On April 8th, 2024, the ENTRACK project took a significant step forward in fostering collaboration among Europe’s most innovative projects. Hosted by AISFOR, the ENTRACK project coordinator, this synergy call marked the beginning of an ambitious journey towards creating a European community of projects that will join forces and efforts to achieve climate neutrality and decarbonize energy systems. This initiative also aims at the development of informed stakeholders at all levels, with the goal to promote new, inclusive, and fair policies at local, regional, and European levels.
Community of Projects
The online meeting brought together a diverse group of projects, each with its unique approach to tackling the challenges of energy transition and climate action. Participants included the following projects:
- ENTRACK Project – Empowering local and regional authorities to design clean ENergy TRAnsition plans through Capacity and Knowledge building actions (LIFE): ENTRACK is an EU project funded under the LIFE programme for technical support to clean energy transition plans and strategies in municipalities and regions. It aims to contribute to the speeding up of the transition to climate neutrality by increasing the energy policy capacities of eight Mediterranean small-medium sized rural municipalities.
- PROSPECT+ Capacity building for cities and regions – from learning to action (H2020): PROSPECT+ continues to support EU cities and regions on their way to successfully implement their local energy and climate actions using innovative financing. The Capacity- Building Programme aims to promote synergies and enhance city decision-making processes regarding the implementation of energy efficiency measures. The Capacity- Building Programme consists of five (5) thematic learning modules 1. Public Buildings, 2. Private Buildings, 3. Transport, 4. Public Lighting, 5. Cross Sectoral.
- IN-PLAN – Integrated Energy, Climate and Spatial planning to enable local and regional authorities to effectively implement their plan (LIFE): The overarching objective of IN-PLAN (Integrated Energy, Climate and Spatial Planning) is to develop, test, and roll out the IN-PLAN practice – a long-lasting support structure enabling local and regional authorities to effectively implement their sustainable energy, climate, and spatial plans.
- RECET– RURAL EUROPE FOR THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION (LIFE): RECET is a collaborative project of five countries and dozens of municipalities across Europe. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of municipalities in rural Europe and the economy to deal with the energy exchange and build energy exchange plans for the regions.
- LOCAL GoGREEN – Empowering local authorities for accelerating the CET (LIFE): The project will use an innovative bottom-up approach delivering need-specific capacity building to local authorities in pilot municipalities in Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Italy and Spain for integrated climate and energy planning (ICEP). Guidance and best practice sharing will improve the synergies among public and private stakeholders of the 6 pilots in implementing integrated measures at local level.
- NECPlatform – Strengthening multilevel governance in national energy and climate policies (LIFE): The NECPlatform Project will help 6 EU Member States set up multi-level dialogue platforms, to raise the voices of local decision-makers and stakeholders in national energy and climate policies. These dialogues present an opportunity for Member States, currently in the process of updating their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), to reinforce multi-level governance in drafting these plans, as requested by the European Commission.
- RENOVERTY – Home Renovation Roadmaps to Address Energy Poverty in Vulnerable Rural Districts (LIFE): RENOVERTY will foster energy efficiency building upgrades in the energy poor households of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) / South-eastern Europe (SEE) and Southern European countries (SE) by establishing the methodological and practical framework to build renovation roadmaps for vulnerable rural districts in a financially viable and socially just manner. Specifically, the project aims to deliver tools and resources to support local and regional actors to build and execute operational single or multi-household roadmaps for rural areas. A scalable model will also be created to ensure the wide geographical replicability and implementation of the roadmaps by different actors at the EU level. Strategically, the project will contribute to minimise logistical, financial, administrative, and legal burdens caused by a complex and multi-stakeholder home renovation process.
- AT-LAST – Accelerating the Transition of Local Authorities through Support and Training (LIFE): The AT LAST project aims to structurally speed up and scale up the implementation of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP) across Europe, by focusing on small and medium-sized cities – i.e., the ones that are not involved in the EU missions. The approach is based on the importance of cross-sectoral integration, governance and financial innovation to create climate neutral and robust cities. Building on the resources developed in international networks and programmes AT LAST reaches out to 25 local governments and offers them a program of capacity building, networking and support, with an aim to not only implement current energy and climate action projects but also enhance and strengthen capability for future cycles of planning and implementation.
The spirit of collaboration and unity from the call extended beyond the immediate participants. Connections were also made with other significant projects unable to attend, yet integral to the expanding network focused on synergies. This reflects a collective effort towards a sustainable and equitable future, showcasing the breadth of teamwork across various fields and borders.
Forward Together
The synergy call was not just about presentations. It was a vibrant exchange of ideas, experiences, and visions for a sustainable future. Each project shared its successes, challenges, and aspirations, laying the groundwork for potential collaborations that can amplify our impact.
As we move forward, ENTRACK is committed to keeping the momentum going. We will continue to engage with our sister projects and the broader community, sharing updates, best practices, and explore ways and approaches to secure an impactful collaboration.
For more updates on the ENTRACK project and our collaborative efforts, keep an eye on our website and social media channels.