Low-Energy City Policy Handbook · 2017-02-13 · 2-Vers la sobriété heureuse, éd. Actes sud, Arles, 2010. Life in the city of the future takes place around shared spaces (gardens,

Low-Energy CityPolicy HandbookPart AThe city of the future,the future of the city

Low-Energy City Policy HandbookPilot experiences

Part BLost in transition?Methods & tools

energyrt BarPaP energy

Low-Energy CityPolicy Handbook

Contents

p.1 Part A / the city of the future, the future of the cityContents

IMAGIne…LoW eneRGY CItIes page 2

WHo Is tHIs HAnDBooK FoR? page 3

LoCAL VIsIons AnD RoADMAPs page 4 the energy transition page 4the city of the future page 6

WHAt Is A LoCAL eneRGY RoADMAP? page 7

IMAGIne MILton KeYnes In 2050 page 8 MK2050 page 8A fresh look at the local low carbon strategy page 11

IMAGIne…LoW eneRGY CItIes

p.2 Part A / the city of the future, the future of the cityIMAGIne…LoW eneRGY CItIes

energy Cities started the IMAGIne initiative in 2006 to bring together cities and various stakeholders involved in urban energy issues. IMAGIne focuses on long-term perspectives and visioning approaches to energy and territory.

Although an increasing number of cities are committing to achieving the eU objectives, notably through the Covenant of Mayors, they are also facing several obstacles. one of them is the difficulty for cities, their citizens and stakeholders to imagine, evaluate and accept the changes that are needed. Helping cities overcome such obstacles is the objective of the IMAGIne initiative. It is a platform for foresight, collaboration and exchanges, leading to action and change.Between 2012 and 2014, IMAGIne benefitted from the support of the InteRReG IV programme through a project called “IMAGIne… low energy cities”.this project gathered 10 partners: energy Cities - coordinator, HafenCity University - academic partner, and 8 pilot cities: Bistrița (Romania), Dobrich (Bulgaria), Figueres (spain), Lille (France), Milton Keynes (United Kingdom), Modena (Italy), Munich (Germany), odense (Denmark).

these local authorities have committed to involving local stake-holders in co-building their cities’ Local energy Roadmaps 2050 thanks to participatory approaches.

More informationProject website: www.imaginelowenergycities.euIMAGIne Resource Centre: www.energy-cities.eu/imagine

Coordination of the projectenergy Cities Project manager :2 chemin de Palente stéphane DUPAsF-25000 Besançon [email protected]+33 3 81 65 36 80 +49 781 97 066 156

InteRReG IVCwww.interreg4c.euthe Interregional Cooperation Programme InteRReG IVC, financed by the european Union’s Regional Deve-lopment Fund, helps Regions of europe work together to share experience and good practice in the areas of innovation, the knowledge economy, the environment and risk prevention. eUR302 million is available for project funding but, more than that, a wealth of knowledge and potential solutions are also on hand for regional policy-makers.

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WHo Is tHIs HAnDBooK FoR?

p.3 Part A / the city of the future, the future of the cityWHo Is tHIs HAnDBooK FoR?

this handbook is aimed at decision makers in european local authorities searching for new ways to work towards achieving low energy cities. It is intended to give inspiration and practical advice to elected political leaders as well as civil servants to run their own energy transition process at the local level.

there are two ways to read this handbook.

In Part A, it explains the way local authorities organise themselves to start and run a political and organisational process to set sustai-nable energy policies. this part of the handbook presents the results of the development of Local energy Roadmaps 2050 in the eight IMAGIne pilot cities.

Part B provides insights on citizen and stakeholder involvement at city level, answering the question “how does a city, including all its components, manage to change its energy system?”.Indeed, the role of local authorities in tackling climate change and energy issues is essential, not only as important players, but mostly as coordinators of a whole mix of stakeholders. this part goes behind the scenes and gives details on the making of local authori-ties’ efforts in favour of the energy transition.

Who is this handbook not for?

What you will not find in this handbook are answers to technology-related questions. You will not learn about kWhs, energy produc-tion, energy management, building efficiency or “smart technolo-gies”.

too often, decisions are made behind closed doors, or are made because one didn’t know better, or because “it has always been done this way”. this handbook highlights the results of three years of interregional exchange of experiences. You will find processes that have been experimented, feedback on their implementation and advice on how to carry them out. You will find ideas for new forms of political practises, communication and participation processes, and inspira-tion to involve people and help them work together.

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LoCAL VIsIons AnD RoADMAPs

p.4 Part A / the city of the future, the future of the cityLoCAL VIsIons AnD RoADMAPs

the energy transition

the energy transition is far more than switching from one energy source to another. It is the pathway towards a system based on low energy use, high energy efficiency and local and renewable energy sources. From a european perspective, this energy transition is a shift from a system dominated by finite (fossil and fissile) energy towards a (renewable) flow energy-based system. Beyond the pure energy aspects, such a transition is directly connected to many other societal aspects such as economic prosperity, jobs and working conditions and of course quality of life.

We used to think in terms of MegaWatts and we are now starting to think in terms of negaWatts. We used to consider energy only as gas, electricity and oil supply, we now think in terms of final needs (heating, cooling, lighting, mobility and leisure). Vertical, centralised energy systems are starting to make room for (more flexible and resilient) horizontal, decentralised and interconnected multi-energy systems based on concepts such as the Internet. energy distribution networks will have to become smart networks capable of handling the collection of dispersed energy production. energy used to be produced here and consumed elsewhere; we are starting to consider both simultaneously and in an integrated way at the scale of a buil-ding, a neighbourhood, a village or a city. While energy used to be in the hands of a few big concerns; now, a wide variety of players is emerging and consumers are becoming aware and active citizens. Central governments used to play a predominant part, but the role of local authorities will become decisive.

A transition to what?

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the energy system we have inherited was shaped at a time of abundant and cheap energy. the energy transition addresses various dysfunctions in our society, as well as in our urban, peri-urban and rural spaces. employment, the economy, poverty, social inequalities, the use of natural resources, air quality, food, lifestyle and consump-tion patterns all have direct and indirect links to the energy system.

the energy transition is driven by the necessity to decrease the energy vulnerability of the cities and of their inhabitants. this demands a fundamental transformation of our societies; in fact, a new civilisation.

the energy question is more a cultural than a technical one. Addres-sing energy issues at all levels will transform constraints into as many opportunities. new economic activities will have to be found in order to create new jobs and reduce poverty, for example through energy savings and the development of local energy production. Cities and regions have to innovate to invent an energy future that does not exist yet, except as experiments, and have the potential to make it happen.It is not, therefore, energy strictly speaking that we are interested in, but rather a way of building, transforming and leading a city to-wards a low energy model, that is a more autonomous, responsible and less vulnerable city.

A transition for what?

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the city of the future

What will the city of the future look like? no one knows, but everyone has their own idea, their own dream!

IMAGIne is not just another typical foresight exercise. taking the opposite view against scientific scenario planning, the IMAGIne partners have pictured the city they would like to live in. this is the essence of the backcasting method: you start from a dreamed, ideal situation and then think about the possible ways to achieve it.

During one of the IMAGIne seminars, 10 characteristics of the city of the future have emerged.

this translates into a picture of the city and activities taking place.

“We always ask ourselves what world we will leave to our children. But we should also ask ourselves what kind of children we will leave to this world. “Pierre Rabhi2

1-Working time, here, refers to the period of time spent on paid occupational labour.2-Vers la sobriété heureuse, éd. Actes sud, Arles, 2010.

Life in the city of the future takes place around shared spaces (gardens, public places, workshops). People go around using public transports, biking, walking or car-sharing while goods are carried out by cargo-bikes, trains and ships.

schools integrate and are integrated in lifelong learning. education aims at raising thoughtful citizens. Much time is spent on discovering and experiencing nature and one’s talents. Children have wide possibilities to experience the city on their own.

Working time1 is reduced to a few hours. this gives time for non-paid activities such as taking care of the elderly, young or disabled, leisure, housekeeping, cooking, community activities, etc.

energy is produced locally from renewable sources (solar, wind, biomass, biogas, etc.).

safety and resilience

Health

IMAGIne... the city of the future

efficientnetworking

no waste

Participation

sharing

Prosperity

Culture

Learning

Innovation

Food is produced locally. the agriculture sector is growing with new players and a new philosophy. Urban farming experiences a renaissance. Dietary habits give a large part to vegetarian diet.

Consumption goods are characterised by green technologies and produced locally. Most services are dematerialised.

Circular economy allows for re-using resources and goods and maximises synergies amongst local economic players.

nature has found its place in the city. Public space is used as meeting place and helps develop a sense of community.

Governance processes are open to all citizens, allowing communities to experience and apprehend social rules & values in a new way.


What’s a local energy roadmap?

strictly speaking, a roadmap is a detailed plan to guide progress towards a goal. the european Commission already issued specific roadmaps on energy, such as the energy Roadmap 20501 or the Roadmap for moving to a low-carbon economy in 20502. Unfortu-nately, these roadmaps do not take into account the role of local authorities nor do they tackle the energy approach from a decentra-

lised perspective.While the cities committed to the Covenant of Mayors3 are sending a clear signal by taking action to achieve (and go beyond) the 3x20 eU objectives, local authorities are starting to develop their

own energy roadmaps in order to prepare the transition towards a sustainable energy system.

Co-building a vision of the city?A long-term vision with a time horizon of one generation (2040-2050) gives a time frame to local authorities’ present and future actions. It also legitimises the decisions that are made to change the current development course, a process that implies changing habits and mind-sets at all levels. A long-term vision also enables local players to commit to –and identify with– a territorial project.

A local energy roadmap links vision and action. It allows for defining responsibilities between the different stakeholders and for setting goals, actions and milestones. It pictures the organisation of the process and gives a soul to a sustainable energy Action Plan4 as a qualitative counter-part.

A roadmap is not an official strategy of the municipality, but, a col-laborative document, a reference for all local players. therefore, the roadmap should be non-legal and non-political in order to transcend political differences and have a transversal aspect. the procedure, however, is similar to a legal document.

A local energy roadmap should: Include the vision that has emerged from the participatory pro-

cess; Present the milestones towards achieving this vision; Define the priorities with regards to the local situation; Give details on how the roadmap is going to be conducted and

implemented; explain its own role and status within the local policy system; Picture the next steps.

1-http://ec.europa.eu/energy/energy2020/roadmap/index_en.htm 2-http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/roadmap/index_en.htm 3-www.eumayors.eu4-Developed in the framework of the Covenant of Mayors

p.8 Part A / the city of the future, the future of the cityIMAGIne MILton KeYnes In 2050

Imagine MK2050

Milton Keynes, United Kingdom I 230,000 inhabitants

Context

the city of Milton Keynes (MK) has a history of innovation and long-term civic planning. the city has reached many original targets for growth and economic development, set in the late 1960s. the city council has existing strategies and policies for the near term, up to 2020 and the sustainability section saw a need for a formal long-term vision for the city to match that of the city founders.

Currently there are five core themes which are used as a framework for the creation of any new policies or strategies: Cleaner, greener, safer, healthier MK: Low Carbon Living

meets these ambitions by reducing pollution from transport and energy production. Warmer homes lead to healthier living. Visiting MK: Integrated, low carbon transport in the future will

make MK a popular regional hub for commerce and leisure, without adversely affecting local citizens.Working in MK: novel solutions to local energy supply and pro-

duction will shift MK being a consumer of fossil fuels to being a local producer of energy in a variety of forms. this will bring local employment and economic independence from uncertain world energy prices.

Living in MK: A clean, Low Carbon city will be a pleasant place to live in, with additional employment opportunities provided by the local energy infrastructure.World Class MK: the technologies and techniques used to create

the Low Carbon city will maintain the reputation of MK both nationally and internationally as a centre of innovation and excel-lence for planning, energy and environmental initiatives. Linking new or updated strategies to these themes is essential to

ensure that they conform to the corporate vision for the city.

Vision

“Milton Keynes will be a near zero carbon city with a high quality of life for all by 2050”.this simple statement is further refined into series of five sub- themes and associated outcomes, each linked to separate strategies: 1) Buildings & energy Generation - All new buildings will be

built to zero carbon standard, most existing buildings will be upgraded to zero carbon standard, maximum use of district heating and CHP …

IMAGIne MILton KeYnes In 2050


2) travel - All use of fossil fuels in MK will be replaced by low carbon energy, maximum use of low carbon vehicles…

3) Waste & Water - Maximum production of energy from waste, maximum recycling by businesses, 70% of waste collected by the Council will be recycled…

4) smart City & Community - smart grid network data collection and public use of data will be enabled, integration of services/networks e.g. public transport & energy…

5) Green space & Food - Maximum local food production, commu-nity initiatives will be supported; e.g. energy reduction and food growing, urban and rural green space will be used more efficiently for leisure, food growing, biomass fuel and carbon fixing.

Roadmap

MK council has existing procedures and methodology for the crea-tion, consultation and approval of all official strategies and policies. Key to the acceptance of the roadmap was the justification of the need for such a document. this was achieved by linking existing corporate priorities to the initial ideas for the roadmap.

early reasoning behind the local version of the roadmap was that it should reflect, as far as reasonable, the contributions of a group of stakeholders, chosen from the community. 50 stakeholders were invited, representing local businesses, academics, citizens including the local youth council, and other interested people. the project called for three engagement events over three years broadly asking

the groups “What?”, “When?” and “How?”. the intention was for the stakeholder group to be made up of the same group of people for the whole project for consistency, but in practice there was varia-tion from event to event. this was good for the group as each event combined fresh thought with existing experience as the stakeholder group matured over the engagement period. the last engagement event was carried out during the eU sustainable energy Week 2014 and was part of a series of events including launching the draft roadmap on the council’s website together with a short on-line survey for general comment.

Production of the roadmap was carried out in consultation with local politicians of all parties which is crucial to the success of the process. Initially, the long timescale for the local roadmap 2050 was a pro-blem, but the clear intention that this would be for guidance - and not a strict strategy - ensured acceptance within the administration.

the MK Roadmap will be an approved strategy document, but with a very long-term frame of reference, unusual in most other council documents. As such it is not intended to be a strict strategic framework and will be refreshed regularly.

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Partnership

stakeholders for this project can be broadly grouped into three types: Local citizens – including elected members and representatives

from a broad range of ages and motivations. Business interests – comprising representatives from local indus-

tries, utility and other technology companies. Academic groups, health and non-governmental agencies with

relevant interests (including national and local energy agencies).

MK Council conducts stakeholder engagement with most policy/ strategy development. As a result, there is a channel of communi-cation with many of these stakeholder groups. For the definition of the local vision and roadmap, representatives from these existing groups were invited and any others that were considered appro-priate. there is a degree of self-selection in this process, but the final stage of broad consultation process (direct public input via a web based questionnaire) helps address this.

Budget

2,000 staff hours€12,000 for professional facilitation and event management for the three engagement events. Approximately €4,000 for venue costs (including catering).this does not include the cost of the time contributed by stake-holders, politicians, normal council procedural administration for strategy formation or the time of senior council directors.

next steps

the roadmap has provided the organisation with a strategy baseline, in terms of which section of the council is responsible for each theme identified. the next stage is a scoping exercise to create a strategy document to develop these themes.the council has already set up a Low Carbon Living programme which monitors and facilitates low carbon related activity in the region and provides a focal point for businesses, utilities and nGos to meet and share experience and common activities in the area of Low Carbon Living and smart Cities. this is proving highly successful, with economic partnerships developing between partners with little input from the council, other than direction and acting as facilitators.


A fresh look at the local low carbon strategy

Background

the core project team associated with producing the Roadmap consisted of 4-5 staff members working on the project as well as their normal roles within the organisation. the work was set up as a formal project within the council and required a project sponsor, manager and ‘client’ with key objectives and milestones. these roles were not fixed, and varied according to the demands of the tasks. A weekly project management meeting allowed progress updates and issues to be discussed and dealt with. Less regular meetings allowed the project sponsor to track progress against the agreed project milestones. the project staff acted as the point of contact between the different sections of the council, helping break down barriers between them. staff time was recorded to enable resources for the project to be used appropriately.

Process

1. Initially, the project team had to determine why there was a need for the strategy and how it would link into the council’s existing priorities and areas of influence. once it was formalised, it could be used as the basis for communication of the core project aims, both within the council and to a wider audience. A difficult task

was to determine who the stakeholders for the strategy were, how they could be engaged with and how to make sense of their input. Fortunately, the council has an existing database of consul-tees used in other policy and strategy consultations.

2. three local engagement events combined the ideas of the stake-holders into a coherent format. After each event, the project team developed and refined the strategy further, taking feedback from the attendees into account.

3. the information from the engagement events along with the use of the project’s common assessment grid was used to develop the draft strategy. the environmental assessment “grid” was an important tool to identify existing policies, responsibilities and actions for most of the areas covered by the draft strategy. Its use lead to direct engagement with internal actors within the local authority, allowing the project team to incorporate existing stra-tegic aims into the combined long term strategy. this is important, as previous strategies operated in narrow areas, dealing with that section’s responsibilities and not how these may have other social effects. For example, housing policies take into account the fabric of the buildings, but not the social consequences of poor thermal quality of structures, which have health and economic implica-tions.


4. the final draft of the Roadmap was released on the council website for public consultation, along with a web survey desig-ned to gather wider response to the document. After taking the results of the public consultation into account, a final version of the Roadmap was circulated within the council, including the legal section, before being presented to the elected members for approval. After approval, the document becomes a formal council strategy, which all sectors of the council must take note of when making policies and operating decisions.

Results

the interest generated by the project has been considerable. A key outcome is the dialogue between the project team and other sectors of the local authority, where previously this had been limited. the project has also received support from elected members, who recognise the importance of public consultation on these issues. the impact is to focus attention on the importance of early action for long environmental and economic benefits.

Budget

the global budget for the project for the City of Milton Keynes was €145,000, including exchange visits with project partners and atten-dance at appropriate seminars.

outreach

the process of engagement with local stakeholders has been good for publicising the need for action now to reduce dependency on ex-ternal resources. the message is that this will have long term impact on jobs and the local economy, reducing the flow of finances out of the area, to be used for local environmentally sound and sustainable solutions to global issues.

Low-Energy CityPolicy HandbookPart AThe city of the future,the future of the city

Low-Energy City Policy HandbookPilot experiences

Part BLost in transition?Methods & tools

energyrt BarPaP energy

Low-Energy CityPolicy Handbook

Contents

p.1 Part B / Lost in energy transition? Methods & toolsContents

InVoLVInG LoCAL PLAYeRs page 2 Who’s afraid of the active citizen? page 2Involving citizens (Lille, Bistrița, Figueres) page 3Involving the administration and political representatives (odense) page 7Involving stakeholders (Munich) page 8IMAGIne Assessment Grid (HafenCity University - Hamburg) page 10

soURCes… AnD ResoURCes page 12

InVoLVInG LoCAL PLAYeRs

p.2 Part B / Lost in energy transition? Methods & toolsInVoLVInG LoCAL PLAYeRs

Who’s afraid of the active citizen?

By Ingrid Prikken, InVoLVe (www.involve.org.uk)

negative myths about citizen engagement sometimes prevent elec-ted representatives and decision-makers from engaging as it is “too risky”, “too expensive”, or “inefficient”. Is it really so?

Myths and mistakes

Mob rule. Decision-makers may have had negative experiences of engaging citizens when they were confronted with combative people. Yet, most people are polite and keen to have a civilised, constructive and informed discussion.Citizens cannot discuss complex issues. there are so many examples of engagement processes where groups of ‘ordinary’ citizens engaged intelligently in complex topics. engaging people in a meaningful way can have a positive impact on attitudes and beha-viours. We may find that ‘ordinary’ citizens are able to come up with ingenious solutions which may have eluded experts.engagement is too expensive... unless the costs of not engaging are considered together with the costs of your project. non-enga-gement may result in obstacles with rather serious consequences in terms of costs, both from a monetary (complaints procedures or legal costs) and non-monetary (negative impact on image or decrease in trust) point of view.

overcoming the myths

Focus on what unites citizens, not on what di-vides them. start by identifying with what you have in common and map the strengths. Make it relevant to citizens, but do not assume that the incentives that work for one group can automatically be transferred to another. Find out what the “entry” point is for different types of people, who will have different atti-tudes and behaviours towards engaging with energy.Inspire citizens to engage. A powerful way of engaging citizens with the transition to a low carbon future is to bring positive messages. show the diffe-rence people are making, whether that is through “storytelling“, challenge prizes, or celebrating good practice... And make it fun!engaging citizens is not straightforward. there are many obstacles and areas of confusion. However, engaging citizens can ensure that public values are taken into account, develop a better understan-ding of complex issues, and create greater ownership for energy transition decisions.the key is to find that space where citizens are empowered to engage and where those in power demonstrate strong leadership and have the courage to step back and let things happen.


Involving citizens

estaminets du Climat (Climate Cafés) in Lille (France)

Background

In order to involve citizens and local stakeholders in the local Cli-mate and energy plan, the municipality of Lille decided to run an experiment in two neighbourhoods. In Moulins, and saint Maurice Pellevoisin, residents were invited to participate in the estaminets du Climat. (“estaminets” are typical local small bars in the Lille area).

Process

Citizen involvementthree meetings were organised in each neighbourhood from March to June 2012. those meetings were held in small local bars, usually in the evening, where participants were offered drinks. A lot of effort was made to create a relaxed and cosy atmosphere.each of the three meetings focused on a particular topic:1. Awareness-raising on climate change issues, challenges, perspec-

tives and levels of action;2. Individual practices and initiatives – What’s already been done?

suggestions and personal engagement;3. Collective proposals – objectives of the residents, role of the muni-

cipality.

Involvement of local stakeholdersone specific estaminet was dedicated to local stakeholders in october 2012. the topic of discussion was managing energy consumption and energy efficiency. this meeting was presided by the city councillor in charge of energy savings, Mr Philippe tostain.

Results

outputs of the citizens’ estaminets were introduced to Lille City Council and will be integrated into the city’s Climate and energy Plan. During the stakeholders’ estaminets, the decision was made to

create a local network for interested local players and to imple-ment new energy efficiency measures.

Budget

€25,000 for organising, preparing, reporting and moderating the Climate estaminets. the City of Lille engaged in a public procurement process in order to entrust the activities to a private consultancy.

outreach

the participants of the estaminets are expected to play the role of multipliers in their families, in their neighbourhoods, friends and work networks.


Involvement of school children in Bistrița (Romania)

Background

In order to raise awareness amongst school children and to involve them in sustainable energy issues, the city of Bistrița extended the focus of the existing “eCo groups” to schools. those groups focus on general environmental issues. each group is composed of ten enthu-siastic participants and coordinated by a teacher.the eCo groups were created in 2004 in all 17 – secondary and high – schools.

Process

1. Creation and organisation of the eCo groupsthe eCo groups were launched in 2003 as part of the annual “Green Flag” competition between local schools, which was organised by the municipality on the occasion of the World environment Day.the objectives of this competition were to: strengthen civility amongst the inhabitants with the help of

younsters; Making the city cleaner; encourage positive competitiveness between schools in Bistrița.

each year, the eCo groups are informed of the rules of the “Green Flag” competition on the same day when the municipality organises the “In town without my car” event. the competition takes place

throughout the school year. Actions undertaken by each school are evaluated and the award ceremony is held during the World envi-ronment Day (on 5 June).

2. Using the eCo groups to focus on energy In the framework of the IMAGIne project, the eCo groups participa-ted (100 pupils) in three Local energy Forums. they got involved in the dialogue initiated by the facilitator, proving to have a sponta-neous, creative and serious approach to such a complex topic such as the transition to a sustainable energy future.

Budget

€1000 for 200 tee-shirts customised with the “eCo GRoUP”.€125 for two “green flags” customised with “Bistrița green city, Bistrița clean city!”

Results

By involving all pupils throughout the year, each eCo group orga-nises about ten actions in favour of environmental protection.In 2014, each eCo group committed to keeping clean one public green space or public playground near their school. the municipality placed signs stating that: “the pupils of XX school maintain this place. Please respect their work. Keep it clean!”


energy twitter™ and Instagram™ photography competition in Figueres

Background

the city of Figueres was willing to involve citizens in the IMAGIne project using “2.0” tools. the objective was to involve the general public – and particularly youngsters, who often use new technolo-gies and photography as a means of expression. the municipality decided to organise a photo competition using the social networks twitter™ and Instagram™.

Process

1. setting up the rules of the gamethe first step in preparing this competition was to establish the rules and to provide participants with basic information such as the objec-tives of the competition, how to participate, themes and format presentation of the pictures, jury members, etc. these rules were approved by Figueres City Council.

2. Advertising the competition the second step consisted in advertising the competition through “2.0” tools such as twitter™, Facebook™ and the webpage of the city council.

two different categories were defined: “no” > Photos picturing undesired situations, consequences,

effects of the current (and potentially future) energy situation. [hashtag #Fgs2050no] “Yes” > Photos showing a new, positive (and desired) energy

model. [hashtag #Fgs2050si]Competition was opened from 1 July to 15 August 2013.


3. selection of the winners the jury was composed of the president of the IAeDen (the biggest environmentalist nGo in the city), a representative of the local media, city technicians and the city councillor for Youth and environ-ment.57 photos were submitted on twitter™, some were dismissed as they did not follow the rules.After the deadline, the jury met to decide on the winners, evalua-ting the link to energy issues, but also the artistic and aesthetic aspects of the image.

4. Awards three prizes were awarded in each category. the ceremony took place in the Chamber of the City Hall. the awarded pictures were displayed on Figueres’ webpage.

Results

the level of participation was lower than expected. However, a strong involvement of the participants was noticed, as most of them sent more than one picture.the pictures sent dealt with energy in an interesting way and showed a high level of awareness and willingness to switch to a new energy model. the most represented thematic fields were renewable energies, sustainable mobility and the impact of energy infrastruc-tures on the territory. the competition helped give an overview of the level of knowledge and awareness of the participants regarding energy issues.

Budget

€350 for the awards: two schoolbags, two solar chargers and two low-energy light bulbs kits.


Involving the administration and political representatives

odense’s sustainability Puzzle - A tool for considering sustainability in all aspects of a project (Denmark)

Background

the sustainability Puzzle developed by odense is a unique tool that helps to consider sustainability in all dimensions of a project, a work area, a plan, a campaign or a business. through the puzzle it is pos-sible to analyse all the components of a task or project and find out where and how to integrate sustainability.

Process

1. the puzzlethe puzzle has pieces of three colours representing the social (orange), economic (blue) and environmental (green) fields of sustainability. each piece proposes a sub-theme of one of the three dimensions (such as health, education, climate adaptation). the puzzle helps a group of people make sure that they have taken all sustainability fields into account in their project. each piece/sub-theme is discussed by the group. First, it is discussed whether or not the topic is relevant. If so, the group discusses how to integrate it in the project. this way, the sustainability puzzle helps consider the task/project as a whole and generate ideas to make the solutions more sustainable.

2. the gameBefore the puzzle session, it’s important to get par-ticipants to focus on the wide sustainability term. It’s important to try thinking “out of the box” to come up with new ideas and new aspects that should be considered in the planning process of a project. It is also important to have representatives from various sectors, as they will add different perspectives to the case. the puzzle can be used at different stages of projects, but preferably early in the process. otherwise some issues can be very difficult to integrate.

Results

odense uses this tool to ensure its sustainability efforts are reflected into the staff’s daily tasks. employees in all five city departments work with the sustainability Puzzle. the puzzle is an efficient tool to generate sustainability innovation. the tool can be used by employees of the municipality, or in a parti-cipatory process with citizens and other stakeholders in the city for a broader view in the planning process.

Budget

staff working hours for holding sustainability workshops. the puzzle itself can be printed on paper or carton at low cost on any printer.


“Fifty-Fifty”: everybody wins when saving energy in Munich (Germany)!

Background

Fifty-Fifty is an energy and water saving programme coordinated by the City of Munich that has been running in schools and kindergar-tens since 1996. It was first tested in 1994 in Hamburg, where all 450 schools are now participating.

It consists of an agreement between the municipality and the schools. teachers and pupils are encouraged to reduce their energy and water consumption simply by changing their behaviours.Half of the money saved directly goes

to the school itself, as the name of the project suggests, and can be used for improving quality of life in schools.

this programme aims at: Playing a part in protecting the environment and reducing carbon

emissions (ecological aspect) teaching children about responsibility and using resources care-

fully (educational aspect) saving energy and water costs (economic aspect)

Budget

Between €300 and €500 per school/kindergarten for information material, measuring kits and promotion of the programme.

the project was proposed as a measure to be integrated in the ex-tended Integrated Action Program for Climate Protection in Munich (IHKM) , with a financial support of €30,000 per year to cover the costs of the materials. the city council will decide on this issue in autumn 2014. this extra funding would enable to provide advanced trainings for teachers as well as for children, special measuring tools, competition, videos, games, educational workshops, etc.

Process

If they are interested in taking part in the project, the schools and kindergartens first have to address the Department of education and sports.

the department clarifies the requirements for participation: It is necessary to know whether the kindergarten/ school belongs

to the city or the land of Bavaria.Will the necessary data on electricity, water and heating consump-

tion be available? Is it possible to get a reference value from the last 3 years?


the second step is to visit the building to get an idea of its spatial and technical conditions. this is done together with representa-tives from the Departments of education and sports and of Public Building Construction, an energy consultant, a (pre-school) teacher and the caretaker of the building. the goal of the visit is to find out how energy and water can be saved by simple actions or behaviour changes besides low investment measures. the institution also gets some information material and a measuring kit (including multipoint connectors, thermometers for the rooms, a lux meter and a measure-ment equipment for the energy operating costs).

After a year, the Department of Public Building Construction will calculate the consumption of energy and water and the savings made from the new beha-viours adopted in the building - against the reference value from the last 3 years.If the schools and kindergartens have achieved savings, they receive half of the

money saved for their own use. they can reinvest it in energy saving technologies or they can organise activities for the kids, such as a school party or an educational trip.In the following years, the institutions have to inform the depart-ments about any structural changes in the building or when they get new electrical equipment that would considerably alter the electricity consumption. that is very important to make proper calculations.

Results

Around 40 kindergartens and play groups and 130 schools have already signed up to the Fifty-Fifty programme, which is currently being expanded. since 1994, a total of €5.49 million has been saved in energy and water costs, meaning a total dividend payment of €2.7 million to the participating institutions.

More than 8.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity, nearly 63 million kilowatt hours of heating energy and about 243,000 m3 of water have been saved so far. this equals to more than 16,000 tons of Co2 – approximately 133,000 flights from Munich to Berlin.

this programme has been running for 17 years. the evaluation shows that it is possible to achieve high cost savings, preserve lots of resources and contribute to climate protection only by changing behaviours. that is why the programme is now supported by a climate protection manager paid for up to two-thirds by the German Federal environment office in order to encourage even more schools and kindergartens to participate in the programme.


IMAGIne Assessment Grid

HafenCity University - Hamburg (Germany)

What?

to comprehend the energy transition process in urban areas, the IMAGIne project developed an assessment grid. this tool enables local authorities to self-evaluate the progress of their own energy transition.

Why?

Fundamental for a successful energy-efficient urban development on the long run, a trajectory of change needs continuous input, monitoring and evaluation of the process. the grid supports three main points: evaluating the local progress or local situation of the transition

towards a low energy future; Guiding the decision-making process towards transition policies; triggering an internal discussion by drawing out different views

through responses of employees, politicians, etc.

How?

the assessment grid is a matrix containing: specific aims in energy-related sectors, such as energy gene-

ration, distribution and consumption, mobility and transport,

urban planning, waste, housing and buildings, water, health and liveability, and lifestyle consumption patterns in the rows; Governance-related aspects such as policy targets, institutional

responsibilities, interdepartmental cooperation, financial re-sources, instruments used by local authorities (LAs) and ownership structures in the columns.

each field is assessed using different types of questions: Is the aim sufficiently considered in the city’s policy? Is the agreed target sui-table to promote the local low energy city vision? Is the status quo sufficient to bring the community closer to the local vision?

the tool delivers a critical self-assessment and depends on honest application. A biased user will not achieve a reliable assessment and will not gain information needed for the transition process. It en-hances collecting and elaborating data and motivates the dialogue with colleagues and stakeholders. this tool is not for comparison or benchmarking amongst municipalities but is meant for the compre-hension of a municipality’s own trajectory.

entering data into the assessment grid provides information on cities’ performances in each energy-related sector and specific aims within the sector.


Figure 1: energy assessment per sector (in %)

In Figure 1, the self-evaluation shows that consumption patterns gains 36.8% of possible points and is the field with the weakest per-formance in the city. Urban planning (71.9%) and energy generation distribution and consumption (71.9%), on the contrary, are perfor-ming well. It is important to be aware of the subjectivity of the assess-ment made. subsequently, it is up to the applicants to decide whether a specific sector matters to the city or not. If targeting consumption patterns is a relevant policy field, it would need improvement. next to energy sectors, insights about governance aspects can be derived.

According to Figure 2 showing performance of different gover-nance-related aspects, the consumption patterns sector leaks espe-cially within the fields of policy, institutional settings, interdepart-mental cooperation, financial resources as well as instruments used by local authorities which can be read off by the red colour indicating

low performance. Mobility and trans-port could be seen as the sector with the highest perfor-mance in gover-nance structures, since out of seven it scored highest, indicated by the green colour twice. Adding insights

about governance performance helps find which sector needs to be improved for reaching the goal of becoming a low energy city, and how to do it. It also indicates which lever should be triggered as well as what the city’s next fields of action could be. Filling in the assess-ment grid offers helpful insights about the local energy structure.the interpretation of the outcomes is the task of the applicant.the assessment grid eases identification of strengths and weaknesses of the local energy structure. Within the transition process it allows for regular feedback loops and selecting relevant action fields. the-reby it can contribute to keeping track of the trajectory of change cities are going to face on their energy transition process.In practice, the grid proved to be a useful tool to fight silo mentality drawbacks as the person in charge of filling in the grid will need assistance from colleagues. some pilot cities used the grid in “grid sessions” where a group of colleagues were invited to discuss each field and evaluate the actions of the municipality.

Figure 2: Assessment of governance-related aspects

soURCes… AnD ResoURCes

the Integrated Action Program for Climate Protection in Munich (IHKM) More information

City of Milton Keynes www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/MK2050

sustainability team Jeremy Draper

[email protected]

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Useful resources

IMAGIne project website www.imaginelowenergycities.eu

IMAGIne Resource Centrewww.energy-cities.eu/imagine

the IMAGIne Local energy Roadmaps and the case studies prepared by HafenCity University - Hamburg will be made available on the project website.

the sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the european Union. neither the eACI nor the european Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

october 2014

the IMAGIne initiative is also supported by

Documents

Low-Energy City Policy Handbook · 2017-02-13 · 2-Vers la sobriété heureuse, éd. Actes sud, Arles, 2010. Life in the city of the future takes place around shared spaces (gardens,