Energy Union Governance: The 3 musts for a new collaborative planning regime

Brussels, 28 April 2016 — The leading European local and regional organisations consider the European Union’s Energy Union Governance as a key debate. The planning processes need to reflect the opportunities arising with the changes that the European energy system is currently undergoing. These changes require a variety of new actors to be included into the planning processes, and thus both in the development and implementation of the national energy and climate plans. This does not only include increased cooperation among different government levels, but also improved collaboration with a large range of other actors. Our organisations strongly believe that climate and energy planning needs to evolve to a more holistic and inclusive process. This will allow better linking the different sectors, avoiding silo-based approaches as well as ensuring greater policy coherence among the existing plans at different levels of government. Local and regional actors are the delivery agents of the Energy Union and not acknowledging this fact puts meeting European and national climate and energy targets at risk.

1 A dedicated chapter on multi-level cooperation for energy and climate planning and reporting

A dedicated chapter in the planning and reporting framework, providing guidance to Member States on how to improve cooperation and coordination is necessary to ensure policy coherence among all levels of government. Cities as the government closest to citizens have a crucial role in defining and implementing actions and enforcing regulation in relation to energy and climate adaptation on their territory. Thus, Member States need their subnational governments to help them in achieving their climate targets, while subnational governments need their national level to provide them with enabling frameworks for action. In turn, all government levels will help the EU accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement and achieve its pledge. There is a need to shift from ‘action by a few to action by all’ and the EU has a crucial role in providing guidance to Member States on how to facilitate this.

2 Co-design of national energy and climate plans by national, regional and local governments in collaboration with different stakeholders

Local and regional governments are already at the forefront of the fight against climate change. As a strong example, the signatories of the Covenant of Mayors initiative have committed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions on average by almost 30% by 2020. On their territories, these local authorities make sure that energy is saved and remaining needs are covered by local renewable sources, by planning for and investing in energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable transport. They also facilitate and encourage civil society and private sector initiatives, which support fulfilling their goals. This fruitful cooperation scheme should be used more extensively by the national governments, in order to bring energy and climate planning practices closer together, to increase coherence and effectiveness. National plans of good quality require cooperation between the different actors and in particular between the different levels of governance. This can only be done when having a proper understanding of the actions taken at local and regional levels.

3 Integration of local and subnational plans and reporting frameworks into national energy and climate planning and reporting

Today, there is a myriad of local governments from different sizes all over the EU who have developed and are implementing their local climate and energy plans. In the frame of the Covenant of Mayors initiative, this number accounts to over 5,000 Sustainable Energy Action Plans. In this context, a sound methodology for energy planning and a reporting framework has been put in place for some years, which provides accountability, transparency and credibility. It has allowed local and regional governments to create knowledge and capacities in energy and climate planning, thus contributing to a tipping point in integrated local planning processes in Europe. Moreover, the existing reporting mechanisms for local governments, outlining the key elements of local plans, offer opportunities to National Governments to become more aware of local governments’ actions and needs. The National Energy and Climate Plans should therefore make use of existing building blocks like the local climate and energy plans. This also allows them to ensure policy coherence across different levels of government, which is key for a successful implementation of the Energy Union.

> Download the joint statement

> Consultation on streamlining of planning and reporting obligations as part of the energy union governance

Climate Alliance
Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)
Energy Cities
Eurocities
Fedarene
ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability

Cities are already facing the impacts of climate change and are highly vulnerable to a range of climate hazards, including sea level rise, street flooding, landslides, droughts, epidemics and severe heat waves, which threaten the heath, well-being and livelihood of citizens. Cities are integral to fighting climate change; while they are responsible for 37–49% of global GHG emissions, and urban infrastructure accounts for over 70% of global energy use, research shows that urban policy decisions made by 2020 could determine up to a third of the remaining global carbon budget that is not already ‘locked-in’ by past decisions.

The historic Paris Agreement — the key outcome of the COP21 negotiations in December 2015 — recognized the vital role of Non-Party stakeholders, including cities, in the global response to climate change. During the Climate Summit for Local Leaders held in Paris during COP21, 440 Mayors and subnational leaders pledged to “deliver up to 3.7 gigatons of urban greenhouse gas emissions reductions annually by 2030 — the equivalent of up to 30 % of the difference between current national commitments and the 2 degree emissions reduction pathway identified by the scientific community”. Cities are already using the Compact of Mayors as a common global platform to measure their contributions to NDCs in terms of GHG reduction goals and climate mitigation and adaptation action plans. Cities are also engaged in the Covenant of Mayors initiative, in which they commit to a common greenhouse gas emissions reduction target through the implementation of sustainable energy and climate action plans.

The international community now has a huge opportunity to strengthen the momentum generated by COP21 and to drive urban policy-making, including during the upcoming Habitat III conference in October 2016. An IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change would serve to clarify the potential governance, policy, and financial instruments to support mitigation and adaptation actions in urban areas, where more than half of the world’s population live.

Such a comprehensive, global, and authoritative resource on cities and climate change represents a significant opportunity to simultaneously advance scientific knowledge, policy, and leadership at local, national and global levels. With the support of the worldwide community of city practitioners, such a report will certainly be a milestone in IPCC history. That is why we call all members of the IPCC to vote for a Special Report on Cities and Climate Change during the IPCC 43rd session next week in Nairobi.

Endorsing partners:

Association Internationale des Maires Francophones (AIMF) | C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group |Cities Alliance | Climate Alliance |Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) | Communitas Coalition | Compact of Mayors | Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) | Engajamundo | Energy Cities | European Committee of the Regions (CoR) | Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments | ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) | The International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) | Japan Youth Platform for Sustainability (JYPS)| LSE Cities | Metropolis — World Association of the Major Metropolises | Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (nrg4SD)| Platforma | Sustainable Development Center| Sustainable Development Solutions Network | UN Major Group Children and Youth (UNMGCY) | United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)| United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) | Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) |WWF

About the proposal for an IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change

The proposal for a special IPCC cities-focused report, submitted by the South African government, has received public support from Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, as well as a letter of support from Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes, Chair of C40; Seoul Mayor Park Won-Soon, President of ICLEI; and Mayor of Istanbul Kadir Topbas, President of UCLG. It has also received positive feedback from key international organizations, including the World Climate Research Program, UNESCO and IPCC Co-Chairs.

How to support the IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change

Submit a request to your national government, calling for an IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change, through a phone call or email to your country’s IPCC National Focal Point. In addition, please join the social media campaign urging urban citizens to appeal to their national governments to vote for this report.

To find out more about the campaign, follow @ClimatAlliance, @C40cities, @ICLEI and @UCLG_org on Twitter, and check out campaign hashtag #CitiesIPCC.

Read previous posts from C40, ICLEI and UCLG about the campaign for an IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change. See also a post from Global Task Force.

http://bit.ly/CitiesIPCC

About Climate Alliance

Founded in 1990 with the aim of uniting European municipalities and the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin, Climate Alliance has been working for the benefit of the global climate for the past 25 years. Its member municipalities across Europe have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions locally by 10% every 5 years as well as to helping to protect the rainforests in partnership with the indigenous peoples of the Amazon region. Climate Alliance supports its members in their activities by developing CO2 monitoring instruments, organising opportunities for exchange, coordinating European projects with and for member cities and representing their interests at the national, European and international levels.

climatealliance.org

Joost Venken, Deputy Mayor of Hasselt, Belgium

Joost Venken has served as Deputy Mayor of the lively city of Hasselt since 2014, where he is in charge of environment, sustainability, energy, development cooperation, animal welfare and the city’s Nature Education Centre. Joost is a proud father of three and is passionate about politics that promote and commit to sustainable and fair societies.

“My city experienced the consequences of climate change in a very hard way. In August 2011, a devastating storm hit the Pukkelpop festival . Out of 60,000 visitors, 5 didn’t survive and about 140 were severely injured. The former president of the IPCC, Van Ypersele, linked this particular storm to our changing climate. The floods, forest-fires and storms — also in the ‘wealthy North’ — teach us two things: climate change is happening here and it will be the local authorities that have to deal with it. Via mitigation and, unfortunately, already adaptation. Hasselt is, within the frameworks of the Covenant of Mayors and Mayors Adapt initiative, working on it. By trying to achieve the 20/20/20 EU goals in its territory, by renovating its own buildings, by encouraging inhabitants to do the same… That’s why I can be so bold as to ask the negotiators of COP21 one thing: think global, but keep in mind that all the consequences of climate change are felt locally and have to be dealt with locally …”

Mercè Conesa i Pagès, President of Barcelona Provincial Council, Spain

Mercè has been the President of the Province of Barcelona since 2015, becoming the first woman to take this position. From 2011 to 2015 she served as vice-president. Before her political career, she worked as professor of administrative law at the University of Barcelona as well as in the Catalan Association of Municipalities and the Directorate General of Local Administration of Catalonia.

“Local governments are very concerned about the strong impacts of climate change. We believe that COP21 in Paris is an opportunity to say loud and clear that we, the local governments, are a major player in the struggle against climate change. We will not miss this opportunity!”

Boris Palmer, Lord Mayor of Tübingen, Germany

Boris is the Lord Mayor of the city of Tübingen, having been elected in 2006, at the age of 34, and reelected in 2014. He was the first Green party Lord Mayor to ever be elected in the first round of voting in Germany. For Palmer, climate action is a topic of central importance. He is author of a book on the Tübingen experience in climate action entitled, ‘Eine Stadt macht blau- das Tübinger Klimaschutzmodell’. In his free time, he enjoys sports and cycling.

“Think local, act global! Until now, this motto applied in reverse for the environmental movement. And indeed, many local authorities are leading the way with concrete climate mitigation measures. Of equal importance are the new ideas which emanate from cities. We know how to do it and we know what support we need from the international community in order to implement climate mitigation measures successfully. This is why it is crucial that the voices of local authorities be heard at the Climate Summit. Then we can act globally, locally.”

Tine Heyse, Deputy Mayor of Ghent, Belgium and President of Climate Alliance

Tine Heyse is Deputy Mayor for Environment, Climate, Energy and Development in Ghent and has been part of the City Council since 2000. Climate and energy have been common themes throughout her career. She spent 10 years working for Greenpeace, took a post at the Federal Ministry of Environment and has served as an expert for the Green party. She is a passionate about birdwatching.

“In its mission statement, the city of Ghent indicates that it wants to be a front runner in the transition to a climate neutral city. Even though cities are part of the solution when it comes to taking action against climate change, they cannot deal with this problem alone. As deputy mayor for Climate & Energy, I want to call on international negotiators taking part in the COP21 in Paris to take responsibility — the meeting in Paris should result in an ambitious and binding agreement.”

Julie Laernoes, Vice-President of Nantes Métropole, France and Board Member of Climate Alliance

Julie Laernoes is vice-president of Nantes Métropole where she is in charge of the energy transition, energy, climate and sustainable development. Since 2014, Julie has also served as Nantes City Councillor for energy and buildings. Previously, she worked for the regional council of Pays de la Loire and Europe Ecology — the Greens.

“Three quarters of the world population is living in urbanised areas. That is why Nantes Métropole has always put great effort in acting both locally and globally. We have committed ourselves to reduce our emissions by 50% by 2030 and are part of Covenant of Mayors. As a Climate Alliance Ambassador during COP21, I will help demonstrate that by acting together, cities can make a difference. Their action should be recognised on the international level and their achievements should encourage a more ambitious international climate agreement in Paris.”

Keep up to date on Climate Alliance activities, insights and impressions directly from Paris via Twitter and Facebook!

About Climate Alliance

For more than 25 years, Climate Alliance member municipalities have been acting in partnership with indigenous rainforest peoples for the benefit of the global climate. With over 1,700 members spread across 26 European countries, Climate Alliance is the world’s largest city network dedicated to climate action and the only one to set tangible targets: each member city, town and district has committed itself to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent every 5 years. Recognising the impact our lifestyles can have on the world’s most vulnerable people and places, Climate Alliance pairs local action with global responsibility. The network fosters cooperation with indigenous peoples, runs awareness raising campaigns and develops tools for climate action planning. It provides ample opportunity for participation and exchange while representing member interests at the national, European and international levels.

Climate Alliance is an UNFCCC observer organisation and member of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency. The city network is also part of the Local Government Climate Roadmap, which advocates for the recognition and empowerment of as well as engagement with local governments in the global climate regime.

climatealliance.org

“We absolutely need a global protocol that acknowledges the efforts of local and regional authorities around the world and supports them in further climate action.”

Key Messages

1

The Paris Protocol should recognise the role and efforts of local and regional authorities in climate mitigation and adaptation. Without local action, national targets cannot be reached.

2

National governments should support local governments, integrating local emission reduction commitments and local climate action into national pledges for the Paris Protocol.

3

The EU Covenant of Mayors stands as a flagship initiative in tackling climate change at the local level. Already representing a staggering mitigation potential of over 400 MtCO2eq, this European initiative should be up-scaled to a global level and acknowledged in the Climate Agreement as part of the new EU climate diplomacy.

4

New legal and financial frameworks should be elaborated and improved in partnership with local and regional authorities to enable the implementation of coherent mitigation and adaptation measures.

5

The Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility and Adaptation Fund should be directly accessible by local and regional authorities for their climate mitigation and adaptation projects. Local authorities with integrated energy and climate action plans, as required by the Covenant of Mayors, should receive priority funding for the projects defined in their plans.

6

Better convergence between international climate process and the post 2015 development agendas is needed. The long-term visions and commitments should be aligned and take into account the views of all levels of government.

7

International cooperation efforts should be strengthened among local and regional authorities of the Global North and South. Such cooperation can result in greater sustainability benefits and leapfrogging.

8

Forests should be kept separate from carbon markets. The crucial role of indigenous peoples in safeguarding the integrity of rainforest ecosystems should be globally recognised, their territories legalised and the indigenous REDD+ (RIA) proposal or other indigenous alternatives considered in the climate negotiations.

Download the messages as a pdf here.

About Climate Alliance

Founded in 1990 with the aim of uniting European municipalities and the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin, Climate Alliance has been working for the benefit of the global climate for the past 25 years. Its member municipalities across Europe have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions locally by 10% every 5 years as well as to helping to protect the rainforests in partnership with the indigenous peoples of the Amazon region. Climate Alliance supports its members in their activities by developing CO2 monitoring instruments, organising opportunities for exchange, coordinating European projects with and for member cities and representing their interests at the national, European and international levels.

climatealliance.org