IMPLEMENT

Improving Local Energy and climate policy through quality management and certification

Climate change is a global problem and to solve it, we need to start on local level. To effectively implement energy and climate policies, concerted and strong action is needed. Municipalities often have ambitious goals and political will, but lack the harmonized, interdepartmental and long-term structures to successfully implement their climate and energy strategies and thus reach their goal.

This is the starting point for the project, which focuses on capacity building in municipalities. By introducing the quality management and certification programme European Energy Award (eea) in Belgium, Croatia, Greece and Poland, the project aims at setting up the necessary structures in municipalities. During the project, 30 pilot municipalities will further develop and implement their climate and energy strategy by using the eea standards and criteria catalogue. External advisors will guide and monitor the continuous progress. Its certification will ensure that municipalities implement their climate and energy plans to high quality standards. The certification process is ongoing and ensures that municipal climate action progress. Their experiences and successes will pave the way for more municipalities in the target regions to join the eea.

IMPLEMENT’s objective is to set up the necessary structures for a long-term roll-out of the eea in the partner countries. Partners will translate and adapt all eea tools to national context, receive adequate training to become skilled eea advisors, able to advice and guide pilot municipalities through the eea process. The consortium together with regional authorities will develop, based on experience exchange with eea expert regions, feasibility studies and business plans, tailor-made support schemes for the participating countries.