q

Energie-Cits INFO N 33 April 2007

T W I C E - Y E A R L Y I N F O R M A T I O N B U L L E T I N F O R A L O C A L S U S T A I N A B L E E N E R G Y P O L I C Y I N E U R O P E

DOSSIER

q OTHER WAYS OF
COMMUNICATING
www.energie-cites.eu

ABOUT ENERGY AND CLIMATE

CHANGE DO EXIST
p. 2 - 6

Other ways of
communicating:
Good pratcice examples p.3-6

Exhibition
Beacon regions, cities, neighbourhoods...
p.8-9

The 2007 Spring

European Council p.8-9

Local authorities
as models: 4th BISE Forum p.11
 q DOSSIER
The challenge we are facing today is
without historical precedent. Having
experienced uninterrupted growth in
the amount of energy we consume
since the birth of humanity, we must
now learn to substantially cut our
consumption and rely extensively on
renewable energy sources.
Solutions to the energy and climate
change challenges lie in the
involvement of society as a whole,
including citizens, elected
representatives, associations, etc.
I n33 I April 2007
Dont be afraid to innovate! A theatre group
performs at an energy forum in Rennes.
uEnergie-Cits INFO
p.2
q OTHER WAYS OF
COMMUNICATING
ABOUT ENERGY AND CLIMATE
CHANGE DO EXIST
If by 2050 we are to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by 4 we must change our
current direction and, starting today, find
the right way. To reduce emissions by
30%, consume 20% less energy and use
renewable energies for 20 to 25% of our
needs will require nothing short of an
energy revolution. More particularly it is
about changing habits in all of the countries
of Europe, new Member States included,
which must be rebuilt on sustainable foun-
dations.
What may appear to be wishful thinking
today is the rational direction to follow
tomorrow, a realistic choice that will limit
our vulnerability to energy shortages and
climate change and marry economic
growth and sustainability. Good practices
that strike us as extraordinary today, will
become standard procedure tomorrow.
The ideals and methods of the past are not
relevant to the new energy paradigm we
face today.
The revolution needed will change our cul-
tures, our routines, our decisions and our
private lives as citizens, members of the
working world, directors of public institu-
tions at local, national, European or interna-
tional level, or as active members of
society at a personal or community level.
In this context communication is of
paramount importance under the condi-
tion, of course, that it does not take the
place of action but rather serves it
appropriately and effectively.
To communicate, is to facilitate the transi-
tion from being informed, to understanding,
from thinking to taking action; it is to
convince people and rally all to a common
cause, whether those people are:
Part of a municipal administration,
where both elected and non-elected
representatives need to participate in this
new culture, whatever their responsibili-
ties may be,
Involved in local society,
where companies, the self-
employed, banks, property develo-
pers, etc., not to forget associations,
play a highly important role in terms of
decision-making and influence,
or where ultimately all members of
society will be the principal beneficia-
ries and participants of a less energy-
hungry economy,
Actors at a national and European level,
where it is the duty of decision-makers to
create the right conditions for reaching the
targets that they themselves have set.
You will find unique examples of local com-
munication initiatives in this publication, as
well as at the 12th Annual Conference of
Energie-Cits in Brasov on 25th-27th April 2007.
SOME GOOD PRACTICE EXAMPLES
The Energy Challenges of Brussels-Capital:
a genuine commitment
How to get people to change their
behaviour? The Brussels-Capital
Region (BE) has now challenged
its citizens to reduce their green-
house gas emissions by saving 1
tonne of CO 2 on two occasions.
During the first campaign in
2005/2006, 200 families volunteered
to take up the challenge. In
2006/2007, ten times this number
embarked on the adventure.
The end objective of this pilot expe-
riment launched in 2005 at the ini-
tiative of Mrs Evelyne Huytebroeck,
the Minister of the environment and
energy was to demonstrate that it is
possible to reduce energy use and
CO2 emissions without sacrificing
comfort.
Recruiting participants
For the first edition, different
methods of recruitment were used
including press releases, e-mailing,
inserts in the free regional newspa-
pers, recruitment in markets and
supermarkets. On the basis of these
appeals, households could apply via
an on-line form on the Internet web-
site, by e-mail, letter, and by tele-
phone. We counted up to almost
600 candidate households.
A festive information evening
Before the Challenge actually star-
ted, an information evening was
organised to inform, motivate and
explain the project to candidates
who wanted more details and
explanations. The instructions were
clearly set out and explained so as
to guarantee reliable commitments
and to avoid discouragement en
route.
In the end, 200 households decided
to commit themselves for 6 months
and were invited to a launch party.
The dynamic and festive side of
the party made it possible to create
a friendly atmosphere amongst the
participants and to develop a col-
lective spirit. These group dyna-
mics which we tried to maintain via
the information evening and the
Internet forum were intended to
reduce the drop-out rate (accor-
ding to Professor Joules theory of
commitment).
Selecting ones family challenge
Everything was done on the Internet.
On the Challenge website, participa-
ting families selected the measures
they were prepared to implement
and an on-line computer programme
automatically worked out the corres-
ponding energy saving potential.
And if the households were not
satisfied with the selected challen-
ges, they could go back and select
other measures! Once the Challenge
was started, the households could
visualise changes in their energy
use in the form of graphs.
One action leads to another
Overall, taking all uses together,
81% of households saved energy.
Taking the analysed sample as a
whole, the average annual energy
saving made by each household
was 9%. This represents an ave-
rage annual reduction of CO2 emis-
sions of 950kg, a figure which is
very close to the sought after
objective of one tonne of CO 2 .
Financially speaking, this repre-
sents an average annual saving of
335 per household.
Figures aside, it seems important to
note that a large number of the par-
ticipants seem to have developed
or consolidated an energy reflex.
This approach often led participa-
ting households to consider more
significant investments and/or
other every day ecological gestu-
res. Many of them now feel that
they have been entrusted with the
civic role of spreading the word
amongst friends and family says
Grgoire Clerfayt.
Fortified by such results, Brussels
Capital decided to fine-tune its
communication and to launch a
second campaign with the follo-
wing motto Using less energy
does not mean living in the dark in
2006. Results should be available in
June 2007.
How Heidelberg integrates
energy and climate issues
into every-day school life
The E-Team Project of the City of
Heidelberg (DE) was implementing
in 1994 in 19 schools with its main
aim to multiply energy savings.
This very successful project mana-
ged by the Environmental office of
the City is based on regular
exchanges between all partners
and participants: students, tea-
chers, parents, municipal mana-
gers, energy officers, etc.
The Environmental office of the City
as coordinator of the project is also
the main contact point for all the
partners. At the beginning of the
project, a round table was set up
where different municipality
departments work together and
determine the measures needed to
support the project.
In the schools, energy teams
E-Teams consisting of students
and teachers were created. The
positions of Energy Officers and
class spokesperson for energy
issues were also created. The sub-
ject of energy and climate protec-
tion is communicated to the stu-
dents through the integration of this
topic in their lessons. Nearly all
subjects in the school can integrate
energy issues into their lesson so
that climate protection becomes an
essential part in school life.
The main instrument for communi-
cating the idea of the E-Teams in
the City are events such as the
Energy competition awards pre-
sented by the Mayor, the 10 year
q For further information
Grgoire CLERFAYT I Energy Adviser
Staff Offices of Evelyne Huytebroeck
Brussels - Minister of Environment and Energy
E-mail: gclerfayt@hyutebroeck.irisnet.be
www.defi-energie.be
City of Heidelberg
Energy tour for learners in Heidelberg
anniversary celebration party of
E-teams, the Energy tour orga-
nised with sport clubs, the
Renewable Energy Day organised
with E-Teams in 2005 and 2006,
organisation of solar-boat competi-
tions, etc.
The Environmental Office organises
meetings for schools once a year
to allow them to share their expe-
riences.
A total of over 1 000 tonnes of car-
bon dioxide has been saved since
the introduction of the E-team
project. The energy costs savings
are about 450 000! The schools
can use up to 1 500 to pay for
events or specific purchases (ten-
nis table, musical instruments,
etc.).
I n33 I April 2007
A fine example of channelling the
energy and vigour of youth.
q For further information
Sabine Lachenicht I City of Heidelberg
Office for Environmental Protection
E-mail: Sabine.Lachenicht@heidelberg.de
uEnergie-Cits INFO
www.heidelberg.de
p.3
 q DOSSIER : OTHER WAYS OF COMMUNICATING ABOUT ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE DO EXIST
Moving beyond the technical vision of energy and climate change:
such is the challenge set by the Beacon regions,
cities, neighbourhoods... exhibition
In 2006, Energie-Cits created an
exhibition entitled Beacon
regions, cities, neighbourhoods....
Its purpose is to increase public
awareness and prove that it is pos-
sible to be innovative and active,
and even, to imagine a world that is
pleasant to live in despite energy
D
An
and climate constraints. This ready-
to-use communication tool has
been designed as an invitation to
travel throughout Europe, and is
ideal to accompany any energy and
the climate event.
I n33 I April 2007
uEnergie-Cits INFO
p.4
An invitation to travel
throughout Europe
The exhibition highlights the exem-
plary intelligent energy manage-
ment practices of 16 European local
authorities: Basel (CH), Franche-
Comt (FR), Freiburg im Breisgau
(DE), Gssing (AT), Nyregyhza
(HU), Heidelberg (DE), Helsinki (FI),
Hanover (DE), Lausanne (CH),
Litomerice (CZ), London (GB),
Nantes Mtropole (FR), Odense
(DK), Vxj (SE), Woking (GB) and
the Sams Island (DK). Further
experiences will be added to enrich
the exhibition in the near future.
The exhibition is an invitation to dis-
cover:
urban territories that use solar
energy or biomass wood as their
main source of energy;
houses that use ten times less
energy than conventional
ones;
energy-independent homes;
cycling and walking in associa-
tion with trams or buses;
cities with districts producing
more energy than they use;
communities which have boos-
ted their economy and job mar-
ket by exploiting local resources;
elected representatives involved
in partnerships with private part-
ners;
invisible and environmentally-
friendly equipment;
zero CO2 emission communities;
urban districts where the natural
environment is protected
tangible results.
Art and nature only to inform our communities
The exhibition has been designed about good practices but also to
so as to give an artistic touch to a
subject that is too often dealt with
from a technical point of view. Each
incite them to action and multiply
the number of initiatives in order to
prepare our energy future.
Catalogue of 16 good
of the sixteen examples is presen-
ted on its own panel and illustrated
with distinctive ambiance photo-
How is the exhibition
to be used
practice case studies
graphy. The photographs have
been specially designed for the
The Beacon regions, cities, neigh-
bourhoods exhibition makes the Beacon regions, cities,
exhibition, thus creating a cohesive
and very aesthetical style. They tra-
vel to the heart of the matter
perfect complement to your events,
whether you are organising a Local
Energy Forum, an Energy or
neighbourhoods
without distorting it and capture Environmental Sustainability Week,
minuscule ephemeral parts of a day of debate for your Local This catalogue provides a com-
nature that, when placed in the Agenda 21 Plan or a national or prehensive overview of the
light, take on a magnified, beautiful international conference on energy Beacon regions, cities, neigh-
and meaningful dimension. They and climate change. It will help you bourhoods... exhibition.
open a dialogue with nature that raise public awareness and
we will have to reinvent if we want convince your elected representa- You will discover the exemplary
to rediscover and get closer to tives, citizens and local actors that initiatives of 16 European territo-
nature. it is possible and necessary to take ries: Basel (CH), Freiburg im
collective action for the future of Breisgau (DE), Franche-Comt
our communities. (FR). Gssing (AT), Heidelberg
(DE), Helsinki (FI), Hannover
Available in French and English, the (DE), Lausanne (CH), Litomerice
exhibition will travel throughout (CZ), London (GB), Nantes (FR),
Europe and will be progressively Nyregyhza (HU), Odense (DK),
translated into other languages. Vxj (SE), Woking (GB) and
Lille, Besanon, Brussels, Sevilla Sams Island (DK). Medium-
and Brasov are the first host towns sized or larger towns, town
and cities. It will soon be available neighbourhoods, islands or
on the Internet (early July 2007) in a regions: these entities offer their
screen-adapted format, enriched unique experiences. They all
with additional content. testify, in their own way, to the
enthusiasm of local actors.
Terms of acquisition
The exhibition is available for sale
Olivier Perrenoud

in its printed version (2.20m high x Catalogue Beacon regions,

1m wide fabric panels) or in a digi- cities, neighbourhoods 24
tal version, in its entirety or with a colour pages in English or in
minimum of 10 panels. Once you French.
have bought this ready-to-use exhi- ISBN: 978-2-9528748, Energie-
Raising awareness, bition, all you will have to do is to Cits, January 2007, Price: 25
informing, give it life and let it travel within
to encourage action your town or region.
The exhibition is intended for local
authorities, administrations, asso- q To order the catalogue
Please contact Energie-Cits for Batrice ALCARAZ I Energie-Cits
ciations, information centres and further information and to obtain E-mail: www.energie-cites.eu/beatrice
any other organisation that commu- sale conditions. Tel.: +33 (0)3 81 65 37 91
nicates on this subject. It aims to
raise awareness amongst elected The Beacon regions, cities, neigh-
representatives, citizens, school- bourhoods... exhibition was crea-
children and students, municipal ted by Energie-Cits in 2006 as part
officers, architects, town planners, of the IMAGINE the energy future
engineers, artists, company mana- of our communities initiative.
gers, representatives from commu-
q For further information
I n33 I April 2007

nity organisations and other local

Douchka Anderson-Pejovic I Energie-Cits
stakeholders. E-mail: exhibition@energie-cites.eu
Tel.: +33 (0)3 81 36 86
By highlighting some European www.energie-cites.eu/-IMAGINE- or
practices, the exhibition intends not www.imagineyourenergyfuture.eu
uEnergie-Cits INFO
p.5
 q DOSSIER : OTHER WAYS OF COMMUNICATING ABOUT ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE DO EXIST

Using creativity to involve users

2005 2006

The Council House The Council House

display How does this building compare? display How does this building compare?
European European

Energy awareness within Bristol Municipal Buildings

Climate Campaign
Municipal Buildings
Climate Campaign

City Council (GB) has been the res- Energy CO2 Water Energy CO2 Water
Consumption Emissions Consumption Consumption Emissions Consumption

ponsibility of the Energy More efficient More efficient

A A
Management Unit (EMU) for over B B B B
10 years. Previous campaigns of C C C C
DISPLAY CLASSIFICATION

DISPLAY CLASSIFICATION
awareness raising lacked an ele- D D D D
ment of cohesion. Since Bristol E E
F F
joined the Display Campaign in G G
2004, the City Council have adop- Less efficient Less efficient

ted an exemplary municipal Data 2004

215
kWh/m/year
26
kg/m/year
212
l/m/year Data 2005
202
kWh/m/year
22
kg/m/year
375
l/m/year

energy communication strategy.

Towards a class A building Energy sources Towards a class A building Energy sources
For their exceptional municipal Simple actions Technical solutions Simple actions Technical solutions

communication activities Bristol Turn off your PC monitor when you go for lunch
and when you go home.
Fine tune heating times to suit weather
conditions. 50 %
Fossil
50 %
Renewable
Unplug mobile 'phone and battery chargers when
they are not being used.
Secondary glaze all windows.

Replace PC monitors with flat screens which

43 %
Fossil
57 %
Renewable
Use natural daylight as much as possible. Turn off Install a woodfuel biomass boiler to replace Turn off photocopiers and printers overnight and use far less energy.

City Council received the 1st prize lights in empty rooms.

Don't open windows if you're too hot ask for the

gas fired plant.

Adjust lighting controls to be more sensitive to

Improving performance by one class could
save annually:
at weekends.

Ensure that external lighting is not on in daylight.

Increase sensitivity of movement and daylight
sensors fitted to lighting schemes.
Improving performance by one class could
save annually:

in the Display "Towards Class A" heating to be turned down. daylight. The energy The CO2 Water The energy The CO2 Water
consumption emissions of consumption consumption emissions of consumption
of a car going for If you are able to, use the stairs instead of the lift. of a car going for
Can you use the stairs instead of the lift? Draughtproof all windows and doors.

Award 2006.
Graphic Design: www.tuttiquanti.net

Graphic Design: www.tuttiquanti.net

Replace all PC monitors with flat screens. 26.7 24.5 54780 26.7 15.6 54780
family houses times around showers family houses times around showers
the earth the earth

The City Council decided to use For further information

Bristol City Council
Energy Management Unit
For further information
Bristol City Council
Energy Management Unit
Ian Watkins

Display as the basis for a cohe-

Ian Watkins
Tel: +44 0117 9224436 Tel: +44 0117 9224436
ian.watkins@bristol.gov.uk
www.display-campaign.org ian.watkins@bristol.gov.uk
www.display-campaign.org

sive energy awareness pro-

gramme, in the framework of their
Sustainable Energy Strategy aimed
to improve energy and water
conservation. Using Display has
enabled the Council to give a "cor-
porate identity" to the campaigns
conducted by the EMU thanks to
the very simple, creative and
attractive communication tools,
especially the Display poster.
The city of Bristol has not been shy
to show its performance and was
the first city to display a large pos-
ter on a prominent building.
dered the building rating as used in Display Postcards were sent to
Display posters to be a good idea. Council staff.
Much feed back came from staff in
the form of E-mails. As a result, their is currently a
greater awareness and involve-
The local press were widely used ment of the building users in
to transfer information. The local energy and water management in
newsletter Bristol News, distri- Bristol.
buted to 182.000 homes, featured
articles about the Display Certainly an example to follow.
Campaign and the internal munici- q For further information
pal newsletter Energy Echo Ian Watkins I Bristol City Council
regularly introduced Display to its E-mail: ian_Watkins bristol-city.gov uk
readers. www.display-campaign.org/rubrique281.html

Concerning the Council House, an

City of Bristol

internal E-mail was sent after the
posters were put up drawing atten-
tion to the employee.
According to the performance of
the buildings, the public response
was variable: posters showing bad
ratings provoked debate on where
improvements could be made.
I n33 I April 2007
Furthermore, Council Staff are
being trained to be involved as
Help save energy...
volunteers in the dissemination of
energy awareness principles.
Other follow-up actions took place
via various communication media.
Stickers were distributed to the
Environmental Awareness
Representatives and Site Energy

Users of the Council House consi- Officers and two different types of
One the a Display postcards created by Bristol
uEnergie-Cits INFO
p.6
q EUROPEAN UNION
Energy for a
Changing World:
the European
Commissions Energy
Package
On 10th January 2007 the long awai-
ted Energy Package of the
European Commission was publi-
shed. This cautious communication
by the Commission contains no
precise schedule or new legisla-
tive proposals, but must still be
considered an important message
leading to a common European
Energy Policy.
The package proposed aims to pro-
vide a global energy strategy based
on three central pillars: a true inter-
nal energy market, low carbon
energy and energy efficiency.
The package contains among
others, a report on the internal
energy market; two reports on the
implementation of the Green
Electricity and Biofuels Directive
(proposing their market share to
increase by 10% instead of the cur-
rent 5.75%); a communication on
clean fossil fuels and a roadmap
for renewable energy sources.
Objectives of the Renewables
Roadmap as well as those of the
Energy Efficiency Action Plan (2006)
were adopted on 8-9 March 2007 by
the Spring Council, where EU Prime
Ministers committed to: reduce the
EUs GHG emissions by 20%,
increase the share of renewables
by 20% as well as to save 20% of
our energy consumption by 2020
(see articles).
q For further information
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/energy_policy/
documents_en.htm
European
Sustainable
Energy Week
and Local
authorities
Brussels, 29th January 2nd February
2007: The 1st European Sustainable
Energy Week in Brussels attracted
thousands of visitors and was the
place to be for anyone involved
in Energy in Europe.
Local energy management had a
key role during the week. During
the conference Save energy, save
the Climate, organised by the
CEMR, Alan Coleman, Councillor in
Cork County Council and Board
Member of Energie-Cits, highligh-
ted that subsidiarity should not be
an excuse to do nothing, but an
opportunity to empower local deci-
sion makers in the field of energy.
Mr Coleman also emphasized the
role of public procurement and
energy efficiency in local policies.
In the ManagEnergy Conference a
video conference took place bet-
ween Grenoble (FR), Assises
Nationales de lEnergie` and
Brussels. Commissioner Andris
Piebalgs stressed the need for a
European Energy Policy, where
Member States need to take real
commitments, as well as the role of
local actors, without whom Europe
cannot achieve any of its objecti-
ves set.
q For further information
Kristina Dely I Energie-Cits
http://www.managenergy.net/
conference/2007.html
The new IEE II 2007-2013
programme: percentage
of co-financing at 75 %!
The first call for proposition for the new Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE)
II programme was published on the 19 April 2007 with the deadline for
submission set for the 28 September 2007. This good news certainly has
something to do with Energie-Cits lobbying with the Commission: for
both types of actions co-financing may represent up to 75% of eligible
costs (it was previously at 50 %)!
The total operational budget for 2007 amounts to 55 million . Close to 70
subventions will go to the sub-programmes: SAVE will receive 8.9 million
, ALTENER 17.7 million and 10.5 million will go to STEER. Another
piece of good news: the programme will also be supporting "integrated
initiatives", which will receive 17.9 million (3 million for the creation
of local and regional energy agencies).
Last autumn, Energie-Cits submitted their opinion on how to improve the
IEE programme as pat of the Commissions public consultation pro-
gramme. A number of the points highlighted by Energie-Cits have been
integrated into the new programme which is very good news for Energie-
Cits members and future EIE II applicants.
q For further information
Jean-Pierre Vallar I Energie-Cits
E-mail: www.energie-cites.eu/jean-pierre
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/call_for_proposals/index_en.htm
Comit des Rgions
Mechtilde Roth, member of
the European Parliament and
Michel Delebarre, Mayor of
Dunkirk and President of the
Committee of the Regions
(COR) visited and
acknowledged Energie-Cits
IMAGINE exhibition, open to
the public throughout the
week.
I n33 I April 2007
uEnergie-Cits INFO
p.7
 q EUROPEAN UNION

8th & 9th March 2007: the European Council How to read
reached a historical decision for the future of Europe
the figures and
EMPOWERING SOCIETY understand the
TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THE EU! compromise
Greenhouse gas: 30% or 20%?
30% is the declared desired
European Communities

objective in order to be able to

reduce Greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions by 3 or 4 by 2050
20% is the binding objective
that the EU will set itself if other
countries do not accept the 30%
objective

NB: the reference year is 1990. At

It is often said that Europe is lacking
in ambition and purpose and
Energie-Cits has been known to
point out that the Union should set
objectives likely to involve the citi-
The 2007 Spring European Council
demonstrated that the EU is taking
the lead in the fight against global
warming. EU heads of state and
government adopted an energy
A binding minimum target of 10% for
the share of biofuels in overall trans-
port petrol and diesel consumption by
2020 was also set.
that time, the EU had 15 members
and the 12 new members that have
since joined the Union were then
entering a troubled period. The
economic downfall of many indus-
tries resulted in reductions in
energy use and emissions, which
automatically led to reduced emis-
sions within the EU! The 20 and 30%
figures cannot therefore be compa-
red to the 8% set for the 1990-2012
period, which concerned EU-15.
Energy efficiency: 20% or 13%?
the 20% reduction is not a bin-
ding target. The Council only

zens and motivate the whole of
society. This is why Energie-Cits -
despite certain weak points - is
pleased with the decision of the
Heads of State and Government
who, following the proposal of the
European Commission, have adop-
ted some ambitious objectives. For
the first time in the history of man-
kind, a community of nations have
willingly set themselves the objec-
tive of reducing their energy use!
policy for Europe which doesn't sim-
ply aim to boost competitiveness and
secure energy supply, but also aspi-
res to save energy and promote cli-
mate-friendly energy sources.
EU leaders set a firm target of cutting
20% of the EUs greenhouse gas
emissions by 2020 - the EU will be wil-
ling to put this goal up to 30% if the
US, China and India make similar
commitments. EU leaders also stres-
ses the needs to decrease energy
consumption by 20% and set a bin-
ding overall goal of 20% for renewa-
ble energy sources by 2020, compa-
red to the present 6,5%.
City of Basel
Basels tramway
"We can say to the rest of the world -
Europe is taking the lead. You should
join us in fighting climate change",
declared European Commission
President Jos Barroso on the occa-
sion.
stresses the need for such a
reduction.
NB: the reference year is 1995. The
upward trend in energy use bet-
ween 2005 and 2020 being estima-
ted at 7%, this results in a 13%
reduction
Renewable energy: 20% and 10%?
the 20% objective is a binding
objective for the EU taken as a
whole.
the 10% objective for biofuels is a
binding objective that applies
to each Member State.

NB: each Member State will have to

What will be the impact of such an event?
Two options may be considered:
The decision remains with the Heads of State and
Government, the citizens being spectators to an
I n33 I April 2007
define its own national objectives
and negotiate them with the
Commission; 20% represent the
The decision is put in the hands of the citizens and all total of the proposals made by the
stakeholders regardless of their field of activity. They 27 Member States. This promises
will be invited to join together to imagine their energy some stormy debates!
future, and therefore their future society; one very dif-

event most of them will never have heard of. This is ferent from todays society, focused on minimising
Archiv LH Hannover

the option we want to avoid at all costs, but it cannot
be ruled out. National and European leaders have
developed the habit of neglecting to involve citizens
in their decisions and citizens have grown used to
such a situation! This option can only lead us to a
uEnergie-Cits INFO
energy use. Thus, the European Union will find its way
to re-establishing a link with citizens through a vital
issue that concerns them all: energy. Empowering
society and local authorities who are closely connec-
ted to such issues is the way forward that Energie-

dead end and we could write the official declaration Cits and its partners are going to promote in the
acknowledging its failure in 2020 now! coming months. Let Europe be the winner!
The Kronsberg passive house, Hannover
p.8

The official
press release
we would like
to read in 2020
At the 2020 Spring European
Council, the Heads of State and
Government, together with all the
European institutions, expressed
their satisfaction at the results
obtained with regard to energy effi-
ciency, renewable energy and the
fight against climate change.
Not only have all the objectives
been reached, and even exceeded,
but it also looks like the European
Union is in a good position to
contemplate its future with serenity.
The unprecedented mobilisation of
the European society as a whole
including citizens, local, regional
and national authorities, and all
business sectors in imagining a
society that is compatible with its
ecological footprint has born fruit.
The Council congratulates all the
citizens on this success. They also
point out that, unlike in the past,
European and national leaders were
not content to only adopt legal and
technological measures but deci-
ded to involve the whole of society!
Thus giving Europe a new lease of
life!
The Green Paper on Urban Transport
will be adopted in autumn 2007
The European Commission has launched an Internet consultation in sup-
port of the ongoing preparation of the Green Paper. This consultation is
intended to collect views from interested parties on
City of Odense
how best the European Union may contribute to impro-
ving transport and mobility in urban areas. Once the
Green Paper is adopted and the consultation period is
over (probably in spring 2008) the European
Commission will prepare an action plan.
Energie-Cits will be contributing to the various pha-
ses of the process, which is due to terminate in
autumn 2008, notably by taking part in the consultation
and by publishing an opinion paper in due time.
Energie-Cits will also be preparing a special dossier
on transport in urban areas for the publication of the
next issue of Energie-Cits INFO in November 2007.
The Odense bicycle festival
Please feel free to share your experiences in transport and sustainable
mobility with us and tell us about your success stories now!
q For further information
Jean-Pierre Vallar I Energie-Cits
E-mail: www.energie-cites.eu/jean-pierre
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/clean/index_en.htm
The Spirit of Sevilla
European local governments commit
to advance implementation of
sustainable development policies
From 21-24 March 2007, over 1500 representatives from local govern-
ments and stakeholders in Europe gathered in the dynamic city of
Sevilla, Spain, for the Fifth European Conference on Sustainable Cities
and Towns.
Energie-Cits, as Partner of the European Sustainable Cities and Towns
Campaign, was one of the co-organisers. Our association was well
represented at various events during the conference. Eckart Wrzner,
Lord Mayor of Heidelberg and President of Energie-Cits chaired the ple-
nary session on Climate Change, while several of our members contribu-
ted to various workshops and sessions: Delft, Bristol, Nantes, Clermont-
Ferrand, Vxj, Malm, Sevilla, Genve, Kaunas, Angers, Hannover,
Munich, Grenoble, Roma, Modena, Aalborg, Echirolles, York, Paris,
Almada, Verona.
In Sevilla, local governments have committed to adapt policies and
I n33 I April 2007
actions to meet sustainability challenges. The Spirit of Sevilla calls for
local governments to sign up to the Aalborg Commitments and join this
common process. The challenge for Europe is clear, and from today,
there is a stronger mandate to implement sustainable development
through the Aalborg Commitments.
q For further information
uEnergie-Cits INFO
www.sevilla2007.org
www.aalborgplus10.dk/default.aspx?m=2&i=275
p.9
 q LOCAL INITIATIVES

Besanon,
Fossil Fuel Free Vxj passionate about wood
gains international renown

City of Besanon
The Swedish town of Vxj, a member of the Energie-Cits Board of
Directors, won the first prize in the sustainable community category
of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign Competition. Known as
the Fossil Fuel Free town, Vxj had already received a national
prize of excellence in 2000.

City of Vxj
In 2006, Besanon (FR) inaugurated
one of the largest automated, wood-
fired boiler plants in operation in
France (6 MW). The plant delivers
heat and hot water to over 12,500
dwellings. It is the 4th wood-fired
boiler plant to be built in the urban
area which testifies to the strong
political will of the Town Council to
develop the local biomass wood
Fossil Fuel Free Vxj is an ambitious programme involving all industry. ring and drying wood pellets to be
municipal services and companies as well as many local players in
the fight against climate change. It started in 1996 when the Town The Municipality of Besanon has
Council decided to progressively stop using fossil fuels and to halve been continuously promoting this
its greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. technology in its municipal buil-
dings. In 2006, a multi-annual
In 2006, more than half of the citys energy requirements were satis- Biomass Wood Plan was developed
fied by renewable resources and CO2 emissions had been reduced by and initiated with the aim of syste-
25% over ten years! Proof that a strong political drive shared by all matically investigating the opportu-
the players involved always bears fruit. nity of replacing existing gas-fired
boilers with wood-fired equipment.
Vxj is also one of the sixteen examples of innovative European A first objective of 10 sites over 5
communities illustrated in the Beacon regions, cities, neighbour- years was fixed which should lead
hoods exhibition (see article p.3-4). to the substitution of 15% of natural
gas. The municipality also provides
expert advice to other project
q For further information
Mr Andreasson Jrgen I Vxj kommun
E-mail: Jorgen.Andreasson@kommun.vaxjo.se
www.vaxjo.se/english
The Parisians have prepared
their Climate Plan
In March Paris City Council (FR)
managers for the creation of wood-
fired heat networks on its territory.
A plan to minimise energy use, cur-
rently under preparation, will also
be developed as part of this policy.
The metropolitan area of Besanon
is also contributing to biomass-
wood development with the
construction of a platform for sto-
shared by several communes. On a
regional level, the whole of
Franche-Comt has been involved
in the development of the biomass-
wood industry for more than ten
years with the support of ADEME,
the French Energy Conservation
and Environment Agency. The eco-
nomic consequences for the region
are evident as around one hundred
jobs have been created in this sec-
tor since 2000.
q For further information
Myriam Normand I City of Besanon
E-mail: myriam.normand@besancon.fr
City of Paris

presented a White Paper to fight

against climate change.

The document will be used to pre-

pare the Citys Climate Plan and is
the result of a public consultation
I n33 I April 2007

process which involved numerous

conferences and debates, informa-
tion on the City Council Website
and eight theme workshops over
several weeks.
Find out more on this highly inte-
uEnergie-Cits INFO
including all relevant documents
on the following Climate Portal
q For further information
http://www.paris.fr/portail/Environnement/

resting participative approach, Portal.lut?page_id=6983

p.10
q ENERGIE-CITES IN ACTION

How can local authorities become models?

The 4 European BISE Forum
th

The 4 th European BISE Forum The Forum will thus help local goal: to help at least 24 local
will take place from 24th to 26th authorities and/or local energy authorities from 8 New Member
October 2007 in Krakow (PL). agencies to improve their practi- States and Candidate Countries
This year the European BISE cal capacities to better deal with to become models for citizens
Forum invites all participants to intelligent energy issues at both and other local authorities by
Olivier Perrenoud

discuss and exchange their individual (municipalities) and improving local energy efficiency
views and/or experience in collective (national networks or and practical capacity of local
order to tackle an important embryos of networks) levels. authorities.
issue: How can local authorities
Resolution become models for their citi-
zens and local stakeholders?
In particular, the Forum will focus
on the best possible way to
q For further information
Kinga Kovacs I Energie-Cits
of the Energie- improve local energy efficiency
actions taken in terms of a global
E-mail: www.energie-cites.eu/kinga
www.bise-europe.org
Cits Board
Artur Zyrkowski, city of Krakow

process, from planning to imple-

of Directors menting appropriate activities.
The 4th European BISE Forum will
to protect also host the launching event of
the MODEL project (Mana-
the climate gement Of Domains related to
Energy in Local authorities). The
On 2 nd February in Brussels, the project was named after its main
Board of Directors of Energie-Cits
adopted a resolution proposed by
Eckart Wrzner, Mayor of
Heidelberg. The resolution draws
up a list of 13 fields of action for
the coming years.

"We expect the German EU presi-

dency to place their main focus on
climate protection issues. The eco-
nomic framework conditions for
Making the city sustainable: 3rd Global City Forum,
efficiency investments must be
improved. The motivation and invol-
Lyon (FR), 14-16 May 2007
vement of all investors and actors is This Global City international presented to the participants. tion in English and French version.
of crucial importance" concludes forum attracts many local, regional Energie-Cits is one of the event Energie-Cits Members benefit
the Resolution. and international decision-makers partners and will be represented in from a special fee, as event part-
including elected representatives, several sessions, including the ners.
The agreement reached by the community organisations, NGOs, Mayors Summit. The audience
European Council at its last meeting private partners etc. (1 000 partici- will have an opportunity to see the q For further information
on 8/9 March (see the article p. 8) www.globalcityforum.com
pants in 2006, including over 100 Energie-Cits Beacon regions,
indicates that our expectations mayors). cities, neighbourhoods exhibi-
have been taken into account.
Global City

Making the city sustainable: can it

q For further information really work? This is the central
http://www.energie-cites.eu/IMG/pdf/ issue that Global City will tackle in
Resolution_Energie-Cites_02-07_Final_en.pdf
its third edition, with a special focus
on Energy and Climate Change and
the role cities can play to tackle glo-
bal warming. This issue will be
debated in a dedicated lecture hall
I n33 I April 2007

during the three days of the forum.

Another major event will be the
Mayors Summit, an exclusive
closed-door meeting for mayors
and political leaders to share their
experience and debate the challen-
uEnergie-Cits INFO

ges facing their communities. The

conclusions of the summit will be
Global City Forum 2006
p.11
 q ENERGIE-CITES IN ACTION
Display Towards Class A
Award 2007: try your luck
Display "Towards Class A" Award 2006 winners
The 2007 call for applications for
the Display "Towards Class A"
Award was launched during the
European Sustainable Energy
Week in Brussels.
The Award is open to all local
authorities who are members of the
Display Campaign. We are looking
forward to your municipal commu-
nication activities. And do not for-
get: It is not the size of your aware-
ness-raising project which matters,
but rather its originality, public parti-
cipation, dissemination of communi-
cation material and your overall
strategy.
For those who already applied in
Bielsko Biala gets together
with its twin cities around
the theme of energy
Many European towns and cities
are twinned with other European
towns and cities or have developed
friendly relationships with a number
of them. Often based on cultural or
sports events, these relationships
could be extended to energy and
climate change issues.
q
Energie-Cits encourages its mem-
I n33 I April 2007
bers to develop co-operation in this
uEnergie-Cits INFO
p.12
is to draw on the experience and skills
2006: you are very welcome to try
your luck again. It is important,
though, that your campaign activi-
ties have been broadened or a new
strategy has been initiated. In your
application you should make clear,
what the differences are that make
your proposal stand out from last
year.
The deadline for sending applica-
tion forms is set for the 22nd June
2007.
q For further information
Ian Turner I Energie-Cits
E-mail: www.energie-cites.eu/ian
www.display-campaign.org
area. At their next meeting on 15th-
16th June, for instance, Bielsko Biala
(PL) will suggest to its twin cities
that they organise a special one-
day event so that their energy
managers can exchange views and
experiences.
Certainly an initiative to be disse-
minated!
To be a member of Energie-Cits,
of a European network in order to:
u Involve oneself in innovative
initiatives at local level such
as in the European Display
Campaign
u Participate in European pro-
jects: Energie-Cits has
already involved nearly 400
local authorities in projects
co-financed by the European
Commission
u Discover new practices
which have proved their
worth elsewhere: a database
of more than 500 good practi-
ces is available on our
Internet site
u Disseminate information
concerning your own projects
on an international scale
through our communication
media
u Influence Community legisla-
tion by participating in the
consultation process and
enter into dialogue with
European institutions
Editor:
u Benefit from exclusive servi-
ces: individual assistance in
the preparation of projects,
general and specific informa-
tion, study tours, conferences,
etc
Being a member of
Energie-Cits, also
allows one to contribute
your know-how and so
make a practical
contribution to building
a new Europe.
For further information,
please contact the
Energie-Cits
Secretariat.
Director of Publication:
Grard MAGNIN
Douchka ANDERSON-PEJOVIC
Contributors to this issue:
Douchka ANDERSON-PEJOVIC,
Jana CICMANOVA, Kristina DELY, Kinga
KOVACS, Grard MAGNIN, Christiane
MAURER, Sylvie LACASSSAGNE,
Ian TURNER and Jean-Pierre VALLAR.
Graphic Design:
www.TUTTIQUANTI.net
Photo cover:
Olivier PERRENOUD (all rights reserved)
Printer:
Imprimerie SIMON (ImprimVert)
Printed on recycled paper
N ISSN : 1256-6098
Print run : 3500 copies
Energie-Cits I Secretariat
2, chemin de Palente
F-25000 Besanon
Tel. : +33 (0)3 81 65 36 80
Fax : +33 (0)3 81 50 73 51
E-mail : info@energie-cites.eu
Energie-Cits I Bureau Bruxelles
157 avenue Brugmann
B-1190 Bruxelles
Tel. : +32 2 544 09 21
Fax : +32 2 544 15 81
www.energie-cites.eu