How to avoid typical mistakes in Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs)

This document aims to collect the most common mistakes from Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) submitted by local authorities of Eastern Partnership and Central Asian cities and analysed so far by the JRC. The mistakes can refer to methodological issues as well as to the way the information is presented in the SEAP document and/or in the online SEAP submission templates. Furthermore, this document also provides recommendations on how to avoid these most common mistakes, describing relevant examples of good and bad practices. Focusing on these recommendations will increase the possibilities for a SEAP to be accepted by the JRC (without a need for revision by the signatory) Additionally, it will also help signatories to develop a good document, which will be well understood by different stakeholders (technical officers, citizens) and, at the same time, it will lead the way to the successful implementation of the SEAP.JRC.F.7-Renewables and Energy Efficienc

Replicable Measures for Eastern Partnership cities

This document is aimed to present examples of the measures to local authorities that could be used for Sustainable Urban Demonstration projects (SUDeP) in the Eastern Partnership cities ( Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan). The measures are related to the concrete implementation of the actions in line with the Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAPs) developed under the of Covenant of Mayors initiative. The measures are focused on achieving energy savings and improving energy efficiency in the sectors where local authorities have the control and influence. In addition, measures on renewable energy are considered along with measures on information systems to monitor and control energy consumption.JRC.F.7-Renewables and Energy Efficienc

How to develop a Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) in the Eastern Partnership and Central Asian Cities ─ Guidebook PART I – The SEAP process, step-by-step towards the – 20 % target by 2020

This Guidebook is tailored to the specific needs of the Eastern Partnership and central Asian countries, which are still recovering from economic reform. As such, various specific indicators were calculated for the 11 Newly Independent States and a Business as Usual scenario was developed projecting the growth of their economy, and the increase in CO2 emissions for 2020 as a result of a 'do nothing' stance in terms of policies and the environmental regulations scenario. The current guidebook provides detailed step-by-step recommendations for the entire process of elaborating a local energy and climate strategy, from initial political commitment to implementation. It is divided into 3 parts: Part I relates to the description of the overall SEAP process and covers the strategic issues; Part II gives guidance on how to elaborate the Baseline Emission Inventory; Part III is dedicated to the description of technical measures that can be implemented at local level by the local authority in the different sectors of activity; The guidebook provides a flexible but coherent set of principles and recommendations. The flexibility will allow local authorities to develop a SEAP in a way that suits their own circumstances, permitting those already engaged in energy and climate action to come on board of the Covenant of Mayors, while continuing to follow the approaches they have used before with as little adjustments as possible.JRC.F.7-Renewables and Energy Efficienc

Energy efficiency, the value of buildings and the payment default risk

Energy efficiency delivers energy savings and therefore energy cost savings, as well as direct environmental benefits. Besides, as an indirect effect, it has smaller or larger consequences on other economic values. This report reviews current knowledge about the impact of energy efficiency improvements on the value of buildings. In particular, the methodology that can be applied to quantify the increase or decrease of property value linked to the energy performance and sustainability components is explained and different methods are compared. Secondly, the report demonstrates the impact of energy efficiency on the payment default risk namely the link between energy efficiency investment and ability of borrowers to repay their loans.JRC.C.2-Energy Efficiency and Renewable

Covenant of Mayors: Monitoring Indicators

Launched in 2008 by the European Commission, the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) is the mainstream European movement involving cities and towns in the development and implementation of local sustainable energy and climate policies. Covenant of Mayors' signatories can benefit from support at different levels: from European institutions to national and regional governments and to fellow signatories which share best practises through the CoM platform. Featured by multilevel governance models and bottom up actions, the CoM platform paves the way for local and regional governments to contribute to EU's climate and energy objectives. By signing up to the Covenant of Mayors, local authorities commit to submit: I. action plan: based on the inventory of energy consumptions/production and greenhouse gas emissions in the local authority's territory, identifies actions to be implemented for reaching the CO2 reduction target. II. monitoring reports: including status of the implementation of actions and - at least every fourth year - a monitoring inventory which allows to measure progress toward the targets set in the action plan1. As of September 2015, almost six thousand local authorities have signed the CoM, for a total of ca. 208 million inhabitants in the whole initiative. More than 4 500 local authorities have submitted an action plan (Sustainable Energy Action Plan) for a total of ca. 166 million. Out of these, 122 signatories, representing 3% of the signatories with an action plan, have submitted a monitoring report including inventories for a total ca. 11 million inhabitants. Monitoring inventories enable to track the evolution of GHG emissions in local authorities territories as well as changes in energy consumptions patterns, and to compare estimated impacts of the actions against actual results. This report illustrates main statistical indicators based on data provided by signatories in the monitoring reports submitted as of September 2015.JRC.F.7-Renewables and Energy Efficienc

The Covenant of Mayors in Figures and Performance Indicators: 6-Year Assessment

The main purpose of this scientific report is to provide an assessment of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) Initiative 6 years after it has been initiated by the European Commission. By implementing the CoM Initiative, the European Commission has given visibility to the role of local authorities and their relevant contribution to EU2020 Climate and Energy targets. This is the second assessment report in a series of CoM assessment reports published by JRC. As of mid-May 2014 5,296 local authorities signed the Covenant of Mayors (CoM), for a total of ca. 160 million inhabitants in the EU-28, and ca. 186 million inhabitants in the whole initiative. Based on the data collected from Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) submitted by CoM Signatories as of mid-May 2014, a statistical methodology has been developed to select a CoM data set for evaluating the real impact of the CoM initiative. The report provides main statistics of the data set in terms of GHG emission and estimated reductions, Final energy consumptions and estimated energy savings and clean energy production in the local authorities. Ultimately, the report aims to emphasize the feature of SEAPs as a flexible common platform for achieving EU Climate and Energy targets with a bottom-up approach.JRC.F.7-Renewables and Energy Efficienc

Covenant of Mayors in Figures: 8-year Assessment

The European Commission’s initiative Covenant of Mayors (CoM), one of the world’s largest urban climate and energy initiatives, involving more than seven thousand local and regional authorities, proves that climate change has moved to the forefront of urban priorities. Its integrated approach is in line with a number of EU priorities not only concerning mitigation and adaptation but also in terms of embracing a robust transparency framework for the implementation of the Paris agreement. The Covenant of Mayors in figures 8-year assessment report, based on the data collected in the CoM platform as of September 2016, aims at providing an overall picture of the achievement and projections made by the signatories in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and the related energy consumptions. Developing a sustainable energy and climate action plan that requires the establishment of a baseline emission inventory, target setting and the adoption of policy measures is already a tangible achievement for cities. This is the first step towards an effective, transparent system for tracking progress and concrete results. Ultimately, the report emphasis that strong urban energy policies and increased involvement of citizens is of vital importance in the potential of urban mitigation of global climate change.JRC.C.2-Energy Efficiency and Renewable

The Covenant of Mayors: In-depth Analysis of Sustainable Energy Action Plans

As part of the European Commission’s Covenant of Mayors Initiative, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has carried out an in-depth analysis of selected sustainable energy action plans (SEAPs). Based on a sample of 25 cities from different EU Member States, the study seeks to identify and extract the common and most important characteristics of how local authorities across Europe are developing and implementing this policy. The study examined the strategies used by different local authorities in their SEAPs, with specific analysis of methodology, policies, governance, external support and regional and national characteristics. This gives us a picture of the strengths and weaknesses of different cities in their attempts to reduce their total GHG emissions by 2020. The study focuses on two types of Covenant signatory: -cities already involved in climate, air quality, sustainability and energy plans who adapted their plans to the Covenant requirements -cities for which the Covenant was the point of departure for developing strategies to decrease their total emissions. Just as important are the conclusions drawn by the study, which cover areas such as: -best practices -circumstances favouring the adoption and implementation of local sustainable energy policies -small municipalities’ need for external support in developing their SEAP -the result of signatories joining forces to develop their SEAPs -the role of the covenant territorial coordinators (CTC)within the initiative.JRC.F.7-Renewables and Energy Efficienc

Assessment of the Second National Energy Efficiency Action Plans under the Energy Efficiency Directive

The report assesses the Second National Energy Efficiency Action Plans submitted by Member States in 2017 (NEEAP 2017) in compliance with Article 24 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (Directive 2012/27/EU). The Energy Efficiency Directive introduced the requirement to set indicative targets for 2020 and binding measures in various sectors of the economy at national level. The report provides an updated overview of the national energy efficiency targets in 2020 and the progress made based on latest available data. Progress made in planned or implemented end-use and supply level measures is also discussed.JRC.C.2-Energy Efficiency and Renewable

Assessment of second long-term renovation strategies under the Energy Efficiency Directive

The report assesses the Second Long-Term Renovation Strategies (LTRS) submitted by Member States in 2017 (LTRS 2017) in compliance with Article 4 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (Directive 2012/27/EU). The Energy Efficiency Directive introduced the requirement for Member States to establish a long-term strategy for mobilising investment in the renovation of the national stock of residential and commercial buildings, both public and private. The report provides an updated overview of the assessment of the LTRS and evaluation of the strategies' compliance with the Directive and checked if all the requirements were adequately addressed in each national strategy.JRC.C.2-Energy Efficiency and Renewable