highlighting their benefits and the issues around which buyers should be made aware. It will also explore the use of Contracts for Difference arrangements to support new renewable energy projects, along with a discussion of procurement arrangements.

Dr John Green will be a speaker of this session. He was a Director of Green Electricity Marketplace for over 10 years, providing advice on green electricity options. He is also a Low Carbon City Officer at Plymouth City Council in the UK, one of the partners in the RegEnergy project. Climate Alliance is lead partner of the Interreg project and is organising this event.

Click here to join in on the session

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How European projects help in the shaping of EU policy

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0200

How could current European projects help to shape European energy policy in general and municipal energy policy in particular? This meeting will start with a policy introduction provided by two key note speeches that will introduce the interlinks between the Green Deal and the Recovery fund. A high level discussion will take place to explore how European projects can best support European policy making.

This session is also a unique opportunity for stakeholders to get acquainted with the projects funded under the H2020 call for socio-economic research conceptualising and modelling energy efficiency and energy demand. It is taking place in the framework of the kick-off meeting of the new WHY project.

The event is relevant to EU policiy makers, academics, energy modellers, technical experts from utilities and energy consultants.

Register here
^{The day before the session an e-mail including the link to the webinar will be sent to all registered parties.}

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H2020 call

Online conference on climate communication

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Climate change, climate crisis or climate emergency: How do we find the right words to talk about global warming? Within this conference, the community network Alliance in the Alps was offering inputs regarding political framing and communication, interactive workshops with best practice examples, networking opportunities and inspiring short films.

Especially now, it is important to work for more climate protection to make sure the crisis does not disappear from the political and media agenda. Within the framework of the conference, Climate Alliance oragnised the workshop "Communicating climate protection in everyday life - How does the transition happen in our minds?". The workshop gave an overview of available offers to integrate climate protection into everyday life and show how these tools are helping us to make progress.

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Sustainable energy investments as part of recovery plans | Part 2

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

How are EU Member States integrating sustainable energy investment into their economic recovery plans and how are national financial institutions supporting these efforts? These questions will be the focus of this two-part webinar series hosted by the European Commission.

After an introduction by DG Energy, invited speakers from national authorities (Croatia, Spain, Belgium and the city of Milan) will discuss how new forms of financial support for sustainable energy may emerge in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. After presentations, time will be allowed for questions and answers.

This webinar is being organised within the framework of the Climate Alliance project Sustainable Energy Investment Forums (SEI Forums). It will be of interest to public authorities at national, regional and local levels, members of national financial institutions, and the energy community at large. The event will be conducted in English.

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Overview of the Franco-German Citizens‘ Fund

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The Franco-German Citizens‘ Fund is aiming at supporting civil society initiatives and to strengthen relations between France and Germany. This grant fund, financed in equal parts by both countries, is made available to French and German local authorities and associations involved in Franco-German relations. With the annual budget of 2.4 million euros, the Franco-German Citizens‘ Fund offers financial support for Franco-German projects in various fields: city partnerships, environemnt, culture, sports, healt and many more.

In the framework of the joint project TANDEM, Climate Alliance was organising this event together with Energy Cities. The project managers of the Franco-German Citizens‘ Fund, Karin Passebosc and Heike Hartmann, gave participants a better understanding of how the fund works, including scope, eligibility criteria and application procedure, as well as its topics.

The event will be held in both French (14:30) and German (15:30).

Read more

Presentation in French (pdf)
Presentation in German (pdf)
Recording of the event in French (Youtube)
Recording of the event in German (Youtube)

Want to learn more? Contact Jonas Rönnefarth at j.roennefarth(at)klimabuendnis.org for more information.

Towards a fair energy transition – enabling vulnerable consumers to take part in energy communities

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The biggest challenge of the energy transition is not just to decarbonise our economies, engage consumers and mitigate energy poverty in parallel efforts but to link these issues. The Clean Energy for all Europeans Package (CEP) allows for the active participation of vulnerable consumers and low-income households in self-consumption and energy communities schemes. However concrete obstacles remain and need to be addressed during the transposition.

This session's purpose is to discuss concrete obstacles to inclusion and participation in energy communities including the interrelatedness of energy policies with other policy areas, such as social welfare. The Discussion will take place among European policy makers, academia, environmental and social NGOs. The session addresses the aforementioned stakeholders as well as local authorities, as the closest governmental level to the citizens in charge of designing and implementing local energy policies.

The session is part of the extended programme of this year's EU Sustainable Energy week. The event is being organised and moderated by the consortium of the Climate Alliance project SCORE, that helps consumers become prosumers of renewable energy.

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Empowering consumers through energy communities

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Empowering citizens and communities is central to the success of the European Green Deal as well as in speeding up the EU recovery efforts. It will support putting solidarity at the heart of the recovery. The clean energy package creates a new enabling framework for Energy Communities, how can this have a significant impact?

The purpose of this session is to raise awareness on the opportunities offered to citizens when participating in Energy Communities, as well as how it can contribute to the recovery efforts. It will further inform the ongoing debate on what needs to be done to create an enabling environment for the development of Energy Communities.

Register here!

The webinar is organised by Climate Alliance’s partner Community Power Coalition in the framework of this year’s EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW). The European Community Power Coalition is a diverse network of like-minded organisations who share a common goal of promoting the development of citizen and community ownership of energy in the urgent transformation towards a 100% renewable energy system.

Cities driving the green recovery: boosting investments for local actions

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The current crises are adding a lot of financial pressure on local authorities. Now more than ever it is important for cities to match financial resilience with climate resilience. The purpose of this event is to present and discuss with European policy makers and city officials how the European City Facility can support local authorities to transform their local climate and energy roadmaps into real investments. This event contributes to the ongoing discussion on how to best tap the potential of public funds and how to remove barriers to accelerate the transition to a clean energy system.

The session is part of the programme of this year’s EU Sustainable Energy Week. The event is being organised by Climate Alliance together with Energy Cities.

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EU Sustainable Energy Week 2020 - EUSEW

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is the biggest event dedicated to renewables and efficient energy use in Europe. This year, EUSEW is going completely digital! Highlights are a digital policy conference, the EUSEW Awards, the first European Youth Energy Day as well virtual meetings and other networking activities. Throughout June, participants will also have access to online side events and Energy Days, digital events taking place all over Europe.

Climate Alliance is present every year, communicating on initiatives that support municipalities in their climate goals. This year we are set to co-organise sessions on how local authorities can foster citizen participation in and co-ownership of renewable energies as well as on financing ambitious climate action in the form of energy efficiency and building retrofits.

Hands-on experience - develop renewable energies in your region!

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

This webinar was the first of many RegEnergy Talks. Two speakers with profound knowledge in the renewable energy transition were speaking about relevant findings from their daily business. They shared insights into the challenges and opportunities of local energy communities. The webinar focused on regional storage mechanisms coping with intermittent renewable energy supply. In addition, participants learned about institutional partnerships with backcountry communities and the cooperational work within these regions.

The event was part of the extended programme of this year's EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW). The webinar was co-organised by Climate Alliance within the Renewable Energy Regions (RegEnergy) project. The project aims at connecting the urban demand for renewable energies with the rural supply.

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Inclusive financing of a fair energy transition for municipalities

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The webinar focused on financing of the energy transition and provided insights into the innovative financing scheme, which was developed in the framework of the SCORE project. The business model is based on co-ownership and enables consumers to acquire a share in a renewable energy installation, thus becoming prosumers.

Making sure to support a just transition and to eradicate energy poverty, SCORE strives to encourage particularly vulnerable consumer groups to participate in low-threshold investment schemes.

The webinar wanted to demonstrate the implementation of the model for interested municipalities and local actors while drawing from experience from the SCORE project and its pilot cities.

Recording of the webinar (Youtube)
About SCORE

For more information, please contact Marie Kleeschulte at m.kleeschulte(at)climatealliance.org.

Sustainable energy investments as part of recovery plans | Part 1

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

After an introduction by DG Energy, invited speakers from national authorities (Poland, the Netherlands, and Slovakia) will discuss how new forms of financial support for sustainable energy may emerge in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. After presentations, time will be allowed for questions and answers.

The second part of the webinar series will take place on 30 June 2020.

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Brazil in crisis – COVID-19 is the tip of the iceberg

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

How can Europe support Brazil in overcoming its current humanitarian and environmental crisis?

Within this webinar, Brazilian civil society and indigenous representatives shared their perspective on the situation in their country: what does the instrumentalisation of the crisis in order to speed up deforestation and environmental destruction mean for them and how can Europe support?

The aim of this event is to learn from indigenous representatives about their real needs and the crucial role Europe could play in supporting Brazil out of its crisis. European politicians respond to this and give their opinion on what Europe can do to help.

This webinar is a cooperation event of Climate Alliance, Rainforest Foundation Norway and Society for Endangered Peoples. The recording of the entire webinar is available here.

Panellists:

Marcio Astrini, Observatório do Clima - see his presentation
Dinamam Tuxá & Kretã Kaingang, APIB (Brazil's Indigenous People Articulation)
Anna Cavazzini, Member of European Parliament (Alliance 90/The Greens)
Kathleen Van Brempt, Member of European Parliament (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats)
Marina Silva, former minister for the environment Brazil

Highlights:

We all know that the situation in Brazil is grave, and the evidence that the government is prepared to use the chaos created by the covid-19 crisis to weaken the democratic institutions and environmental safeguards in place in Brazil, giving yet another illustration of the Shock Doctrine described by Naomi Klein in 2007, adds additional concern.

The upcoming German EU Presidency, which put the ratification of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement high on its agenda was also an important frame for this meeting.

Our Brazilian panellists highlighted that the situation on the ground is worse than what is reported, and the government’s action is truly putting democracy and public health in Brazil at risk. They argued strongly that Bolsonaro’s decisions are a danger for the entire planet and called to unite across continents to fight his attacks on the Amazon and the peoples living there.

They made clear that the EU ratifying the Mercosur agreement now would be seen as a “seal of approval” on Bolsonaro’s policies, regardless of the fine print in the agreement. They were also concerned such a deal will help finance the war against indigenous peoples in the Amazon and strengthen existing genocidal attempts. The current agreement is a threat, as it doesn’t offer enough protection for human rights, on the contrary: it will provide a reason to increase attacks on indigenous peoples, the ones protecting the Amazon, many argued.

Indigenous representatives also highlighted the EU’s double talk, on one hand advocating for climate action, but on the other hand negotiating an environmentally damaging trade agreement that finances genocide. They ask for clarity and a choice in priorities: climate and human rights, or trade and destruction, and called for the EU to not ratify this deal.

Members of the European Parliament underlined the growing awareness of the Brazilian crisis in Europe, with citizens and supermarkets starting to mobilise. For them, the Mercosur agreement in its current form does not provide enough environmental protections. They also considered that improvements could be negotiated, and the ratification could be used as leverage to encourage more climate- and humans rights-friendly policies in Brazil. They pointed out that even without an agreement, trade happens anyway: products are already being exchanged between Brazil and the EU, and as such entirely rejecting the agreement will not necessarily improve the lives of Brazilians. However they agreed it is a delicate balance to strike.

Recommendations include:

An ongoing dialogue between Brazil civil society and European decision-makers, as adequate information is necessary in order to neutralize the harm Bolsonaro’s government is doing.
Listening and supporting indigenous communities in their resistance is vital, whether on the ground or in the juridical battles they wage against the Brazilian government.
The quantification of CO² imports and exports could also be a tool to monitor trade policies.
Pressure needs to build up and the European economic power should be harnessed to transform its influence on the rainforest.
Rethinking trade policies and aligning them with climate goals would be a logical step. It is past time for European to recognise that its policies have consequences elsewhere and that, among others, the EU dependency on soy imports needs to decrease, which means reforming our agricultural model. Furthermore, the EU should also have a system in place to make sure that the products it imports do not contribute to deforestation: the idea of a new law establishing due diligence in supply chains is starting to take hold.
Concerning the Mercosur agreement, it appears important to start working on pre-ratification conditions: what are the minimum (social and environmental) standards Europe requires before signing a trade agreement? We now find ourselves at a crossroads: do we want a new type of trade agreement that takes into account social and environmental factors, or do we stick with the old way and ignore the impact on climate and people?

Want to learn more? A dialogue on that topic will continue in the coming weeks and months, email us at climatejustice(at)climatealliance.org for more information.

The webinar was co-financed by the European Commission in the frame of the DEAR project "Change the Power – (Em)Power to Change".

Peru – Indigenous peoples in times of Covid-19

Thu, 28 May 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The webinar was a cooperation event of Climate Alliance, INFOE, Information Centre Peru and indigenous partners from Peru

The panellists highlighted the overall difficult situation that affects the whole of Amazonia, and not only Peru. In the entire region, many people are ill, there is little state support and hardly any medical care in indigenous communities. In urban centres such as Lima, but also the cities of Iquitos and Pucallpa/Yarinacocha in the Peruvian Amazon which are particularly affected by the virus, indigenous people find themselves stranded due to the lockdown without being able to return to their communities. Unequal access to public services excludes indigenous communities which means that the indigenous population is disproportionately affected by the virus. As such, the pandemic reveals further social, economic and political inequalities while resource depletion, such as deforestation, continues with no sign of slowing down.

"The covid 19 crisis throws a harsh light on the corruption that exists at all levels of government in Peru. It's a shame that the people who are supposed to protect us use the situation to their own advantage. The central government is not interested in the lives of the indigenous people.” Jhenny Muñoz Hilares, Representative of the Asháninka.

But some positive developments are also happening: solidarity and partnerships are key in the fight against the virus. It is once again clear that local resilience is of great importance in times of crisis, which has for example been strengthened in the Asháninka community thanks to the support of the City of Munich. The climate partnership of the City of Köln with Yarinacocha is also trying to organize help. Moreover, traditional knowledge and the use of medicinal plants, like Matico, shows first successes in the fight against the virus supporting those infected and without access to hospital care - the Comando Matico Covid 19 dedicates itself to this work.

For more information please contact:

Silke Lunnebach, s.lunnebach(at)klimabuendnis.org +49 69 7171 39 -32
Elke Falley-Rothkopf, elke(at)infoe.de +49 221 73928-71

_{Foto: Tereza Soria Gonzalez}

European Urban Resilience Forum 2020

Wed, 27 May 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Given the current health crisis in Europe and worldwide, the 2020 edition of the European Urban Resilience Forum will take place on 27 May as an online event.

Since 2013, the European Urban Resilience Forum has offered a unique platform where city representatives and stakeholders from various local and regional institutions come together to exchange and discuss strategies and actions to adapt to climate change and build urban resilience.

The Forum will cover different topics and the interrelation between urban resilience and health, keeping its informative, open and interactive format. Participants are encouraged to share experiences and points of view on diverse topics, tackling existing challenges in local urban adaptation, while exploring potential solutions and opportunities for future collaboration.

Climate Alliance is part of this years organising committee.

For further questions, please contact Lea Kleinenkuhnen at l.kleinenkuhnen(at)climatealliance.org.

CANCELLED | ELSA Annual Conference 2020 – 20 years of the Land and Soil Alliance

Thu, 14 May 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The next annual meeting of the European Land and Soil Alliance (ELSA) will take place in South Tyrol in May 2020. In the anniversary year "20 years of the Land and Soil Alliance", the ELSA Annual Conference will return to the place where the idea for the European Land and Soil Alliance was born in 2000.

Read more on www.bodenbuendnis.org

European municipalities & climate emergency – a Franco-German comparison

Tue, 05 May 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Climate Emergency is lived differently in every municipality and every country. In this webinar participants heard from one German and one French municipality on their climate emergency declarations. Differences and similarities as well as the current state of implementation were highlighted through questions and answers. The aim: to point out what we can learn from local authorities in the neighbouring country, but also how we can make progress in implementing climate emergency resolutions in our own country, what obstacles there are and how we can overcome them.

In the spotlight

How did the decision for climate emergency come about and which stakeholders were involved?
How is the resolution implemented, e.g. by "climate checks" within resolution proposals?
What effects does the resolution have on the budget (personnel and material costs) in the area of climate action?
Has the resolution already led to concrete measures or their prevention?
Climate emergency and climate neutrality – similarities and differences

Speakers

Agnes Schönfelder – Head of climate protection coordinating office Mannheim, Germany
Isabelle Le Vannier – Head of energy transition coordinating office of the community association Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, France

The webinar was held in French and German with simultaneous translation available. It was open for members of Climate Alliance and Energy Cities as well as other interested parties via the TANDEM project. TANDEM promotes the exchange between German and French municipalities in the context of local climate action through joint activities and campaigns, including the Franco-German Energy Transition Week – with the next edition taking place in January 2021.

Further information

Recording of the webinar (You Tube, in both German and French)
Presentations from Mannheim and Montpellier (pdf, in German and French)
Questions not answered during the webinar (pdf, in German and French)
Climate Emergency Events
Climate Alliance's Climate Emergency work
TANDEM

Want to learn more? Contact Jonas Rönnerfarth at j.roennefarth(at)climatealliance.org for more information.

Developing a renewable energy project – challenges and good practices

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The development of renewable energy projects has become attractive to a variety of actors -from energy consumers to local authorities and private companies - who recognize the social, economic and environmental potential of renewable energy.

The Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat organises this webinar to support the shift from planning to effective implementation of renewable energy projects on EU Islands. The webinar will focus on the phases of the development of bankable renewable energy projects, discussing the key obstacles and associated technical challenges, as well as good practices to evaluate and mitigate these risks.

If you are interested and want to know more about the development of a renewable energy project, register here!

Read more:

Can we still solve the problem of climate protection?

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Join Professor Wolfgang Feist, founder of Climate Alliance’s partner organisation, the Passive House Institute, for a discussion on our collective fight against climate change and the role that Passive House buildings can play in this challenge. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about role energy efficiency in buildings can play in climate action and get your questions answered.

The webinar has been kindly made available to Climate Alliance members. It will go for approximately 90 minutes and will be held twice, once at 9:00 and once at 18:00.

Learn more:

Launch Webinar: The European City Facility explained

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200

The new European City Facility (EUCF) provides hands-on expertise and simplified financial aid (up to €60,000) as well as capacity building and peer-to peer support to municipalities to enable the development of sound investment packages and mobilise finance.

Unlock financing for your sustainable energy plans! The Launch Webinar on 7 April 2020 focused on investment concepts and how the European City Facility can help you develop one.

Climate Alliance is proud to be part of the consortium behind this groundbreaking support mechanism for municipalities across Europe!

Learn more

For more information, contact Tatjana Veith at t.veith(at)climatealliance.org

CANCELLED | Covenant of Mayors Ceremony & European Climate Pact Announcement

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Following the decision of the European Parliament from Monday 2nd March at 5.30pm to cancel all public events for the next 3 weeks, the Covenant of Mayors Ceremony & European Climate Pact event in Brussels on 4 March 2020 got cancelled.

Further information on the cancellation and the official press release of the European Parliament is available here.

World Sustainable Energy Days 2020

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0100

The clean energy transition is taking on a new dynamic in Europe and worldwide. "Energy efficiency first" and "global leadership in renewables" are at the centre of this transformation process. This requires strong policies, competitive businesses, technology innovation, investments and the involvement of the citizens. By addressing these topics and more, the annual World Sustainable Energy Days attract over 660 participants from over 50 countries each year.

In just 3 days, you can profit from a comprehensive package:

up-to-date information on markets, policies, technologies, financing, business models, research and case studies
hands-on experience through technical site visits
a tradeshow with 1,600 exhibiting companies
new business opportunities and valuable networking possibilities

Call for Papers & Speakers

Closing date for applications: 10 October 2019
www.wsed.at/en/call-for-papers-speakers

Read more

www.wsed.at/en

Launch of the European City Facility

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 16:00:00 +0100

We are excited to announce the launch of the European City Facility at the Covenant of Mayors Investment Forum on 19 February in Brussels!

You have an ambitious climate and energy plan? Just as many others, you are facing the gap between planning and realisation of projects due to a lack of sustainable energy investments?

The European City Facility (EUCF) addresses two fundamental barriers for sustainable energy investments:

Financial and legal capacity of local authorities to transform their long-term energy and climate strategies (e.g. SEAPs, SECAPs etc.) into appropriate investment concepts.
Lack of aggregation of fragmented small projects (for example in the building sector) and thus lack of attractiveness for the financial sector.

Set up under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation of the European Union, the EUCF provides tailor-made, rapid and simplified financial support (in the form of EUR 60,000 lump sums) and related services to a large number of municipalities in the European Union, enabling them to develop relevant investment concepts.

The resulting investment concepts will represent an initial step towards a fully-fledged business and financial plan and thus facilitate the subsequent mobilisation of (local) investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Stay tuned and learn about the EUCF, supporting bold and ambitious municipalities, local authorities and groupings of local authorities to transform climate and energy plans into real investments.

Reach us on Twitter: @eucityfacility

Launch event details:

4 - 4h30pm on 19 February 2020, followed by a networking cocktail
In the frame of the Covenant of Mayors Investment Forum - Energy Efficiency Finance Market Place
Crowne Plaza Hotel (Rue Gineste 3 | 1210 Bruxelles | Belgium)
Register here!

Financing adaptation actions – Covenant of Mayors' Adaptation series #4

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Meeting the costs of adaptation measures for climate change is a major challenge for both large and small local authorities. In this edition of the Covenant adaptation webinar series we will explore some of the available financing options.

The Covenant of Mayors - Europe Office will provide an overview of various opportunities for financing climate change adaptation in municipalities, of several resources that feature practical city experiences, and of a tool that gathers information on EU-wide funding initiatives, support services and innovative financing schemes.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will present their Natural Capital Financing Facility and the Covenant cities of Athens, Greece and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, will share their experience.

Read more

International Cradle to Cradle Congress

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0100

The International Cradle to Cradle Congress offers the biggest Cradle to Cradle platform worldwide – yearly, it provides 1.000 participants of the C2C-Community with the opportunity to meet key opinion leaders from all around the world. Forums, lectures and workshops create the possibility for networking and interdisciplinary exchange.

The Cradle to Cradle e.V. and its educational work spurs rethinking and connects the various C2C actors from the economy, science, education, politics and society. More than 700 active members which are organised in 50 initiatives throughout Germany deliver new perspectives and orientations within the Cradle to Cradle Design Concept to society.

At the International C2C Congress you will have access to an exciting mix of first-hand practical and specialist knowledge. Renowned speakers from business, science, education, politics and society will bring you up to date. You can look forward to solution-oriented and field-tested methods and approaches according to C2C.

The innovation concept Cradle to Cradle stands for a design concept in which healthy materials circulate continuously in biological and technical cycles - there is no waste. Products and production processes are healthy for people and the environment and feed exclusively on renewable energies.

Read more

www.c2c-congress.org

Climate Emergency – Global Covenant of Mayors Global-Regional Exchange

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0100

In response to the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR1.5) and the Fridays4Future movement, over 1,000 jurisdictions in 19 countries have to date declared a Climate Emergency, committing to bold action and raising awareness on the urgency of the issue.

The Global Covenant of Mayors Secretariat, in collaboration with Climate Alliance, is organising this call as an opportunity to share experiences with cities that have issued a Climate Emergency Declaration. Climate Alliance will also present its take on the state of Climate Emergency declarations and talk about the network offers.

Please contact Sarah Mekjian at s.mekjian(at)climatealliance.org if you are interested in attending.

Climate Emergency Webinars | Climate Alliance work on climate emergency

UN Climate Change Conference (COP25)

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0100

First set to be held in Brazil, then Chile and now in Spain, the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) got off to a rocky start. Brazil, the original host in South America, withdrew the offer to host COP25 shortly before the start of COP24 at the end of November 2018 at the insistence of then President-elect Jair Bolsonaro "due to financial bottlenecks and the imminent change of government". Chile became the host country after Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and Environment Minister Carolina Schmidt issued a formal invitation towards the end of COP24. On 30 October 2019, Chile backed out due to civil unrest and Spain then stepped in to save the event.

Cursed from the beginning, COP25 unfortunately did not bring world leaders to take the next crucial steps in the UN climate change process, failing to fully operationalise the Paris Climate Change Agreement - read more here.

Monitoring and Evaluating Adaptation Actions

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Following the webinar dedicated on designing an Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan, the next edition of the Covenant of Mayors adaptation webinar series will focus on monitoring and evaluating adaptation measures. This webinar is directed at signatories of the Covenant of Mayors and other municipalities interested in monitoring adaptation.

As monitoring adaptation action is new for most local authorities, this webinar starts by giving an overview of the monitoring requirements of the Covenant. A presentation by the Development Agency for Marche Region shows how they are supporting municipalities in the novel task of monitoring through the Life Sec Adapt tool. At the webinar’s end, there will be a focus on how local authorities can improve the monitoring process itself with the Erasmus University Rotterdam’s presentation of the Reflexive Monitoring Approach developed within the Connecting Nature project.

The webinar is organised jointly by Climate Alliance and the Covenant of Mayors Office.

Learn more

About this webinar
Registration

Climate Emergency – Global Covenant of Mayors Global-Regional Exchange

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Climate Emergency Webinars | Climate Alliance work on climate emergency

Contributions

Sarah Mekjian and Andy Deacon, Climate Alliance (pdf)
Climate Emergency in Vancouver (pdf)
Climate Emergency in Recife (pdf)

Clean Energy for EU Islands Forum

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The fourth Clean energy for EU islands forum will start with a high-level political event, the Forum will further feature interactive workshops and a technology fair.

The ‘Clean energy for EU islands initiative’ was launched in May 2017 and provides a long term framework to help islands generate their own sustainable, low-cost energy.

The Forum is organised by the EU Islands Secretariat, whose consortium consists of Climate Alliance, REScopp.eu and 3E.

Register for the webstream

Day 1 (20 November, starting at 12:00)
Day 2 (21 November, ending at 14:00)

Read more

Brazil and the EU: Indigenous Rights, Imported Deforestation and Climate

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 17:30:00 +0100

This event will shed light upon the links between European imports, deforestation, human rights violations, climate and the current situation of indigenous peoples in Brazil. Arguing that the EU-Mercosur trade agreement in its current form will only aggravate the situation, and that the EU doesn't have any tool in place to ensure that its agricultural imports do not cause deforestation or human rights violations, the panellists will provide recommendations to improve conditions for both indigenous peoples and the climate.

Background

Brazil is the country where most carbon is stored worldwide – in forests sustainably maintained by indigenous peoples and local communities. Safeguarding these territories as carbon sinks is vital if we are to curb down greenhouse gas emissions in the coming 12 years, as needed in order to reach the 1.5°C climate target.

However, since Jair Bolsonaro became President in January 2019, the government unequivocally stated that instead of protecting indigenous territories to safeguard the environment and human rights, it will rather exploit them for “economic development” and agricultural expansion. As we know, this position emboldened exploitative appetites and eventually led to extensive fires in the Amazon, sparking an international outcry.

It is important to acknowledge that the EU – Brazil’s second biggest export partner – largely contributes to deforestation, mostly through its imports of soy, beef and leather. This imported deforestation can be prevented in the future through laws guaranteeing products sold in the EU do not cause deforestation and the inclusion of binding and enforceable rules in the EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement. But for now the sustainability chapter of the Mercosur trade deal – without any clause on sanctions - only expresses a declaration of intent.

Further information

Co-organised by Fern and the Representation of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate

This event is made possible through the project "Change the Power – (Em)Power to Change: Local Authorities towards the SDGs and Climate Justice" with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Climate Alliance and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

International Passive House Days

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0100

From 8 to 10 November, Passive House buildings worldwide will be open for public viewing. Passive House buildings are not only energy efficient. They are also comfortable, healthy and cost-effective - and therefore a wise investment for municipalities.

Municipalities who have public buildings which meet the Passive House Standard have the opportunity to open their doors for the open day visits and show citizens and other local authorities alike how Passive House buildings offer an affordable and sustainable alternative to help achieve ambitious climate protection targets.

Visit a Passive House building to experience the benefits first-hand! Neighbouring municipalities can use the Passive House Days as an opportunity to learn how Passive House contributes to local energy policy and climate protection. The open days are also a great opportunity for local residents to take part and understand the benefits.

Registration and instructions to open a building for viewing can be found on the international Passive House database. Simply click on project registration and complete the online process.

For viewing opportunities in your area, participating buildings and relevant information will be published on the database as of the beginning of September.

Further information

Passive House Days
Passive House Database: www.passivehouse-database.org
International Passive House Association: www.passivehouse-international.org

Contact
International Passive House Association | info(at)passivehouse-international.org | +49 6151 826 99 55

Business models for nature-based solutions

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 11:00:00 +0100

Municipalities are under pressure to address climate change challenges. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are proposed by the European Commission as a cost-effective way of climate action, resulting in economic, social as well as environmental benefits. NBS are very diverse and range from parks, street trees to storm water management ponds. It is a new way of looking at measures that many local authorities have already been implementing.

But how should municipalities to go about planning, managing and financing an NBS, so that it delivers the multiple benefits mentioned above?

In this webinar we will have a close look at a dialogue tool and a planning tool that can support you in developing a business model for your NBS: the NBS Business Model Puzzle and the NBS Business Model Canvas.

This webinar is ideal for municipalities that are just getting started with NBS as well as those that are already frontrunners. Interested SMEs are also welcome to attend.

The webinar is organised by Climate Alliance and the Covenant of Mayors Office in cooperation with Connecting Nature and Naturvation.

Learn more | Register

100% Renewable Heating and Cooling for a Sustainable Future

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The European Technology and Innovation Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling organises this event for a sustainable future, the opportunity for experts in the field of heating and cooling to learn, network and present their innovative projects.

The conference gathers industry representatives, researchers and policy makers to network and exchange their expertise on renewable innovative projects, challenges and opportunities to thrive in the long term.

This event includes a workshop and the conference. As final touch, the Mayor of Helsinki will host an evening reception at the City Hall. The reception will be organised in collaboration with the Nordic Energy Forum and the World Energy Council.

Read more

www.rhc-platform.org

POWER – The Conference

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0200

Join the POWER Conference and learn more about the POWER Digital Social Platform: It is a support tool which forms an important contribution in the efforts of cities to become sufficiently water-wise and be able to face these increasing water-related challenges. POWER offers an innovative and effective open source solution free of charge to regions, cities and users, based on a ‘link and scale up’ strategic network effect, which is aiming at social value, scalability, transferability, society empowerment and motivation to act.

Read more

power-conference.eu

Leveraging the power of local stakeholders for Europe's clean energy transition

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0200

In a practical workshop, local authorities and EU decision-makers will have the opportunity to learn about and discuss different models of tapping into citizens and local businesses as a powerful resource for the clean energy transition, including transition planning, community engagement and financing. The workshop will be inspired by the experiences from the Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat.

During this 150-minute session, the Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat aims to help local authorities gain a better understanding of how citizens and other local stakeholders can become a powerful driver and facilitator of a holistic and equitable clean energy transition.

During the first part of the session, experts who have been involved in the realisation of multi-stakeholder transition projects will share good practice examples, highlighting specific engagement methods employed in these projects in the areas of energy transition planning, financing and community engagement.

The participants will then have the opportunity to split into smaller groups to dive deeper into the engagement methods and exchange with the experts and their peers on how they could include this method in their own endeavours. Participants will have the opportunity to cover 2 methods, in 2 sessions of 50 minutes each.

To close the session, the experts will summarise the key takeaways from the workshops, which will be shared in a follow-up with the participants, alongside further support to the island stakeholders according to the needs expressed.

Climate Alliance coordinates the consortium that currently constitutes the EU Islands Secretariat. The other consortium partners are 3E and REScoop.eu, with technical support from the University of the Balearic Islands, the Technical Educational Institute of Crete and the Aeroe Energy and Environment Office.

Read more

About this workshop
Registration (until 27 September 2019)
Islands at the EU Regions Week
Programme of the EU Regions Week

Sustainable Mobility Behaviours in the Alpine Region

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0200

Air pollution and high emissions resulting from the transport sector are a major issue in the Alpine Space area. In an attempt to remain below EU thresholds for pollutant concentrations, several low carbon mobility options have been introduced. Yet, the private car remains the main transport mode. In this transnational workshop we will address the clearly identified need of promoting the use of sustainable transport options and its key success factor, the user behaviour.

Mobility practitioners will discuss with behavioural change experts and representatives of best practice municipalities on how we can encourage the public to change and how policy making can gain a better understanding of the user perspective.

The workshop is part of the EU project SaMBA, in which Climate Alliance is involved, and is funded by the Interreg Alpine Space Programme. The event is organised in conjunction with the CIVITAS Forum 2019.

Further information

Climate Alliance International Conference

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0200

The Climate Alliance International Conference and General Assembly is the highlight of the Climate Alliance year and the ideal place for members to both exchange and get inspired. We look forward to seeing you this year at "CAIC19" from 25 to 27 September in Rostock, Germany!

28th Climate Alliance International Conference page

#CAIC19

Climate Strike

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0200

The climate crisis is already threatening our civilization and for most of us, it is in our cities and towns that the consequences will be most drastically visible.

To emphasise the urgency of action, companies and organisations around the world are supporting the Fridays for Future students in their climate strike on 20 September 2019.

These strikes go hand in hand with the climate emergency declarations that many Climate Alliance members have already proclaimed.

Climate Alliance would like to encourage all members to support the strikes in any way they can.

Further information coming soon

_{Photo: Jasmin Sessler via Unsplash}

Climate Emergency – A member exchange on declaring and beyond

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0200

Worldwide, cities and towns are declaring a climate emergency and increasing numbers of Climate Alliance members are joining the movement. Many see climate emergency declarations as a way to signal to their citizens that they are taking the climate challenge seriously while also using them to engage their own municipal administrations in solutions-oriented thinking on climate change.

The challenges that surround the declaration of a climate emergency range from the naming of the issue (do we call it a climate emergency or would we reach a wider consensus if we avoided “e-word”?) all the way to governance post adoption (how exactly do we make climate a priority in all future decisions?).

In this webinar, municipalities that have already declared shared their experiences and participants discussed the potential of such declarations as well as the challenges from their ratification through to their implementation, leaving with inspiration for the path ahead!

_{The webinar was conducted in English. Informal support for German-speaking participants was provided.}

Climate Alliance work on climate emergency

Contributions

Cllr. Tom Hayes, Oxford (mp4) | Oxford's example | Citizen's assembly website
Mag. Lukas Oberwagner, Ried im Innkreis (mp4)

Smart City Rosenheim – Low Carbon Cities for Better Living

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0200

The Sinfonia Workshop will be the opportunity to share insights on what makes a smart city and, more importantly, shade light on the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead of it:

Solutions and challenges for large scale refurbishment of social housing buildings
Holistic approaches to energy supply
Citizen and stakeholder engagement
Benefits and Co-benefits of urban development projects

After the workshop itself, participants will have the opportunity to visit two sites:

The Institute of Building Biology + Sustainability, built with highly efficient eco-materials and enjoying on-site solar PV generation
The local brewery Flötzinger Bräu, equipped with its own 420 kWp solar PV generation system for own consumption

Further information

About the Sinfonia project
Programme
Registration
Participation is free of charge but registration is mandatory.
The event will be held in German and English with simultaneous translation.
Questions to robert.freund(at)rosenheim.de

How to engage citizens in local climate action with online tools

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0200

The webinar aims to give municipalities an insight into citizen participation on adaptation and sustainability issues through online tools. In particular, Digital Social Platforms (DSP) will be discussed: The POWER platform will be presented by means of activities in the British city of Leicester and the Change the Future platform will be introduced through the example of the German city of Worms. The advantages and challenges of using DSPs will be highlighted and the possibilities that DSPs provide to achieve adaptation to the effects of climate change as a municipality and sustainability goals will be discussed. The Covenant of Mayors is organising the webinar, which will be held by Climate Alliance employees, among others.

Read more

Programme and registration

International Passive House Open Days 2019

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0200

The International Passive House Open Days are a great opportunity to learn about Passive House and energy efficient buildings. Get in contact with current owners and learn firsthand what it is like to live in a Passive House and what the building or retrofitting process was like. Some open houses and buildings will even have professionals on hand with the knowledge and tools to explain the technical details of Passive House projects.

This mid-year event, organised by iPHA and its affiliates, allows participants to experience the benefits of Passive House buildings in a different season to the event in November.

Further information

www.passivehouse-international.org

Serious Impacts of the Amazonian Waterway

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0200

This two session event explores the dangers of dredging Amazonian rivers as forseen in the Amazon Waterway project. Such dredging would not only alter the rivers’ natural course, it would constitute a shock to the Amazonian ecosystem and endanger the numerous indigenous communities dependent on this ecosystem. Indigenous representatives, Climate Alliance leadership and conservationists will share their perspectives. This event is put on by the Aidesep indigenous organisation and Climate Alliance. It takes place in parallel to this year’s Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), one of the most important preparatory meetings in the lead up to the Climate Summit.

Learn more

EU Sustainable Energy Week 2019 - EUSEW

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0200

EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is the biggest event dedicated to renewables and efficient energy use in Europe. It is made up of a policy conference from 18 to 20 June in Brussels offering various networking opportunities, an EU Sustainable Energy Awards competition with a public vote for the citizens' award and local events, Energy Days, held across Europe throughout the months of May and June.

Read more

18 June: Attend the Renewable Energy Community Side-Event at the Climate Alliance Brussels Office with experts from the IPCC, the OECD and other city networks
20 June: Visit our session Energy efficiency as a tool to tackle energy poverty and social issues with the city of Brest (FR)
www.eusew.eu

Covenant of Mayors training on project financing

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0200

This training session aims at providing assistance for local authorities interested in seeking financing for their sustainable local development projects.

It mainly targets climate finance experts or municipal employees working on funding and financing and the project developers.

The event offers parallel coaching sessions providing technical assistance towards financial readiness of projects related to climate adaptation and mitigation by experts from South Pole, Climate-KIC and the Investor Confidence Project.
Covered topics: how to bundle projects, how to set up innovative finance schemes, how to ensure financial readiness and investor’s confidence.

Participants are expected to be ready to discuss the local challenges they face when seeking financing. The financial experts will give unbiased feedback on the projects presented.

Read more

www.eumayors.eu

Designing adaptation strategy and action plans

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0200

Following the webinar dedicated on conducting a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, the next edition of the Covenant of Mayors adaptation webinar series will focus on designing a strategy and action plan for adaptation to climate change impacts.

City practitioners will present various aspects of this process, including how to identify and prioritize possible adaptation measures, how to engage with citizens and other stakeholders and how to build on existing policies. A tool which facilitates the identification of adaptation measures to address a range of climate change hazards will also be presented during the webinar.

Learn more

ICCA 2019

Wed, 22 May 2019 00:00:00 +0200

The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the State of Baden-Württemberg and the Climate Alliance Member City of Heidelberg will jointly host the International Conference on Climate Action – ICCA2019 – in Heidelberg on 22 and 23 May 2019. The conference will bring together leaders and decision-makers from countries, regions and cities as well as stakeholders and experts from around the world.

The ICCA also provides the framework for the international Climate Neighbourhoods event, sponsored by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and implemented by ifeu and Climate Alliance. Climate Neighbourhoods addresses actors from local government, civil society and companies that are actively involved in climate action.

Workshop Governance III: Collaborative planning for ambitious climate and energy policies
May 23, 11:00-12:30 | Organised by Climate Alliance, Climate Chance and Energy Cities

To put the vertical integration of climate action into practice, all levels of government and a wide range of actors need to take part in the design, planning and implementation of energy and climate policies. These collaborative processes are as important as the ambitions and targets they propose, or even more so: they determine whether all actors can be successfully mobilised and condition whether a broad consensus on the way to reach the objectives can be established. This session showcases the various ways in which local and regional actors, as well as civil society, are already working with other levels of government to reach common targets, and explore how this can be improved and used across other countries. Examples from Climate Alliance members and from the European Covenant of Mayors framework and how its signatories, coordinators and supporters cooperate across government levels will be highlighted along with success stories from other world regions.

Further information

Climate Neighbourhoods 2019

Wed, 22 May 2019 00:00:00 +0200

Part of the ICCA 2019, the Climate Neighbourhoods addresses ICCA's central question: How can vertical and horizontal cooperation lead to the intensification and dissemination of climate mitigation activities and adaptation to climate change?

With the motto Let's Scale Up Solutions!, this international event will promote practical discussions on the issue generally as well as its implementation. This year's Climate Neighbourhoods picks up on the 2015 Climate Neighbourhoods in Hanover, which provided important impulses for strengthening the municipal level that were incorporated into the international debate at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. This year, Climate Neighbourhoods will link representatives at all levels of climate action projects with the general public for an ambitious approach to fulfilling the demands of the Paris Agreement.

From 20 to 23 May, the Climate Neighbourhoods' Youth Climate Summit will offer young people the opportunity to actively contribute their perspectives on climate mitigation and adaptation through participatory elements. At the Climate Neighbourhoods' Climate Action Festival on 22 May, interested members of the general public get their turn to get involved.

Climate Neighbourhoods addresses actors from local government, civil society and companies that are actively involved in climate action. Climate Neighbourhoods 2019 is sponsored by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and implemented by ifeu and Climate Alliance.

Further information

Climate Neighbourhoods 2019 website: cn2019.org
ICCA2019
ICCA and Climate Neighbourhoods 2015

Passive House Conference 2019 "Achieve better buildings!"

Fri, 03 May 2019 00:00:00 +0200

Climate protection is one of the most important current tasks for cities and municipalities. Highly energy-efficient buildings are part of the solution for sustainable economy. The conference therefore offers a wide range of programme items tailored to local authorities and housing associations. Look forward to lectures, exciting panel discussions, workshops, a passive house slam, an accompanying exhibition and extensive networking - and of course you can also visit passive houses in Heidelberg and the surrounding area!

Further information

Giving power to your city – the POWER Follower City Conference

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0200

The conference welcomes to Tuscany the POWER Follower Cities and other interested municipalities with the desire that the event will provide them with a series of solutions to the engagement of their citizens in global environmental issues that will affect the future well-being of their communities.

The POWER project aims at demonstrating that the use of the POWER Digital Social Platform (DSP) could prove to be an essential element in an innovative approach to citizen engagement at local level. The DSP encourages the sharing of knowledge and experiences on climate change and water issues (scarcity, safety, quality, consumption) between citizens, public bodies, companies, and local authorities, both within Europe and the rest of the world. This creates an important tool to support the European policy of managing water resources, and strengthens and improves the governance of the environment and water networks.

In order to achieve the aforementioned goals, it is essential that the project’s initiatives are observed by, disseminated to, and ultimately replicated in a number of follower cities who have expressed their interest in the activities of the POWER consortium.

Conference participation is free of charge.

Read more about

Empowering Neighbourhoods for Climate Action

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0200

Save the Date!

Two day joint conference on neighbourhood approaches towards local climate action

Day 1 | How to Energize Neighbourhood Initiatives
Day 2 | Local Climate Activities in North-West Europe

For successful implementation of climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, it is fundamental to involve neighbourhoods and their residents. Changing perspectives from top-down to bottom-up and meeting residents eye-to-eye is key to creating sustainable, long term results.

Further information

Workshop 'Re-Framing Sustainability'

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Until now, there has effectively been no real sustainable development, global CO2-emissions are still rising and need to decrease quickly. Therefore, by transforming our relationships as our basis, we will explore how to create and collectively lead a turnaround as society towards a global sustainable development.

Questions we raise:

In which new ways do we have to perceive and understand sustainability in order to overcome existing boundaries and limitations?
Which dimensions of sustainability do we miss in recent definitions? How could a multidimensional framework for sustainability look like?
How can we improve our interpersonal communication in order to share a common ground for sustainability e.g. with our customers?
How can sustainability become an integral part of our daily mindset in order to create real personal and societal change?

Read more

www.social-banking.org

Adapt series: Assessing risks and vulnerabilities

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Planning adaptation at the local level requires understanding of the current and projected climate hazards and which sectors currently are or will become most vulnerable. Assessment of these risks and vulnerabilities is a first step towards the overall management of climate change risks.

This webinar, part of the Covenant of Mayors series on adaptation, will explore the various aspects of conducting a risk and vulnerability assessment at the city level. Practitioners will share their experiences why urban adaptation is important, what are some of the lessons learned in assessing risks and what hands-on tools are available to support cities in their efforts.

The Covenant of Mayors Office will organise a series of webinars on adaptation in the course of 2019. The webinars will cover the entire adaptation cycle – from assessing risks and vulnerabilities, through designing an adaptation strategy and action plan, monitoring and evaluating actions and financing planning and implementation.

Read more

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Remunicipalisation of the local energy

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Inspired by remunicipalisation initiatives all over Europe, an increasing number of local authorities are expanding their role, no longer simply acting as planning authorities but becoming operational stakeholders and driving forces for the local energy transition. New integrated municipal companies are increasingly being set up.

In the workshop concrete examples from different EU countries will be presented to show how energy supply can be managed or owned by local authorities. The workshop will provide a lot of space for small group work and peer-to-peer exchange.

Target audience: Elected members and municipal technicians
The workshop is free of charge and the registration is open.

Read more

www.nweurope.eu

World Sustainable Energy Days

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Energy efficiency and renewable energy are at the core of Europe’s commitment to a clean energy transition that serves the needs of citizens, economic development and the environment.

Achieving a smart, socially fair and sustainable energy system requires strong policies, competitive businesses and technology innovation. Mastering the digital transformation of energy and buildings will be crucial for creating a thriving economy and for the success of the global clean energy transition.

Read more

www.wsed.at

4th Breakout Session, live demonstration and networking event of the Energy Data Innovation Network

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The Energy Data Innovation Network (EDI-Net) initiative cordially invites you to its 4th Breakout Session on 20 February 2019 from 12:30 to 13:15 pm followed by a live demonstration of the energy saving tools with networking as well as food and drinks (from 13:25 to 14:05 pm).

This final event of the EDI-Net project takes place during the Covenant of Mayors Investment Forum on 19 and 20 February 2019 in Brussels. Climate Alliance will present a set of tools in a session that supports municipalities in achieving significant savings for electricity, gas and water to an audience of experts in the field of energy efficiency.

The Energy Efficiency Finance Market Place is organised by EASME and the Covenant of Mayors. The forum offers the opportunity to discuss key success factors for financing climate adaptation, clean urban transport and energy efficiency at operational level.

Read more

To registration for the networking event, please send an e-mail to Carmen Maier: c.maier(at)climatealliance.org
Registration for the Investment Forum
Programm of the Energy Efficiency Finance Market Place
About the EU project EDI-Net

Financing sustainable mobility

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Are you a city, region or province considering taking action on sustainable mobility to tackle climate change? Or a local authority that is already implementing activities on sustainable mobility and want to learn more about existing financial tools? Then this webinar is for you!

In the context of a series of events on financing climate action, the Covenant of Mayors - Europe organises this webinar with a focus on financing sustainable mobility projects.

The webinar will present the European Investment Bank (EIB) instruments and successful cases of cities that have benefit from them. The event builds on the expertise of the European Investment Bank in designing financial tools for sustainability, and on the capacity of local authorities to obtain and channel resources towards the implementation of sustainable mobility actions.

The Powers of Water – On the Way to the Sustainable Use of Nature's Driving Force

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0100

“Water is the driving force in nature”, Da Vinci is quoted. Indigenous Peoples such
as the Shuar also revere its sacred power. Hydropower is often portrayed as climate
friendly energy in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Yet, negative impacts on climate, biodiversity and communities are neglected.
The side event seeks solutions.

PANELISTS

Thomas Brose, Executive Director of Climate Alliance (Facilitator)
Dr. Thilo F. Papacek, GegenStrömung / INFOE e. V.
The Impacts of (Mega)Dams
N.N., Representative of COICA: Eyewitness Report from South America
Dietmar Mirkes, Climate Alliance Luxembourg / ASTM
Belo Monte, Odebrecht and the Luxembourg Connection – Presentation
of ASTM’s Study

Programme (pdf)

Local Climate Action – The Practices Behind the Numbers

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Sub-national governments are essential to help turn climate action pledges into concrete action, supporting implementation and raising the ambition levels of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Cities and regions around the world are leading the way, through the identification and implementation of innovative practices. To accelerate change and meet the Paris Agreement goals, local efforts need to be further supported and resourced.

This side-event will bring together climate experts and political leaders to discuss how “Locally and Regionally Determined Contributions” could be fully recognised and integrated into global processes.

Looking beyond the numbers, several tools and methods will be presented and will demonstrate the diversity of approaches already being taken.

Agenda | PDF

Introduction & Moderation: Andy Deacon, Policy Coordinator, Climate Alliance

1. CONNECTING THE LOCAL TO THE GLOBAL – the importance of a multi-level dialogue for involving subnational governments in the global climate governance regime | Andrew Cooper, Member of the European Committee of the Regions, member of Kirklees Council (United Kingdom)

2. OFFERING AN ENABLING FRAMEWORK FOR LOCAL ACTION

a. Luxembourgish National Government leading the way - focus on the Climate Pact | Lis Cloos, Pacte Climate Pact Coordinator, myenergy (Luxembourg)

b. The Covenant of Mayors Japan as an instrument for maximising synergies between the international climate pledges and the national climate policy framework | Noriko Sugiyama, Associate Professor, Nagoya University (Japan) and member of the Japanese Covenant of Mayors Office

c.   Engaging the local community – lessons learned from different regions of the world | Clémentine Laratte, Technical Advisor Climate and Territories, GERES, France

3.   RECOGNISING THE DIVERISTY IN PRACTICES – Climate Alliance’s approach for supporting local authorities and the potential for further recognition of their efforts in the NDCs | Miguel Morcillo, Project Manager at Climate Alliance, member of the European Covenant of Mayors Office

4.   DISCUSSION – Recognising & supporting local contributions – what are we missing?

Guiding questions:
a.   What is the situation across the world?
b.   What are the key challenges? (data, mobilization, others)
c.   What is the role of civil society to support those processes?

Making Islands Drivers of the Clean Energy Transition

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0100

In the framework of the UN Climate Change Conference | 16:30 – 18:00 | EU Pavillion Room Vienna

Financing energy efficiency in Germany, France and Austria

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0100

This event is aiming to present and discuss EU energy efficiency policy and different ways to finance energy efficiency investments. It will present opportunities for unlocking the potential for energy efficiency in Germany, France and Austria. Best practice from projects addressing energy efficiency in the buildings, industry and sustainable transport sectors will be shared. Speakers will focus on practical experience in developing, structuring and financing energy efficiency investment programmes. The event will allow time for debate.

This event is organised by the European Commission, in partnership with the German Ministry of Economics and Energy and the UN Environment Finance Initiative. It is part of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums contract, funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union.

Simultaneous translation will be available in German, English and French for plenary sessions and German and English for breakout groups.

Read more

Change the Power – (Em)Power to Change: The battle for land and water in Amazonia

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0100

In May 2016 Belo Monte on the River Xingu, a tributary of the Amazon River was officially opened. To make way for the world’s third largest dam, swaths of rainforest were cleared, fishermen and indigenous communities were displaced and 40,000 people were forcefully relocated. The end game: to generate electricity for multinational aluminium manufacturing companies. In the words of the public prosecutor, “all this goes against the law”.
Countdown on River Xingu V (documentary, short version 25 min) focusses on the penultimate construction phase of this mega dam: the flooding of the land. It reveals how the project came to be and what went on behind the scenes to make it happen. A scandal surrounding Brazil’s oil company Petrobras implicating major Brazilian construction companies and politicians is no small piece of the story.
After the screening we would like to discuss with our partners and the audience not only the question of impacts, but explore the vital topic of responsibility as well as alternative approaches towards a future-proof energy transition.

Speakers: Silke Lunnebach, Climate Alliance and Dietmar Mirkes, Action Solidarité Tier Monde (ASTM)

Climate Alliance event in coopeation with Climate Alliance Luxembourg / ASTM

UN Climate Change Conference (COP24)

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Three years on from the signing of the Paris Agreement, the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will meet in Katowice, Poland. There they will carry out the first global stocktaking of how the national commitments made thus far match up to the globally agreed goals limiting global warming to signficantly less than two degrees. Regions, cities and towns the world over have a large role to play in closing the gap between national level pledges and necessary action.

COP24 is sure to be a show of numbers on emissions reductions. Climate Alliance is poised to show what its members are contributing in terms of CO₂ as well as why it is so essential to go beyond the numbers and maintain a broader perspective on climate action.

Find out about Climate Alliance @COP24

Key documents

The Barcelona Declaration
The Talanoa Report

cop24.gov.pl

Alpine Space Regional Timber Award

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0100

The award recognises outstanding timber constructions built in the Alpine Space made from regional timber. During the ceremony the winners of six Apline Regions will be awarded for their efforts to use wood which derives from the region and is transported over low distances during the whole processing chain. They thereby make an important contribution to avoid CO₂ emmissions. The award is brought into being by the Interreg Alpine Space project CaSCo.

The 2^nd EUSALP Annual Forum will take place under the motto "shaping.future.together. with the next generation" on 20 and 21 November in the heart of the Alps in Innsbruck.

Read more

Alpine Space Regional Timber Award
Registration
Draft agenda
Practical information
Contact for the Alpine Space Regional Timber Award: Christiane Kretschmer, c.kretschmer(at)climatealliance.org

International Passive House Days

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0100

From 9 to 11 November, Passive House buildings worldwide will be open for public viewing. Passive House buildings are not only energy efficient. They are also comfortable, healthy and cost-effective - and therefore a wise investment for municipalities.

Registration and instructions to open a building for viewing can be found on the international Passive House database. Simply click on project registration and complete the online process.

For viewing opportunities in your area, participating buildings and relevant information will be published on the database as of the beginning of September.

Further information

Passive House Days
Passive House Database: www.passivehouse-database.org
International Passive House Association: www.passivehouse-international.org

Contact
International Passive House Association | info(at)passivehouse-international.org | +49 6151 826 99 55

Unlocking the potential of near-surface geothermal energy in the Alpine Space

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Climate Alliance cordially invites local representatives and renewable energy experts to an event on near-surface geothermal energy in the alpine region. The event will focus on the opportunities and challenges of near-surface geothermal energy, discussed on the basis of best practice examples. This final conference for the GRETA project will also honour the most innovative near-surface geothermal installation in the Alpine Space.

Participation in the conference is free of charge. For further information and registration please contact Janina Emge: j.emge(at)climatealliance.org

Read more

www.alpine-space.eu

Implementing the Energy Transition through Local Action Planning

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0200

European signatories of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy will discuss how to implement successful local climate and energy action through accelerating the uptake of decentralised and renewable energy.

While the expansion of renewables on the local level faces many challenges, decentralised approaches to renewable energy deployment have the potential to provide more affordable and fairer access to energy.

How can decentralised renewable energy solutions make access to energy more equitable? Can models like cooperatives and energy communities be valuable partners to local governments in implementing the energy transition? How can sustainable energy measures be successfully financed? These and more questions will be debated throughout the session, starting from the experience of several cities both in the panels and in the audience. Participants will be invited to join the discussion, sharing and discussing their own challenges, solutions and experiences.

Read more

www.eumayors.eu

Award ceremony Climate Star 2018

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0200

On 18 October, 15 municipalities from across Europe will be honoured for their outstanding projects in the fields of energy, mobility, climate justice and adaptation to climate change at the Climate Star gala in Schloss Grafenegg. The government of Lower Austria and Climate Alliance cordially invite all interested parties to this exciting award ceremony.

Climate Alliance cities and municipalities as well as municipal networks could apply for the Climate Star 2018 until 30 March 2018. An international jury evaluated the submitted applications and selected the local authorities to be honored.

Further information

for the participants of the Climate Star Gala (pdf)
Registration for the Climate Star Gala
about the Climate Star: climate-star.net

International PEACE_Alps conference on pooling climate efforts in municipalities

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Supra-regional cooperation, joint solutions and mutual learning are important factors in meeting challenges surrounding energy retrofits as well as questions of energy efficiency and adaptation to climate change. This international conference will focus on the exchange of cooperative approaches, political recommendations and good practice examples from around 250 municipalities in the Alpine region.

Read more

Programme of the event
Registration
About the activities in Peace_Alps in the 5th newsletter

Climate Alliance International Conference

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0200

The 2018 Climate Alliance International Conference and General Assembly is the event of the year for all Climate Alliance members. This year it will take place from 1 to 3 October in Barcelona Spain.

Learn more

ChangeNOW Summit

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0200

From now on the call for all local politicians of the European Covenant community to participate in a Mayors’ delegation for the ChangeNOW International Summit for Change in Paris on 28 September 2018 is open.

Mayors will have the opportunity to meet innovators in the field of energy, climate and environment, fellow politicians from all over the world, and to display their achievements in conference sessions on resilience and sustainable mobility. This call is open to all EU elected city representatives of the Covenant of Mayors Community.

Read more

BY&FORCITIZENS - Smart Regeneration of Cities and Regions

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0200

The conference will provide a forum to gain comprehensive insights into the opportunities and challenges conferred by further development of Smart Cities and Communities initiatives across Europe. The overall aim is to review and better understand the steps that city leaders, delegates, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders around Europe take to transform their cities into great and attractive places in which to live and work, creating strong local ecosystems.

The event will gather local and national authorities, representatives from the European Commission and many more.

Read more

byforcitizens.com

H2020 Energy Virtual Info Day

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0200

The info day will address potential applicants to the 2019 calls for project proposals under the 2018 – 2020 Horizon 2020 Work programme ‘Secure, clean and efficient energy’.

Presentations will cover:

The work programme's funding opportunities in 2019 for Renewable Energy Sources and Carbon Capture & Storage,
The novelties and changes in the updated work programme, including the call for project proposals for Next-generation Batteries
The submission and evaluation process
Horizon Prizes related to clean energy

Participants will follow the event via web streaming and will be able to ask questions during the event via sli.do using the #H2020Energy hashtag. The event will be also covered live on Twitter (#H2020Energy).

Read more

On the event page
Please register for the event
Further info INEA-H2020-Energy-Infoday(at)ec.europa.eu

The new Practitioner's Guide on Energy Performance Contracts

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Commission, and the European Investment Bank (EIB) launched a new Practitioner's Guide on the Statistical Treatment of Energy Performance Contracts on the 8th of May. The guide explains in detail how these contracts work and gives a clear overview of the potential impact on government finances. This will assist public authorities in taking better-informed decisions when preparing and procuring their EPCs.

The European Commission, in partnership with the UN Environment Finance Initiative, thus organising a webinar on this new guide within the framework of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums initiative. This webinar will be a unique opportunity to hear directly from members of the team that drafted the Guide and to pose any questions that you may have.

Speakers will include European Commission DG Energy, Robert Pernetta and Julia Kennedy from the European Investment Bank as well as representatives from the private banking sector. Please register by 3 July.

Registration

How to design effective policies against energy poverty in municipalities

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Are you a local authority considering taking action against energy poverty? Or are you a local authority that has already implemented energy poverty measures that you would like to share with other municipalities? Then this webinar is for you!

The European Covenant of Mayors is cooperating with the recently launched EU Energy Poverty Observatory to develop support for municipalities to draft energy poverty policies. This webinar will present a draft guidance for municipalities that can be used to design local energy poverty policies. The guidance takes into account the local circumstances of the municipality such as the local climate, and describes the steps to take towards concrete action. It is based on best practices that were already implemented in municipalities.

After the webinar, five interested municipalities will be selected to implement the guidance using the expertise from the EU Energy Poverty Observatory. The selection of municipalities will be based on geographical diversity, capacity and size.

Learn more|Register

Climate change: Making the Paris agreement work

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Six months ahead of the UNFCCC COP24 in Katowice, Climate Alliance's official partner, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), is holding a policy briefing on the state of play of the climate negotiations and the progress made on the modalities and guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The so-called “Paris rulebook” is to be finalised and adopted in Katowice. Discussions will also include the role of regions and cities as key non-state actors in the framework of the UNFCCC governance.

This event is designed for climate experts and specialised press. It will be held two weeks ahead of the high-level political debate on climate governance that the CoR will host during its plenary session 4-5 July. The EU's assembly of cities and regions will also adopt its opinion on COP24 during the July plenary.

Learn more | Register

International Conference on Energy Poverty in Europe

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0200

With the support of Climate Alliance, the City of Brest is inviting municipalities and other interested parties from all over Europe to a two-day conference on energy poverty within the framework of the European-wide Climate Active Neighbourhoods (CAN) project. The initiative deals with the energy retrofitting of socially disadvantaged districts and motivates residents to get directly involved. At the event, high-level representatives will discuss the framework conditions for combating energy poverty at the European, national and local level while local grassroots initiatives from Switzerland, the Netherlands and other European countries will be presented. The conference will also take an in-depth look at the links between energy poverty and health and participants can of course also look forward to exciting excursions.

Further information

9th International Cities for Mobility Congress

Sun, 17 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0200

The event will focus on mobility trends and their influence on creating liveable public spaces in cities, tackling especially the importance of mobility experiments and innovations with measures for the benefit of citizens as well as a careful design and use of public space that prioritizes sustainable modes of transport. Further topics that will be discussed at the congress are new concepts for the development of public transport services (such as on-demand mobility), innovations in city logistics and the expansion of shared transport models (car/bike sharing, ride sharing).

The event is addressed to municipal practitioners, decision makers, researchers, entrepreneurs and initiatives from civil society and combines presentations with practical activities, such as trainings, interactive workshops, excursions and contact forums.

The attendance is free of charge. During the plenary sessions simultaneous translation will be offered in English, Spanish and German.

Further information and registration

www.cities-for-mobility.net

EU for Talanoa

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0200

The EU for Talanoa conference is organised by the European Commission as part of the EU's contribution to the Talanoa Dialogue, an international process to take stock of the collective and individual efforts towards the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The inter-institutional high-level event aims to

stimulate discussions related to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the preparation of the next set of nationally determined contributions
show how the EU is delivering on its climate goals and accelerating the low-emission transition, building on the EU's technical submission to the Talanoa Dialogue
support the involvement of all public and private actors in the fight against climate change.

The event will bring together representatives from EU institutions, civil society, cities and regions, the private sector, trade unions and other relevant stakeholders from EU Member States and countries outside the EU. Climate Alliance board member Julie Laernoes will be speaking on the event's opening panel.

Website | Programme | Live stream

Excessive energy costs - bring them under control!

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Does your municipality have hourly automatic consumption data for electricity, gas or water in public buildings? Then the EU-funded EDI-Net project could be of interest to you: You can reduce your energy and water consumption with the help of innovative tools and the possibility of exchanging information with other cities.

For this purpose, short-term meter measurements of the energy and water consumption of municipal buildings are analysed in order to reduce energy consumption and thus save money.
Our initiative supports your municipality in the introduction of sustainable energy and climate protection plans and helps to define financial plans for energy and water consumption. Three pilot sites share their knowledge and experience with you: Catalonia (Spain), Leicester (Great Britain) and Nuremberg (Germany).

On 7th June 2018 the next information event will take place in our pilot city Nuremberg. You can expect interesting and innovative contributions from our project partners from the University of Leicester, the Energy Management City of Nuremberg, the city network Climate Alliance and the empirica research and consulting institute. Take the opportunity to inform yourself about the implementation of a sustainable energy policy in your city or region.

Participation is free of charge. On request, costs for travel to and from Nuremberg and, if necessary, hotel accommodation in Nuremberg can be reimbursed up to €200 (national) or €500 (international travel). Please let us know when registering for the seminar.

Have we aroused your interest?
Please register by Wednesday, 30th May 18 to Wolfgang Hofstetter, European Secretariat, Climate Alliance, +49 69 717 139 -13 or to info(at)edi-net.eu

Further information

About the EDI-Net
Invitation and agenda (pdf)

EU Sustainable Energy Week

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0200

The EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is an annual highlight featuring a diverse programme of sessions and side-events aimed at discussing and shaping Europe’s energy future. Sessions organised by the European Commission and energy stakeholders encourage debate on new policy developments, best practices and sustainable energy ideas, while networking events forge alliances. The EUSEW Sustainable Energy Awards additionally recognise outstanding innovation. This year's EUSEW operates under the tagline "leading the clean energy transition". Public authorities, energy agencies, industry associations, businesses, civil society organisations and the media are all invited to take part in the conference.

Climate Alliance is again involved in 2018 in a number of ways:

5 JUNE:Peace_Alps, an initiative through which Climate Alliance working with partners to help pools local energy and climate efforts in the Alpine region, is among the finalists for the 2018 EU Sustainable Energy Awards awards
6 JUNE: Climate Alliance's Climate Active Neighbourhoods project on neighbourhood-based approaches to energy retrofits in disadvantaged areas will be presented in a session on energy poverty
6 JUNE: Climate Alliance project partners in the POWER initative on water challenges will be present with a stand in EUSEW's Networking Village
7 JUNE: An energy talk will focus on a new Climate Alliance project by the name of SCORE, helping residents take charge of renewable energies and encouraging prosumerism.
7 JUNE: An energy data training session will take place in Nuremburg as an EUSEW Energy Day

Getting ready to apply for 2018 LIFE grants

Mon, 28 May 2018 00:00:00 +0200

The European Union funding programme LIFE has recently published the 2018 calls for project proposals. This year, around EUR 400 million is now available for projects on nature conservation and climate mitigation and adaptation. A streamlined application process for the environment calls under “traditional projects” has also been introduced to facilitate access to LIFE funds.

During this webinar, Bernd Decker of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), and Jelena Milos of the European Commission Directorate for Climate Action will present the calls and lessons learnt from the previous round of applications on how to develop a successful project proposal.

Particular focus will be given to the call for proposals dedicated to the climate component of LIFE. To get basic information on the LIFE calls prior to the webinar, you can consult the Covenant of Mayors funding information page.

This webinar is put on by the Covenant of Mayors, in which Climate Alliance is part of the managing consortium.

Further information

Fighting Poverty and Social Exclusion in Europe

Thu, 24 May 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Poverty, accompanied by social division, is a key challenge in our societies. Ever-intensifying consumption habits and expanding economies only exacerbates the situation. This symposium, featuring Climate Alliance Coordinator Andy Deacon as one of several exciting keynote speakers, will review policy actions taken against poverty in the EU. Delegates will have an opportunity to analyse the first developments of the European Pillar of Social Rights and reflect on everyone’s role in contributing to it and other similar initiatives.

Participants will have the chance to

Examine the European legislation and initiatives aiming to fight poverty
Assess good practice and review lessons learned from local initiatives
Reflect on the challenges of social inclusion and consider possible solutions on different levels
Discuss the role of the public and private sector in the fight against poverty
Analyse the pros and cons of minimum wages
Gain insights into national and local policies to improve the quality of life
Learn about Social Business benefits and opportunities
Identify the vulnerable groups exposed to the risks of poverty and the ways to support them
Debate the best ways of cooperation between international social stakeholders

Early bird registration is available through 13 April and includes a 20% discount off the standard delegate rates. Join the discussion!

Learn more
Programme (pdf)

Transforming Cities, Enhancing Well-Being

Wed, 16 May 2018 00:00:00 +0200

This event gives insight into solutions based on nature via a combination of inspirational talks, exchanges of experience and activity presentations on the following three themes:

Sustainable urbanisation in cities and restoration of degraded ecosystems
Assessment of the impacts of natur-based solutions: as to inform urban policymaking
Enhancing innovation potential for nature-based solutions through new governance and funding models

Participate in the discussions and take the opportunity to present your municipality’s nature-based solution during the poster session.

This conference is co-hosted by Climate Alliance and its partners in the Connecting Nature project.

Further information

Renovation of Public Buildings in Europe

Fri, 27 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0200

This webinar will allow participants to delve into the topic of how to financing renovations of public buldings. Four presentations will highlight various case studies and best practice examples:

Miguel Casas from Energinvest will present the outcomes of a study on innovative financing mechanisms for energy efficiency, based on 24 concrete case studies across the EU.
Erika Honnay from GRE-Liege will present RenoWatt, a one-stop-shop in Belgium which provides assistance to the participating authorities in the energy renovation of their buildings: identification of energy-consuming buildings, project profitability analysis, financing of the investment program and management of the entire public procurement procedure.
Rob McKinnon will present the Re:Fit project which has set up a framework contract to simplify public procurement of energy performance contracts in the UK to support public sector to implement energy efficiency and local energy generation measures.
Celine Tougeron from the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) will present the funding opportunities available under the EU programme Horizon 2020 to work on the renovation of public buildings, in particular Project Development Assistance and Innovative Financing schemes.

Please register by 26 April 2018.

The webinar is part of a series of webinars conducted within the framework of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums initiative, which Climate Alliance is helping carry out.

European Dialogue on Non-State Climate Action

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0200

The shift towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy has been driven largely by bottom-up initiatives led by the public, business, civil society and local authorities, collectively referred to as non-state actors. In recent years, the number, scope and scale of non-state climate action has grown rapidly. However, non-state actors still encounter obstacles that make it difficult for them to initiate and implement their climate actions successfully.

This event will take stock of the collective efforts on the Paris Agreement and takes the form of a regional Talanoa Dialogue - the main process by which the voices of non-state actors will feed into climate negotiations. It will include both plenary sessions and participatory workshops focusing on turning the dialogue into an actionable agenda, bringing together experts from national and subnational governments, the private sector, financial institutions and leading international and civil society organisations.

The event is organised in part by Climate Alliance’s official partner, the European Committee of the Regions and will include strategic Climate Alliance participation: Policy Coordinator Andy Deacon will be facilitating a participatory session on improving governance and the day will also feature inputs from Working Group on Financing Chair Ronald van Meygaarden as well as Board President Tine Heyse

Learn more | Programme

Tackling energy poverty in your SECAP - Where to start and how to get funded

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Are you a local authority considering taking action against energy poverty? Are you looking for ways to finance your actions on energy poverty and to collaborate with other European cities? Do you want to discover some best practices and learn more about how other cities are fighting energy poverty? Do you want to know if these actions can be included in your SECAP?

Then this Covenant of Mayors webinar is for you! This webinar will provide insights on how to include Energy Poverty actions in a SECAP. Through the presentation of dedicated call for proposals under the H2020 programme participants will learn how pioneer energy poverty actions could be financed. The presentation of case studies from Italy and Spain will close the webinar with some inspiring examples.

Read more

Energy Transition: Sharing Responsibilities, Changing Governance

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Energy Cities' zero-carbon future is built through partnerships that are wide-ranging, both in scope and scale. They will have to be forged between and within territories, between urban and rural areas, between city administration and citizens, between national and local governments, so as to create truly local alliances. Cities and regions beautifully capture what the European Union needs to be more: democratic, sovereign and united.

Further information

22nd International Passive House Conference 2018

Sat, 10 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0100

"Passive House - it's worth it!" is the main topic of this conference, whereby the framework conditions in Munich should also play a role.

The Call for Papers for the 22^nd International Passive Effort in Munich is open. This time, the focus is on the compatibility of energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Submit your abstract by 12 September 2017.

Further information

World Sustainable Energy Days 2018

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Energy efficiency and renewable energy are key to boost the economic competitiveness of the EU, its member states, regions and individual businesses. Resulting economic growth provides jobs and the ability to invest in the further progress of the clean energy transition to the benefit of all citizens. Clean energy for economic competitiveness and how to make the clean energy transition work for business, planet and people will therefore be core themes of the World Sustainable Energy Days 2018.

The event will feature policies, technology innovation and market development. It offers a unique combination of conferences and interactive events.

The annual conference brings together more than 700 delegates from over 50 countries from business, public sector and the research community.

Clean energy for all Europeans!

Call for Papers & Speakers - Deadline 10. Oktober 2017

Read more

The Covenant of Mayors Ceremony

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0100

As the Covenant of Mayors will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year, and with the 2020 milestone coming closer, you are kindly invited. The event will showcase how local governments develop integrated climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, transport or lighting, make greater use of renewable energy, and brace for climate hazards.

Covenant of Mayors Investment Forum - Energy Efficiency Finance Market Place

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0100

The event will present 25 successful projects in dedicated interactive workshops in 5 thematic strands:

financing climate adaptation;
financing clean urban transport;
financing energy efficiency in public assets;
delivering home renovation schemes in cities and regions; and
innovative financing solutions.

Practitioners will provide their concrete experience in the development of bankable investment pipelines in order to stimulate enable replication by other interested project promoters.

The event will bring together key stakeholders and practitioners from cities, regions and industry as well as the financial sector to discuss the key success factors for financing climate adaptation, clean urban transport and energy efficiency at the operational level.

Stands will be presenting successful projects and resources available to support project promotors, including local and regional authorities to design and implement successful initiatives in the areas covered by the event.

Further information

^{This event is organised by the European Commission's Directorate-Generals for Energy and Climate Action and the Executive Agency for Small and medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) in collaboration with the Covenant of Mayors.}

Implementing a pathway approach for climate change adaptation at the local level

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Planning for adaptation and selecting the right measures to implement while coping with a wide range of uncertainties is a challenge for many Covenant of Mayors local authorities. The goal of this webinar, organised by Climate Alliance within the framework of the Covenant of Mayors, is to tackle this issue.

The session will focus on assessing adaptation options and familiarise you in particular with the so-called adaptation pathway approach. This approach helps to prioritise adaptation options and assemble them in pathways: Information gathered during the phase of the risk and vulnerability assessment is used to evaluate the effectiveness of different adaptation options and considered together with the timing to assemble pathways of responses that will tackle previously defined climatic thresholds.

Further information

The power of innovative financing | Renovating buildings for energy-efficient cities

Mon, 04 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Boosting investment for sustainable building renovation is vital for achieving a clean energy transition in Europe. This is particularly true for buildings, which are responsible for 40% of Europe’s primary energy consumption and 36% of its CO₂ emissions. Unfortunately, it is difficult for municipalities to access financing to remedy the situation.

To make it easier and to raise awareness of the barriers and opportunities in financing energy retrofits, Climate Alliance has joined forces with a number of other organisations via the CITYnvest project to develop a set of tools and policy recommendations. CITYnvest’s final conference from 4 to 5 December 2017 will introduce these recommendations and sum up all you need to know about innovative financing models for energy efficient renovations. Interactive round-tables will encourage lively exchange on best practice examples and the implementation of CITYnvest projects. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from experts and share lessons learnt other local authorities on implemented innovative financing models. A networking moment organised by the Covenant of Mayors Office will close the event.

Participation is free of charge but registration is mandatory.

Registration

Further information

CityNvest
Funding opportunities via the Covenant of Mayors

Follow CITYnvest on twitter @CITYnvest #localaction

Financing Home Renovation in Europe

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Learn about financing home renovation with this webinar put on by the European Commission and the UN Environment Finance Initiative within the framework of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums initiative, carried out by Climate Alliance.

The discussion will open with an introduction by Timothée Noël of the European Commission – DG Energy and be moderated by Christophe Milin of EASME. Françoise Réfabert of Vesta Conseil & Finance will then present an overview of the challenges related to energy refurbishment in the housing sector as well as the experience of the first French public operator to set up a third-party financing mechanism (Picardie Pass Renovation). Marco van Dalfsen of KAW architecten will present the Reimarkt one-stop-shop concept in the Netherlands and Christophe Milin will close with some of the opportunities for supporting home renovation under the Horizon 2020 programme.

Be sure to register by 17 November!

Further information

International Passive House Days

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0100

From 10 to 12 November, Passive House buildings worldwide will be open for public viewing. Passive House buildings are not only energy efficient. They are also comfortable, healthy and cost-effective - and therefore a wise investment for municipalities.

Registration and instructions to open a building for viewing can be found on the international Passive House database. Simply click on project registration and complete the online process.

For viewing opportunities in your area, participating buildings and relevant information will be published on the database as of the beginning of September.

Further information

Passive House Days
Passive House Database: www.passivehouse-database.org
International Passive House Association: www.passivehouse-international.org

Contact
International Passive House Association | info(at)passivehouse-international.org | +49 6151 826 99 55

Horizon 2020 Information Day - Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency & Raw Materials

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Information Day and brokerage event on the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 "Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency & Raw Materials" will take place on 8 and 9 November 2017 in Brussels in the European Commission's Charlemagne building, rue de la Loi 170.

The event targets potential applicants to the 2018-2020 calls for project proposals under the Horizon 2020 Challenge 5 "Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials"

Compulsory registration for the event will open in July. The event will be web-streamed (the link will be available about 48 hours before the event). Follow @EU_ecoinno onTwitter for event updates.

#H2020SC5

For more information, please contact EASME-H2020-SC5-EVENTS(at)ec.europa.eu.

Read more

Geothermal in the Alpine Space –The GRETA Mid-Term conference

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Near surface geothermal energy presents a promising renewable energy source. On 7 November, municipal representatives and renewable energy experts will gather in Salzburg to discuss its vast potential for use by cities and towns in the alpine region. Exchange on the possibilities and learn about best practice examples at the GRETA Mid-Term Conference.

Programme (pdf) | Read more | Register

GRETA is an EU-funded project on near-surface geothermal energy in the alpine region.

Want to learn more? Contact Janina Emge at j.emge(at)climatealliance.org.

UN Climate Change Conference (COP23)

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0100

The 2017 UN Climate Change Conference will take place in Bonn but is being convened under the Presidency of Fiji. The island nation struggles with the impacts of climate change; its low-lying atolls are especially vulnerable to extreme weather events and flooding. Like many vulnerable countries, Fiji has limited resources to cope with climate change’s effects. Climate justice in the form of climate adaptation finance, effective monitoring and adherence to the Paris Agreement will thus be focal points of this 23rd Climate Summit.

Climate Alliance will be present throughout the two-week summit at a variety of key events.

Further information

Vocational skills for energy efficient buildings

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0200

A qualified building workforce is essential to ensure the higher levels of quality required for moving towards Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings and to accelerate the rate of building renovation in Europe. It is particularly important to train construction workers, as well as middle and senior level professionals throughout the entire building value chain, in order to address the upcoming challenges. These include new materials and technologies, the integration of renewables, and collaboration using Building Information Modelling.

Energy Info Days 2017

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0200

This year the Energy Information Days will present the new funding opportunities and innovative schemes offered by Horizon 2020’s Work Programme 2018-2020. Applying for funding is a competitive process, and only the best project proposals will be selected. If you would like to know more about the type of projects we will be looking for, save the date and join us in Brussels next 23, 24 and 25 October 2017.

This year's Information Days will:

update you on the European Energy Efficiency policy;
present you the Energy priorities of the H2020 Energy 2018-2020 calls for proposals;
provide you with guidance on how to apply for funding;
offer you dedicated workshops for each funding area e.g. Energy Efficiency, with the opportunity to meet the EASME energy team and receive answers to your questions;
give you an opportunity to network and find project partners through the National Contact Points Brokerage event.

Agenda and opening of registration

A detailed agenda with the topics and sessions as well as the registration will open in September 2017.

How citizen cooperatives can finance Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans

Mon, 16 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0200

Are you a local authority looking for innovative ways to finance your energy and climate action plan? Are you struggling in finding your way among loans, market mechanisms and corporate banks? Do you want to learn more about how citizens can help you financing energy and climate projects?

Then this webinar is for you!

Born mostly as cooperatives investing in renewables, energy cooperatives all around Europe are teaming up with local authorities to also invest in energy efficiency, heating installations and smart energy management systems. Learn about how local authorities can collaborate with energy cooperatives via the example of the City of Ghent.

Participation is free of charge but registration is mandatory.

Programme (pdf) | Registration

Empowering smart solutions for better cities

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0200

Across Europe, cities are working together in EU-funded smart cities projects to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions to accelerate the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient, competitive and inclusive economy.

Join us to meet with creative thinkers and decision-makers in urban planning, sustainable energy, mobility, ICT, smart business models and user-centric innovation. High level city representatives will discuss the transformation of our cities, while smart cities projects will showcase innovative solutions to help create a smart city in small interactive sessions. You will have the opportunity to present your own city challenge and take advantage of collective intelligence to discuss potential solutions.

The conference will seek to encourage the replication of solutions, good practices and lessons learned among cities and businesses to drive forward a smart and sustainable vision of Europe.

Read more

Promoting and Financing Energy Efficiency in Ireland and the United Kingdom

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0200

This event aims to engage policymakers and stakeholders in an informed discussion on ways to upscale energy efficiency investments. This includes sharing best practice on how to reach out to and engage SMEs in thinking about energy efficiency investments and presentation of the opportunities for unlocking the potential for energy efficiency investments in Ireland and the UK. Speakers will focus on practical experience and the event will allow ample time for debate. The conference will have plenary sessions as well as smaller interactive sessions in order to enable more detailed discussions.

The event is organised in partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and the UN Environment Finance Initiative, in the framework of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums contract, funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union.

Registration

International Climate Alliance Conference

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0200

Reducing CO2 emissions is not enough. A drastic shift in the way we use resources, shape policy and relate to one another is in order if we are to tackle the climate challenge. The transformation we need to see in our regions, cities and towns is not something that just happens though – it is a process that we need to make happen. Local authorities are central to this task. On a daily basis, they face questions such as how to gain inspiration for the change needed, how to promote integrated and coherent approaches, how to finance these transitions and how to monitor progress.

This year’s International Climate Alliance Conference, hosted by the Region of North Rhine Westphalia and the City of Essen, takes place in Europe’s 2017 Green Capital, a ‘city in transformation’. Highlighting examples of successful municipal transformations supported by strong partnerships, effective tools, and the right financing, this 2017 conference will engage participants via workshops, special in-situ sessions and ample space for exchange and input.

Register by 8 September!

Programme | Logistics

Ten years of the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0200

Climate Alliance, in cooperation with INFOE and the United Nations Association of Germany, will mark the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) with a special event in Bonn. Indigenous representatives such as Eriberto Gualinga, film maker and representative of the Kichwa people (Sarayaku, Ecuador) and Tove Søvndahl Gant, Inuit representative (Greenland) and Human Rights Policy Advisor to the EU will be in attendance along with experts from the fields of policy, development cooperation and science.

In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ahead of the UN Climate Summit, we will turn our focus to the ways in which indigenous peoples contribute to resource conservation, the SDGs and climate protection. We will speak about the significance of these contributions, opportunities to acknowledge and support and them, as well as indigenous rights as laid out in the UN Declaration. These present a fundamental precondition for just cooperation with indigenous communities as well as for their own contributions to sustainable development.

The event will be accompanied by a musical programme and reception. A special highlight will be Oro Verde's "Here and there" exhibition on consumption and the rainforest.

Programme (pdf) | Further information and registration via email at undrip2017(at)infoe.de

Knowledge exchange workshop on the integration of shallow geothermal energy in local energy planning

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0200

The international workshop of the Interreg projects GeoPLASMA-CE, GRETA and PEACE_Alps is held during the Geothermal Congress 2017 and addresses the role of shallow geothermal energy (heating, cooling and seasonal heat storage) in present and future energy planning strategies for local communities and city quarters. Based on case study examples, existing strategies as well as current challenges and future concepts will be presented.

This workshop addresses energy planners, public authorities and community administration, research teams and the interested public.

Program of the workshop

10:20 – 11:20
Block 1: Short presentations by experts on the following topics

Concepts and roles of shallow geothermal energy in urban and non-urban areas: Existing strategies, challenges & solutions
International strategies and initiatives

11:20 – 12:00
Block 2: Panel discussion focusing on the following questions

Can shallow geothermal energy play a future role for heating and cooling supply in Europe and to what extent?
Which barriers are existing?
Which concepts and strategies seem to be the most suitable?

The participation in this workshop is free of costs. However, registration until 1 September 2017 is mandatory. Please register by sending an e-mail to info(at)geoplasma-ce.eu.

Read more

Financing Ambitious Local Climate Objectives Project Launch

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0200

This informational session and networking event will mark the official kick-off of the FALCO project, a unique EU-funded initiative that will see the development and testing of a scalable pilot solution to the financing of local climate plans. Over 180 Flemish cities and towns will directly benefit from the project’s work. The project kick-off will gather some 100 municipal representatives, members of the Flemish government and companies throughout Flanders on the topic of financing energy savings. Speakers will shed light on importance of energy savings projects and the current situation in Flanders as well as on the project’s main goals and next steps. Tine Heyse, Climate Alliance President and Mayor for Environment, Climate, Energy and North-South of the City of Ghent, will be among the municipal representatives speaking on her motivation to get involved with the project and a number of renowned. After the informational part, a networking event will round out this exciting launch, which could well become the blueprint for other projects of its kind in the future.

Programme (pdf, in Flemish) | Registration

5th Assises of Decentralised Cooperation

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0200

The EC Communication “Empowering Local Authorities in partner countries for enhanced governance and more effective development outcomes” recognises local authorities as genuine actors of development cooperation and, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, as key partners to reach good governance and sustainable development.

As for the previous editions, the European Committee of Regions is very keen to cooperate with you for the organisation of the fifth Assises, and would be grateful to receive any proposals, input and suggestions from your side.

Financing energy efficiency: The key role of standardisation & benchmarking

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0200

The importance of increasing energy efficiency to reduce energy use has been underlined in a number of key agreements and strategies including the EU’s Energy Union Framework Strategy and the Paris climate agreement. Realising the full potential of energy efficiency, however, will require both public funds and private financing.

This webinar, organised by the EU Commission in partnership the UN Environment Finance Initiative, will discuss the role of standardisation and benchmarking in facilitating access to finance for energy efficiency investments.

This event is organised as part of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums contract, funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union.

Learn more | Register

Land degradation and climate change in local territories

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0200

Désertif'actions 2017

Desertif'actions is the non-State actors International Summit dedicated to land degradation and climate change. The meeting will bring together over 300 stakeholders from over 50 countries.

Multi-stakeholders summit

NGO, scientists, local government, farmer organisations, private and public institutions… will meet in Strasbourg in order to share their concerns and built common positions on land degradation under a changing climate and its consequences in northern and southern countries!

We are all concerned

The consequences of land degradation are worldwide: loss of soil fertility, reduction of animal and vegetal biodiversity, decrease of agriculture productions, negative impacts on the climate...

www.desertif-actions.fr

Climate Alliance at EU Sustainable Energy Week 2017

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0200

EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is back for its 12th edition, from 19 to 25 June 2017 in Brussels and with complementary activities across Europe throughout May and June.

Join us!

Accelerating the clean energy transition — financing energy efficiency at the local level

21 June | 11.00 - 12.30 | Résidence Palace, Maelbeek

The session presents a local actor view on the three pillars of the Smart Finance for Smart Buildings initiative launched by the European Commission as part of the Clean Energy package. It includes an interactive session in which EU policy makers and representatives of financial institutions discuss key recommendations with local stakeholders with the goal of strengthening the role of the local level in accelerating the clean energy transition. Hear from Climate Alliance members Ghent and GRE Liège which recommendations they have for European decision-makers.

Join the discussion on Twitter: #financelocalEE

More information

Local and regional perspectives of the Winter Package

20 June | 14:30 - 17:00 | European Committee of the Regions

This conference will disseminate the Committee of the Region's (CoR) work on the latest policy issues related to the European Commission proposals on energy policy adopted on 30th November 2016, known as the "Winter Package" for the Energy Union. Join Climate Alliance’s policy coordinator Andy Deacon to discuss the EU’s energy policies with members of the Committee of the Regions.

More information

Localising the Energy Union - Policy breakfast

22 June | 8:15 – 9:30 | European Parliament – on invitation only

Local authorities play a crucial role in achieving the objectives of the Energy Union and implementing the Paris Climate Agreement by driving the local energy transition while delivering clean energy and engaging with citizens.

This event will provide an opportunity to hear directly from five European local elected officials about their daily experiences and priorities. They will present their vision of an energy framework that builds on local ambition and harnesses local potential, while encouraging citizens’ participation. Ronald van Meygaarden, board member of Climate Alliance and co-chair of the working group on financing, will share his views on how to improve local authorities’ access to finance in order to implement the energy transition.

Hosted by Claude Turmes and Theresa Griffin, Members of the European Parliament.

Local energy communities and Covenant of Mayors cities

21 June | 16.00 - 17.30 | Charlemagne, Mansholt

Local Energy Communities (LEC), facilitate and reward active participation of consumers in the energy market, help achieve RES targets and increase the energy system’s flexibility, and foster public acceptance of decentralised RES generation. The session showcases concrete examples of successful LECs, developed by or under the auspices of signatory municipalities in the Covenant of Mayors. It also shows the position of the Covenant of Mayors as a key gateway to rolling out the LEC model, and provides input from local authorities and stakeholders involved in the set-up or management of LECs on how the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package could further enhance their upscaling.

More information

Financing energy efficiency in Spain and Portugal

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0200

This event aims to share best practice from Spain, Portugal and further afield in Europe on how energy efficiency can be financed. This includes the use of private funds and innovative financing instruments, notably in the building and industry sectors. Speakers will focus on practical experience in developing, structuring and financing energy efficiency investment programmes.

The event will allow time for debate.This event is organised as part of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums contract, funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union.

Learn more | Register | Agenda

Euroheat & Power Congress

Sun, 14 May 2017 00:00:00 +0200

Sunday, 14 May 2017
Euroheat & Power General Assembly and Welcome Reception

Monday and Tuesday, 15 - 16 May 2017
Euroheat & Power Congress & Exhibition

Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Technical Visits

Our future depends on the choices we make today! Heating and Cooling are together the largest single source of energy demand in Europe, and this demand is currently met largely by fossil fuels.

Choosing District Energy means saying NO to spending on imported fossil fuels, and YES to investing in efficiency infrastructure and renewable energy at the heart of our communities. Policy-makers at EU, national and local level are beginning to embrace this reality, with encouraging consequences for network operators, cities and citizens!

This congress and exhibition will offer active participation by providing an excellent programme with speakers from different levels of governance and stakeholders. It provides a platform to discuss major issues of importance for European and Global District Energy sectors across a range of technical and commercial issues; from resource assessment and innovative technological design, to market and policy developments.

The Role of Indigenous Territories in the Paris Agreement

Sat, 13 May 2017 00:00:00 +0200

Integration of the indigenous vision in REDD+ strategies in the Amazon countries (RIA)

This event will look at the integration of the indigenous vision for REDD+ strategies in the Amazon countries. Participants will discuss the relevance of the indigenous vision to accelerate implementation of commitments under the Paris Agreement. A panel of government representatives will also showcase experiences from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru on the integration of the indigenous approaches in forest conservation and climate change policy.

Climate Alliance, in cooperation with COICA and WWF, is organising this event in the framework of an array of preparatory meetings for the Climate Summit taking place from from 8 to 18 May in Bonn: the 46th session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 46), the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 46) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA 1-3).

Contacts

Analiz Vergara | analiz.vergara(at)wwf.org.ec
Rodrigo de la Cruz | rodrigo.delacruz(at)wwf.org.ec

Mainstreaming adaptation and changing working routines

Wed, 03 May 2017 00:00:00 +0200

The 4th Open European Day at the Bonn Resilient Cities conference will bring together European cities and key adaptation actors from different organizations to exchange on climate adaptation and urban resilience.

Don't miss your opportunity to be part of the reference event of the year on climate change adaptation in cities! The Open European Day's unique format will have cities take the centre-stage, which will result in discussions full of up-to-the-minute examples, anchored in practical reality and directly relevant to what is happening in urban adaptation today. The main themes of the Open European Day in 2017 are transformation, innovation and co-creation.

You are warmly invited to join a discussion session hosted by the Covenant of Mayors and organised by Climate Alliance:

Transforming administrative routines to transform the city (14:30-15:30)

This discussion session offers participants the opportunity to exchange with colleagues and explore the success factors and barriers to improving administrative routines to plan and implement adaptation measures and ultimately transform the city. Members of the Climate Alliance Working Group on Adaptation along with other city representatives will share their experiences rethinking and redesigning the work of their administrations to more effectively pursue climate action strategies, and will engage in an interactive discussion with the participants of the session.

Agenda | Registration

The Climate Alliance working group on adaptation will also take this opportunity to get together during the Open European Day. If you would like to meet us there, please contact adaptation(at)climatealliance.org

2017 Energy Savings Summit: Europe’s people at the heart of the energy transition

Tue, 02 May 2017 00:00:00 +0200

The third annual Energy Savings Summit is organised by The Coalition for Energy Savings. Climate Alliance, member of the Coalition for Energy Savings, will attend the event on 2 May 2017 from 14:00 to 18:00 in Brussels. This year the Summit will focus on the successful delivery of a “Clean Energy for All Europeans Package” that maximises the multiple benefits of energy savings.

The summit is held at a crucial moment shortly before the Maltese presidency is trying to close the file in the Council in June, with current compromise proposals reducing ambition and weakening requirements. A keynote speech is held by Miguel Arias Cañete, the Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy.

Programme | Registration | web address

Learn more Climate Alliance opinion on the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package

21st International Passive House Conference 2017

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0200

The International Passive House Conference is the year's premium Passive House event, where about 1,000 thought leaders and innovators from around the world gather. Here, attendees will find a wide range of networking opportunities, presentations, workshops and excursions, which will allow them to share their experience with other professionals and to learn more about the latest Passive House developments. Furthermore, the conference is accompanied by the Passive House exhibition, where all leading manufacturers present their latest products.

During the conference, Vienna itself will also demonstrate its pioneering role in construction to the Passive House Standard. Numerous workshops with Passive House experts and excursions to completed Passive House buildings in Vienna and the surrounding area will round off the extensive conference programme.

Financing energy efficiency in central Europe

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0200

This event aims to share best practice from across Central Europe and further on how energy efficiency investments can be financed. This includes the use of private funds and innovative financing instruments, notably in the building and industry sectors. Speakers will focus on practical experience in developing and structuring investment programmes and the event will allow ample time for debate.

The event is organised in partnership with the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade and the UN Environment Finance Initiative, in the framework of of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums contract, funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union.

Learn more | Agenda | Presentations

Energy Cities' Annual Conference

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0200

In 2017, the Energy Cities Conference will be hosted by the German city of Stuttgart, well-known for its industrial activity as well as for its foresighted climate and energy policy. In a region which can be considered the birthplace of the German energy transition (Energiewende), Stuttgart will serve as a learning place on the societal, cultural, economic and technological shifts that come with the energy transition in Europe.

How fit are cities and their national governments for taking effective action towards a 2050 low-carbon roadmap? Are they making policy choices that favour stakeholder involvement for a stronger energy democracy, transfer of competences to the local level and monetary flows towards more local and low-carbon projects?

Visit the workshop

The Covenant of Mayors going national - Collaboration perspectives

which takes place during the conference on 26 April 2017 from 9:00 to 15:00.

We are warmly inviting all interested Covenant Coordinators and Supporters to take part in the workshop. Please come and share the current status of the Covenant of Mayors in your country as well as the different barriers faced in its implementation. You’ll have the opportunity to exchange with other Covenant Coordinators and Supporters, coordinators of Covenant of Mayors Clubs as well as city representatives.

Public Procurement of Energy Efficient Solutions Webinar

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0100

The European Executive Agency for SMEs, EASME, is organising three webinars on the procurement of energy efficient solutions on Wednesday, 22 March 2017. A total of €20 million in funding is available via the Horizon 2020 programme in support of the procurement of energy efficient solutions and the realisation of energy efficiency projects. The three webinars will focus on:

Public Procurement of Innovative solutions for energy efficiency (from 13:30 – 15:00)
Project Development Assistance (from 15:00 – 16:00)
Innovative financing for energy efficiency and Making the energy efficiency market investible (from 16:00 – 17:00)

We encourage Climate Alliance members to take part and learn about these funding opportunities. The application deadline for funding is 7 June 2017.

Learn more | Register

Global Festival of Ideas for Sustainable Development

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0100

A revolution is required in the way we think about international development if we are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Global Festival of Ideas for Sustainable Development plans to catalyse that revolution. The world’s first ‘playable’ conference on the SDGs, this event will turn participants into active players, exploring how the SDGs can be achieved. Interactive and immersive sessions will tackle the tough choices and trade-offs in this ambitious global agenda. The event aims to chart new thinking on the world’s biggest development challenges and mobilise key partnerships and resources to drive action now and in the future. Climate Alliance Executive Director Thomas Brose will be giving input as part of a special round table focusing on stakeholder participation on the SDGs in Germany and Europe.

The Global Festival of Ideas for Sustainable Development is brought to you by the UN SDG Action campaign and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), together with the City of Bonn, Cepei, Data-Pop Alliance, Engagement Global, Plan International, Salzburg Global Seminar, UNDP, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Resources Institute (WRI).

Learn more | Live Stream

The engagement of citizens in sustainable energy

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0100

10:00 – 12:00, European Parlament, Room ASP7H1

The long awaited winner of the 2016 Citizenergy Project of the Year award is due to be announced on 1 February in the halls of the EU Parliament during a special session on citizen engagement in sustainable energy. Event highlights include contributions from key EU institutions and networks in the field of energy. A panel discussion featuring on the ground experiences of sustainable energy cooperatives and crowdfunding platforms throughout Europe and legal recommendations arising from the experience of Citizenergy, the first portal to promote cross-border investment in community energy, will round out the programme. The event will be moderated by Climate Alliance.

Registration closes 20 Jan and is required.

Live streaming of the event

Event registration | Programme (pdf) | Read more

Energy Efficiency Finance Market Place

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0100

The event brought together key stakeholders from cities, regions and industry as well as the financial sector to discuss successful schemes implemented at local and regional level, financing mechanisms and products available, and practical challenges to implement them on a large scale. A special focus was on structuring the market and, in particular, standardisation, aggregation and de-risking of energy efficiency assets.

The conference is the third in a series of successful events during the last years and featured parallel sessions on practical solutions and projects implemented across Europe on standardisation and benchmarking; innovative financing solutions;aggregating projects on public assets; and aggregating projects on private assets as well as

Plenary sessions by high-level political representatives on finance for sustainable energy
Panel sessions by financial institutions on practical experiences and project bankability
Poster sessions of sustainable energy projects with divers technical and financial structures; as well as
Stands of financial institutions (if you would like a stand, feel free to express your interest)

One parallel session was dedicated to Climate Alliance's work with innovative financing models to help local authorities take on large-scale and deep energy efficiency retrofits via the CITYnvest project.

Event programme (pdf) | Event programme online | Event recordings and presentations

For more information, contact events(at)seiforums.eu.

Interregional Conference Renewable Energy – Now more than ever! An opportunity for local actors

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 08:00:00 +0100

The European federation of renewable energy cooperatives (REScoop.eu) organises an interregional conference in Eupen (Belgium), the center of 5 European regions: the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. The conference will clearly demonstrate the potential of renewable energy and show that a transition towards a more sustainable energy system is needed now more pertinent than ever: Renewable Energy: Now more than ever! In the conference we will discuss important dimensions related to renewable energy: society, technology, economics, spatial planning and the environment. In the morning international experts will share their thoughts, facts and figures in plenary sessions. The afternoon will be run in interactive workshops. Climate Alliance led CITYnvest project is supporting the event.

Programme | Registration

The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa

Tue, 15 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0100

The side event will present the development of the EU- funded initiative Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa aiming to increase the capacities of cities to provide access to sufficient, sustainable and safe energy to urban and peri-urban populations in the region. It will have a practical dimension by providing insights not only on the principles of the initiative but also on the process of developing Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs) for cities with real cases. The event will benefit from the participation of representatives from the initiative, the European Commission and African Local Authorities.

Second Climate Summit for Local and Regional Leaders

Mon, 14 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0100

Palmeraie Conference Center and the Palmeraie Gold Palace

This Summit, for which Climate Alliance is a member of the steering committee, built on the success of the first Climate Summit of Local Leaders held in Paris last year, where local elected officials raised their voices got their perspectives taken into account within official COP21 negotiations. This year's summit gathered 1,100 participants from 114 countries, representing over 780 local and subnational governments.

COP22 is a first step towards both the implementation and financing of the Paris Agreement. The Marrakech Summit focussed on political, technical and financial solutions implemented by subnationals to finance climate compatible local projects within the Global Climate Action Agenda's multi-party action. The Summit, as part of the Global Climate Action Agenda, wass supported by Ms Laurence Tubiana (France) and Ms Hakima El Haite (Morocco).

In the words of COP Ambassador Andreas Wolter

Deputy Mayor of Cologne (DE) and COP22 Ambassador Andreas Wolter spoke on behalf of Climate Alliance, underlining the importance of cooperation on the Paris Agreement:

“New partnerships are needed if we are to successfully implement the Paris Agreement. This implies strong collaboration between all levels of government and different actors but also, in particular, increased collaboration with financial institutions. Further resources are needed in particular for creating capacities to develop local projects and to make them ‘investment ready’. Even in a rich country like Germany, even in a wealthy country like Germany the challenges, for example in implementing sustainable transport solutions, are massive.

Cities and regions are doing already a lot, but more is needed as most climate action eventually has to happen on the ground... This places a great responsibility on cities and regions. We need to be innovative, decisive and accelerate our action."

The summit culminated with the release of the Marrakech Roadmap for Action, which was presented to “Champions” of the Global Climate Action Agenda, Ms Hakima El Haité and Ms Laurence Tubiana, who strive to coordinate the voluntary actions of non-Party actors, including local and subnational governments.

To help address gaps in the distribution of financial resources, the Marrakech Roadmap for Action will launch two key initiatives:

In 2017, the Global Campaign for Localising Climate Finance
In 2020, a Global Action Framework for Localising Climate Finance

Further information | Final roadmap for Action

COP22 side-event: Local and national climate action in a governance perspective

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 01:00:00 +0100

18:30-20:00, Room Bering

Climate Alliance’s official side event, co-organised with the Swedish Government, saw German, Austrian and the Luxembourgish governments delve into the topic of national and municipal cooperation on climate action. The event highlighted successful examples of cooperation between the different governmental levels that accelerate climate action on the ground and work to close the emissions gap. Recommendations were made to further map and analyse existing, well-functioning, multi-level planning practices. The side event showed how central governments can take better advantage of existing local plans and integrate them when developing and revising Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Programme (pdf) | View on YouTube | Final outcomes (pdf) | Presentations from AT and LU (pdfs)

Regional Conference on Financing Energy Efficiency in the Baltic States

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0100

The Regional Conference on Financing Energy Efficiency in the Baltic States event shared best practice from across the Baltic region and beyond on how energy efficiency can be financed. This includes the use of private funds as well as innovative financing instruments, notably in the building and industry sectors. Practical experiences in developing and structuring investment programmes and a lively debate formed the core of the event, which was hosted by the Ministry of Economics of Latvia and organised by the EU Commission, Climate Alliance and our project partners ECN and Pracsis.

International Passive House Days

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0100

From November 11 to 13, Passive House buildings worldwide will be open for public viewing. Passive House buildings are not only energy efficient. They are also comfortable, healthy and cost-effective - and therefore a wise investment for municipalities.

Registration and instructions to open a building for viewing can be found on the international Passive House database at www.passivehouse-database.org. Simply click on project registration and complete the online process.

For viewing opportunities in your area, participating buildings and relevant information will be published on the database as of the beginning of September: www.passivehouse-database.org.

Contact
International Passive House Association | info(at)passivehouse-international.org | +49 6151 826 99 55

For more information see www.passivehouse-international.org

COP22 Side Event: Cities and human settlements – Buildings and resilience

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0100

This event will showcased climate action in the field of resilience in cities and buildings. The milestone achievements in 2015 have important implications for cities and human settlements. These include, for example, the Sendai Framework, Paris Climate Agreement, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its Goal 11 focusing on cities and human settlements, and the Addis Ababa Agenda for Financing Development.

As a special highlight, Mayor of Albertslund (DK) and Climate Alliance COP Ambassador Steen Christiansen spoke on the topic of resilience in the framework of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in this event.

Final report of Resilience Work Stream (pdf) | UNFCCC Press Coverage

UN Climate Change Conference (COP22)

Mon, 07 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0100

The twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) and the twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12) will be held in Bab Ighli, Marrakech.

The UN Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC Parties (Conferences of the Parties COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change, and beginning in the mid-1990s, to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol to establish legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. From 2011 the meetings have also been used to negotiate the Paris Agreement as part of the Durban platform activities until its conclusion in 2015, which created a general path towards climate action.

COP 21 was held in Paris from 30 November to 12 December 2015. Negotiations resulted in the adoption of the Paris Agreement on 12 December, governing climate change reduction measures from 2020. The adoption of this agreement ended the work of the Durban platform, established during COP17. The agreement will enter into force (and thus become fully effective) only if 55 countries which produce at least 55 perccent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions ratify the Agreement.

Climate Alliance at COP22

Climate Alliance is very involved in this year's COP, for example being represented by its COP22 Ambassadors in a variety of side events. On 11 November, tune in live via YouTube (as of 17:30 CET) to our "Local and national climate action in a governance perspective" side event and on 14 November, get ready for Climate Alliance's handover of children's Green Footprints from the ZOOM campaign to the new UNFCCC director, Patricia Espinosa.

Climate Alliance at COP22 | Official website

Local Renewables Conference 2016 - Energising the smart city and region

Wed, 26 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0200

Following the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21), there has been a clear consensus to move towards a lower-carbon and more efficient energy system. This consensus comes at a moment of rising global energy needs, with energy demand set to increase by 40 percent by 2030. Cities and regions must find innovative ways to meet the energy demand whilst responding to citizens' needs. There is a clear recognition that cities and regions play a key role in meeting the EU Energy Union goals. Smart technologies are considered key in the discussion on meeting the energy needs, but will these also support sustainability?

Experts such as Claude Turmes, Member of the European Parliament as part of the European Greens and Rapporteur on the 2008 Draft EU Renewables Directive as well as former National Coordinator of Climate Alliance Luxembourg, and Professor Dirk Helbing, one of the authors of the Digital Manifesto, have been invited.

Following the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21), there has been a clear consensus to move towards a lower-carbon and more efficient energy system. This consensus comes at a moment of rising global energy needs, with energy demand set to increase by 40 percent by 2030. Cities and regions must find innovative ways to meet the energy demand whilst responding to citizens' needs. There is a clear recognition that cities and regions play a key role in meeting the EU Energy Union goals. Smart technologies are considered key in the discussion on meeting the energy needs, but will these also support sustainability?

Experts such as Claude Turmes, Member of the European Parliament as part of the European Greens and Rapporteur on the 2008 Draft EU Renewables Directive as well as former National Coordinator of Climate Alliance Luxembourg, and Professor Dirk Helbing, one of the authors of the Digital Manifesto, have been invited.

You will find further information at: http://local-renewables-conference.org/programme/

International Climate Alliance Conference & Climate Star Gala

Wed, 05 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0200

5 - 8 October 2016 | Krems an der Donau, Austria

A CULTURE OF LOCAL CLIMATE ACTION
Mainstreaming good practice

From October 5 to 8, representatives from hundreds of local authorities and organisations throughout Europe as well as indigenous representatives from Amazonia will gather in Krems, Austria under the motto “A culture of climate action – Mainstreaming good practice.” You are cordially invited to this exciting event. Here are a few highlights:

Expertly moderated interactive plenaries will trigger reflection on the ways in which we work and interact with one another in reaching climate goals.
Six workshops on topics ranging from municipal cooperation on climate action to exchanges on climate justice and the use of online tools in engaging the public will provoke reflection on how we all can contribute to a culture of climate action within our municipalities.
A marketplace in which members can present their own good practice solutions will provide insight into the possibilities.

All this and more will be complimented by the examples of local level climate action from Climate Alliance members across Europe to be honoured at the Climate Star Awards Gala – a special occasion which, this year, is taking place within the framework of the conference.

Programme | Registration | Logistics & accomodation | Climate Star

Become part of GRETA - Near-Surface Geothermal Energy in the Alpine Space

Tue, 04 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0200

The project GRETA (Near-surface Geothermal Resources in the Territory of the Alpine Space) aims to improve sustainable production of renewable geothermal energy in the Alpine region, thus contributing to reducing CO2 emissions. GRETA offers the possibility to exchange knowledge and best practices for the utilization of Near-Surface Geothermal Energy in the alpine space, identifiesthe potential for near-surface geothermal energy in the region and offers technical information for planners and local authorities.

Are you a municipal representative in the alpine space? Then we cordially invite you to join GRETA and benefit from project results. Join us at our Kick off Meeting for Observers and Interested Stakeholders on the 4th of October in Munich, Germany.

To register for the event please send an e-mail with subject GRETA-MEETING to j.emge(at)climatealliance.org. Participation is free of charge.

You will find further information at: www.alpine-space.eu

GRETA is co-financed by the European Union via Interreg Alpine Space.

Climate Chance – Climate Actors World Summit

Mon, 26 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0200

Local authorities, businesses, associations, trade unions, scientific organisations and citizens from all countries are in the first line in the fight against climate change. This summit will be for them the chance to draw a picture of the state of action worldwide, to deepen the discussions on the successes and difficulties and to promote the pooling of experience and innovations, with the aim of highlighting the opportunities that arise from this resolute fight.
Climate Chance aims to become a regular event for the representatives of organised civil society involved daily in the fight against climate change, and will welcome participants from all over the world. This event will focus their mobilisation and contribute to consolidating their commitments over the long term, as it is through concrete actions carried by these actors that States will be able to meet the commitments made during the COP21.
Climate Alliance, along with several partner organisations, is leading two of the coalitions of non-state actors which gather all the relevant stakeholders and structure the collaboration in the framework of the Climate Chance process.

Come and join us in Nantes! Events co-organised by Climate Alliance:

Coalition forum- Biodiversity and Forests

26 September, 13:30-15:30, room 200

The Inclusion of REDD+ in the Paris climate agreement has been heralded as major step forward on deforestation. However the REDD system still faces a number of challenges. The forum will address the following topics:

An analysis of the outcomes of the Paris agreement and their implication for the forests and the people living in and from it
Update on the current processes related to forests and good examples
Elaborate a joint proposal for recommendations for the Habitat III and COP22 process

Workshop- Empowering the public: Participative financing for the energy revolution

26 September, 15:30-17:00, room GH

This workshop will give insight into the untapped potential of community power to finance the energy revolution on the basis of renewable energies and energy efficiency. With examples from crowdfunding, micro-finance, and energy cooperatives, speakers will explore how members of the public and local authorities alike can take advantage of these innovative financing models for the benefit of the climate.

Organised in cooperation with Citizenergy, LUMO, WE DO GOOD, Ville de Lorient, Ville de Sucé sur Erdre

Workshop- Local Authorities as Accelerators for Energy Efficiency Investments

26 September, 15:30-17:00, Plateau Média

Local and regional authorities can play a catalyst role to mobilize local actors for low-carbon investments via innovative financing models. This workshop showcases examples of European cities that have successfully deployed their own financing solutions and leveraged substantial private capital to finance energy efficiency programs.

Organised in cooperation with Energy Cities.
With representatives from the Provincial Council Barcelona (ES), REScoop EU, Municipality of Agueda (PT), Frederiskhavn (DK), Greenflex

Coalition forum- Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience: exploring and unlocking opportunities

28 September, 10:30-12:30, room 200

More frequent and intense weather-related events (including storms, floods, droughts and heat waves) are raising the collective awareness – they are calling for immediate adaptation action to make our territories more resilient and livable.
Non-state actors have a major role to play in building resilience. The forum on adaptation and resilience will be a great occasion to turn the spotlight on some of these solutions ahead of COP22, promote further collaboration and shape the cooperation of all concerned actors for the upcoming years.

Coalition co-led with the Green Cross and the International Chamber of Commerce
With representatives from from the Regional Ecological Center Bratislava (Slovakia), Gossas Region (Senegal), New Caledonia’s Ministry for Land Development, E3G, University of Tétouan (Morocco) etc.

www.climatechance2016.com

Project Ideas Laboratory - Funding Opportunities for Local Authorities

Tue, 26 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0100

The second edition of Climate Alliance's brokerage events brought members and other local and regional authorities together to brainstorm on concrete project proposals that were to be submitted in 2016. EU decision makers informed participants directly about current Horizon 2020 and DG REGIO funding programmes, such as Urban Innovative Actions. Afterwards, the discussions continued in small groups on specific proposal ideas and via a live Q&A session with proposal writing experts.

Climate Alliance organises these brokerage events in order to get our members ready for current Calls for Proposals (e.g. Horizon 2020) and to enable them to discuss directly with managers of existing EU-funding programmes. The goal: to create new local project ideas and lasting partnerships.

COP21 l 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference

Mon, 30 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0100

Over the years, Climate Alliance has regularly been present at the annual Conferences of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COPs), participating as official observers since the first COP held in Berlin in 1995. In so doing, we raise awareness on the role of Indigenous peoples and local authorities amongst decision makers and other stakeholders in the international climate process.

Find out more about our activitives in Paris at COP21 as well as the results of this landmark event.

Developing EUROPE – Securing local energy supplies

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0200

The local level has become the driving force behind European energy security. During the 2015 International Conference, Climate Alliance celebrated 25 years of concerted climate action. This fascinating event underscored the central role of local authorities in taking charge of their own energy security while also stressing their part in the international climate process.

Further photos available on Flickr | View full programme, pdf 0.7 MB | Press, 23 April 2015, 25 March 2015 | eClimail

15 YEARS OF PROJECT GREEN - A FINALE IN IMAGES AND SOUNDS

OPENING

Dirk Hilbert, Deputy Mayor of the City of Dresden (Presentation, pdf 1.8 MB)
Joachim Lorenz, President of Climate Alliance, Councillor on Health and Environment for the City of Munich
Jorge Furagaro, Vice-President of Climate Alliance, Coordinator for Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity of COICA

THE ROLE OF MUNICIPALITIES IN ENERGY SECURITY
INTRODUCTION AND DISCUSSION

Hans-Josef Fell, President of the Energy Watch Group (Presentation, pdf 4.5 MB)
Michael Wübbels, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Energy of the German Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU) (Statement, 0.3 MB)
Csaba Borboly, Committee of the Regions Rapporteur on Sustainable Buildings, President of Harghita County Council, Romania (Presentation)

PANEL DISCUSSION

From a national perspective
Camille Gira, State Secretary for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Luxembourg
Csaba Borboly, Committee of the Regions Rapporteur on Sustainable Buildings, President of Harghita County Council, Romania

The voices of the municipalities
Rainer Handlfinger, Mayor of Ober-Grafendorf, Austria　
John Tanner, City Councillor for Oxford, England
Fernand Schiltz, Mayor of Contern, Luxembourg
Eriberto Gualinga, Representative of the Kichwa community of Sarayaku, Ecuador
Opinions from the public utility sector
Gerhard Holtmeier, Director of ThüGa Aktiengesellschaft
Reiner Zieschank, Managing Director of the DREWAG Stadtwerke Dresden GmbH (local energy supplier)
Michael Wübbels, Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Energy of the German Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU)

Moderation: Sarah Mekjian, Climate Alliance

SESSIONS

1. Integrating renewables into the local energy supply
To ensure that the energy transition is secure, affordable, environmentally-friendly and socially acceptable, we will need to break new ground and implement creative ideas. Discuss examples of energy supply, storage and use that can contribute to an efficient and climate-friendly energy infrastructure with renewable energies at its basis.

With contributions from:
Bernhard Reinitzhuber, Energy Planning and Environmental Protection of the Municipality of Klagenfurt, Austria
Ralf Strothteicher, Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant, Dresden, Germany
Tilman Werner, DREWAG Stadtwerke Dresden GmbH (local energy supplier)

Moderation: Ina Helzig, City of Dresden

2. Climate change mitigation and adaptation
A coordinated climate policy integrating both mitigation and adaptation is essential to trigger effective action at local level. In this light, the Covenant of Mayors, focusing on mitigation, and Mayors Adapt, with its focus on adaptation, are complementary. How can we best make use of these EU initiatives to build more sustainable local authorities? How can practitioners on the local level best integrate both mitigation and adaptation in their planning?

With contributions from:
Lucie Blondel, Climate Alliance, Covenant of Mayors and Mayors Adapt Offices　(Presentations: Mayors Adapt, pdf 1.6 MB | Working Group, pdf 0.4 MB) 　
Christian Korndörfer, Environmental Department of the City of Dresden (Presentation, pdf 3.4 MB)
Alessandro Tasinato , Environmental Department of the City of Venice (Presentation, pdf 3.1 MB)
Matthias Lerm, Urban Development and Planning of the City of Jena, Germany (Presentation, pdf 11.2 MB)

Moderation: Andreas Kress, Climate Alliance

3. Covenant of Mayors - Exchange on energy efficiency and energy security in former Eastern Bloc countries
The Covenant of Mayors and Mayors East signatories in former East bloc countries share a common history and infrastructure. What challenges do they face together and what solutions, especially in the areas of district heating, concrete-slab prefabricated buildings (Plattenbau), transport and financing exist? All interested municipalities, whether signatories or not, are welcome to join the discussion.

With contributions from:

Fritz Pielenz, City of Dresden, Germany (Presentation, pdf 8.8 MB)
Vita Kontić, City of Ljubljana, Slovenia (Presentation, pdf 6.4 MB)
Olena Klak, City of Zhovkva, Ukraine (Presentation, pdf 1.6 MB)
Mariia Druzhynina, City of Vinnytsia, Ukraine (Presentation, pdf 5.5 MB)
Iryna Horodyska, Covenant of Mayors East Office (Presentation, pdf 0.8 MB)
George Abulashvili, Covenant of Mayors East Office (Presentation, 2.1 MB)

Moderation: Miguel Morcillo, Climate Alliance

4. The Covenant of Mayors beyond 2020
The EU’s Covenant of Mayors initiative clearly demonstrates the importance of the local level, having given rise to some 4,500 Sustainable Energy Action Plans. Further anchoring of the initiative in the EU 2030 energy and climate policy framework is imperative, as is ensuring its longevity. How can accomplish these goals and what opportunities exist for extending the Covenant framework beyond the EU?

With contributions from:
Tine Heyse, Deputy Mayor of Ghent, Belgium
Julie Laernoes, Deputy Mayor of the City of Nantes and Vice President of Nantes Métropole, France
Joachim Helbig, City of Bonn
Ludwig Arentz, City of Cologne

The outcome of this session: Five key recommendations for the second generation of the Covenant of Mayors (pdf, 2.3 MB)

Moderation: Pirita Lindholm, Climate Alliance

5. EYD2015: A Critical Look at Development Models
The current growth-based development model requires a disproportionate amount of resources and is responsible for global problems such as climate change. Indigenous peoples have been developing alternatives on the basis of their cultural roots. Do these proposals contain solutions that we can implement here in Europe? How are Climate Alliance member municipalities connecting their local climate protection activities with global responsibility?

With contributions from:
Jorge Furagaro, Vice-President of Climate Alliance, Coordinator for Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity of COICA (Presentation, pdf 2.1 MB)
Eriberto Gualinga, Community of Sarayaku, Ecuador
Klaus Hecht, Corporación Solano (Presentation, pdf 4.5 MB)

Moderation: Thomas Brose and Silke Lunnebach, Climate Alliance

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CLIMATE ALLIANCE

2014 activity report (pdf, 10.6 MB)

Resolution on the "Post 2015 Development Agenda" (pdf, 0.1 MB)

EVENING RECEPTION , Altmarktkeller

25 YEARS CLIMATE ALLIANCE – INSIGHTS, PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES

Karl-Ludwig Schibel, Climate Alliance Board Member and Italian National Coordinator (Presentation, pdf 2.7 MB)

2015 CLIMATE CONFERENCE IN PARIS
THE ROLE OF MUNICIPALITIES IN THE INTERNATIONAL PROCESS

Nicholas Nuttall, Coordinator Communications and Outreach, UNFCCC
Camille Gira, State Secretary for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Luxembourg
Benoit Leclair, Vice-President of the Rhône-Alpes region (Presentation, pdf 0.3 MB)
Pedro Ballesteros, European Commission – DG Energy (Video)

ROUND TABLES (pdf, 0.1 MB)

EVENT CONCLUSION - REVIEW AND OUTLOOK