For the 2022 edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities, CEPLI was hosted at the European Committee of the Regions to present a workshop devoted to the way in which ““Local Intermediate Authorities strengthen resilience and energy efficiency “.
The elected representatives and experts present were able to discuss the issues facing local authorities which must, in the context of an energy crisis greatly aggravated by the war in Ukraine, continue to support the daily lives of European citizens as closely as possible, including the most fragile.
Intermediate Local Authorities and their partners must demonstrate ingenuity and creativity in very strained financial contexts: experimentation with energy communities in Ourense (Spain), computerized management and daily monitoring of energy losses for the Province of Hainaut (Belgium ), renovations for energy efficiency of school buildings in Lucca (Italy), support for the renovation of private buildings in Hanover (Germany), re-naturalization of urban spaces and energy saving protocols in Barcelona (Spain).
The European Committee of the Regions has underlined the importance of relying on the Intermediate Local Authorities, and more generally on the Local Authorities, to guarantee that the necessary transitions take place at all levels and leave no one behind.
He also recalled the importance of sufficient and specifically allocated resources to local authorities, both in terms of financial envelopes and capacity building and technical means.
The European Commission’s DG ENER has confirmed the key role of the LIPs, which support, relay and innovate in the territories, in terms of energy saving and the fight against energy poverty.
The Commission welcomed initiatives such as the Covenant of Mayor. Without the territories Re-power EU will not succeed.
Two other workshops organized by CEPLI partners, representatives of Intermediate Local Authorities, Partenalia (workshop) and the Diputació of Barcelona (workshop), were also carried out.