Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CEESEU (Central and Eastern European Sustainable Energy Union)
Période du rapport: 2022-05-01 au 2023-10-31
The climate crisis demands united action across all sectors to meet each country's National Determined Contribution, central to the Paris Agreement's goal of curbing greenhouse gas emissions. The Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (CoM) unites cities and municipalities voluntarily to take climate and energy action for their communities' well-being. Joining the CoM involves developing a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP). SECAPs, approved by local councils, outline steps to achieve 2030 interim emission reduction targets, with the long-term outlook of aiding the EU reach its 2050 climate neutrality goal. They focus on cutting emissions through technological upgrades, optimizing municipal energy consumption including heating/cooling, electricity, industry, transportation, lighting, residential energy use, and addressing methane emissions from waste sites.
The CEESEU initiative aimed to empower Central and Eastern European (CEE) public administrators in creating SECAPs that enhance energy efficiency, sustainable energy, emission reductions, and climate resilience. CEE municipalities in the CEE often lag behind their counterparts in other European regions due to factors like insufficient awareness, expertise, capacity, resources, and inadequate support from EU-level actors, including the CoM. CEESEU operated in eight EU member states: Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czwch Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, and Romania. The project:
• Developed training resources for CEE public administrators on SECAP development tailored to CEE contexts
• Assisted 22 CEE entities (mostly small municipalities) in involving stakeholders and executing multi-level governance for SECAP development
• Guided CEE municipalities in financing and executing SECAP actions
• Offered advice to the CoM and EU actors on better serving CEE municipalities in SECAP development and implementation
The CEESEU initiative aimed to empower Central and Eastern European (CEE) public administrators in creating SECAPs that enhance energy efficiency, sustainable energy, emission reductions, and climate resilience. CEE municipalities in the CEE often lag behind their counterparts in other European regions due to factors like insufficient awareness, expertise, capacity, resources, and inadequate support from EU-level actors, including the CoM. CEESEU operated in eight EU member states: Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czwch Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, and Romania. The project:
• Developed training resources for CEE public administrators on SECAP development tailored to CEE contexts
• Assisted 22 CEE entities (mostly small municipalities) in involving stakeholders and executing multi-level governance for SECAP development
• Guided CEE municipalities in financing and executing SECAP actions
• Offered advice to the CoM and EU actors on better serving CEE municipalities in SECAP development and implementation
DEVELOPED SECAP TRAINING MATERIALS
• Conducted interviews with energy experts to identify challenges and barriers
• Developed training materials on SECAP methodology, municipal processes, stakeholder engagement, administrative structures, implementation strategies, grant writing
• Created training content based on CoM resources and tailored to CEE-specific approaches
• Created a Guide to SECAP development, available online at the CoM: https://eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu/en/companion-guide-to-secap-development-in-the-CEE-region(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
• Created a self-assessment tool for municipalities, available online at https://www.climatealliance.org/en/activities/projects/ceeseu.html(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
CONDUCTED SECAP DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
• Held two Bootcamps and two conferences, bringing together municipalities and experts
POLITICAL AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
• Completed stakeholder mapping for 22 municipalities
• 21 SECAPs and 1 ECAP approved by municipal councils
• Worked with regional/national governments on SECAP implementation
DISSEMINATION AND CEESEN NETWORK
• Established CEESEN as an NGO in Estonia, with ongoing functional development: https://ceesen.org/(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
• Routinely published articles and blog posts on ceesen.org
• Conducted interviews with energy experts to identify challenges and barriers
• Developed training materials on SECAP methodology, municipal processes, stakeholder engagement, administrative structures, implementation strategies, grant writing
• Created training content based on CoM resources and tailored to CEE-specific approaches
• Created a Guide to SECAP development, available online at the CoM: https://eu-mayors.ec.europa.eu/en/companion-guide-to-secap-development-in-the-CEE-region(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
• Created a self-assessment tool for municipalities, available online at https://www.climatealliance.org/en/activities/projects/ceeseu.html(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
CONDUCTED SECAP DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
• Held two Bootcamps and two conferences, bringing together municipalities and experts
POLITICAL AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
• Completed stakeholder mapping for 22 municipalities
• 21 SECAPs and 1 ECAP approved by municipal councils
• Worked with regional/national governments on SECAP implementation
DISSEMINATION AND CEESEN NETWORK
• Established CEESEN as an NGO in Estonia, with ongoing functional development: https://ceesen.org/(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
• Routinely published articles and blog posts on ceesen.org
• Trained 650 public administrators inside (69) and out (128) of CEESEU municipalities; and via roundtables (453)
• Capacitated 80 public administrations in the development of SECAPs. Result: 73 CEE municipalities signed CoM commitments (22 from inside CEESEU and 51 from outside)
• Improved capacity/skills for designing and implementing SECAPs for 371 public officers
• 2010.9 GWh are the estimated primary energy savings GWh in 2024, far exceeding the 650 GWh target
• 305.8 GWh is the renewable energy production capacity reached at the end of the project
• Almost €250 million has been applied for by municipalities, to invest in their SECAPs' mitigation and adaptation implementation
• The CEESEN network has achieved a reach of 3,007 individuals
By the end of the project, municipalities across the eight CEESEU countries have applied for funding for, or have already commenced, implementation in a number of areas, with the greatest effort being applied to residential building envelope reconstruction and deep renovation, which will lower the risk of vulnerable households falling into energy poverty. The second greatest effort is in mobility solutions, with modernisation of both transport infrastructure and the transport fleet.
• Capacitated 80 public administrations in the development of SECAPs. Result: 73 CEE municipalities signed CoM commitments (22 from inside CEESEU and 51 from outside)
• Improved capacity/skills for designing and implementing SECAPs for 371 public officers
• 2010.9 GWh are the estimated primary energy savings GWh in 2024, far exceeding the 650 GWh target
• 305.8 GWh is the renewable energy production capacity reached at the end of the project
• Almost €250 million has been applied for by municipalities, to invest in their SECAPs' mitigation and adaptation implementation
• The CEESEN network has achieved a reach of 3,007 individuals
By the end of the project, municipalities across the eight CEESEU countries have applied for funding for, or have already commenced, implementation in a number of areas, with the greatest effort being applied to residential building envelope reconstruction and deep renovation, which will lower the risk of vulnerable households falling into energy poverty. The second greatest effort is in mobility solutions, with modernisation of both transport infrastructure and the transport fleet.