Over 80 participants from 12 countries, including many Covenant Signatories, Covenant Coordinators and Supporters, gathered in Krakow, Poland, for an intensive two-day workshop LOW CARBON TREND SETTERS in 2020 on 3-4 October 2012.

This motivating training event was organized in the framework of the ENERGY FOR MAYORS project (co-financed by Intelligent Energy Europe - IEE) and the APPETITE FOR CLIMATE project (co-financed by the Polish National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management). The aim was to exchange views and share experiences and lessons learned from the implementation of the Covenant of Mayor in different European countries.

The workshop focused on the crucial role played by local governments in moving towards a low-carbon economy and smart city infrastructure. It was aimed at supporting the bottom-up European city initiative entitled “The Covenant of Mayors” by strengthening capacities of municipalities and their supporters in the field of local energy planning. The workshop provided a unique opportunity to listen to inspiring and motivating presentations of Kristina Dely, director of the CoM Office, the representatives of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability (worldwide network of over 1200 sustainable cities and towns) and experts from all over Europe, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Spain.

One focus of the workshop was on the important and mobilizing role of Covenant Coordinators and Supporters, which help municipalities in achieving sustainable energy development. It became clear that active towns and cities can also get wide-ranging support from the presented projects: City SEC, Come2COM, Covenant CapaCITY, ENNEREG – Regions 202020, VIS NOVA and Green Twinning (two latter are implemented by the Polish Network "Energie Cites").

Participants could learn about the experiences and achievements of European and Polish cities (Warsaw, Bielsko-Biała and Ełk) who had signed the Covenant of Mayors and are pioneers in the field of energy efficiency and climate protection. ‘The Covenant has been very useful for us to increase awareness of political decision makers on sustainable energy and its methodological framework helps to constantly monitor our work and mobilize ourselves’ – said Leszek Drogosz, Director of the Infrastructure Department of the Capital City of Warsaw.

Andreea Iancu from the EC’s Joint Research Center provided guidance on the elaboration of a Baseline Emission Inventory (BEI) and a Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) - both to be submitted by Covenant signatories. Further, representatives of municipalities presented concrete examples and best practices, inspiring the audience to go home and engage in similar activities.
Two support tools, that were highlighted, were the municipal energy management system (EMS) and the online TOOLBOX developed within the framework of the ENERGY FOR MAYORS project. The latter is an online database to collect resources relevant to local energy management and climate protection: http://toolbox.climate-protection.eu/. Moreover the audience learned about financing sources available to Covenant signatories - a major topic for all cities and towns in the current economic crisis.

The participants unanimously accepted the text of the Appeal addressing EU institutions, state and regional governments, as well as the financial institutions for the support of the CoM signatories’ efforts and activities aiming at climate protection.

The workshop was followed by a meeting of the Polish CoM Dialogue Platform which gathered both CoM signatories and the representatives of cities and municipalities interested in joining this initiative. Zbigniew Michniowski, President of the Board of Polish Network "Energie Cites" and Deputy Mayor of Bielsko-Biała, underlined that 'Many Polish municipalities have already undertaken CO₂ reduction activities. They just need to be effectively encouraged by the good examples of CoM signatories to join the Covenant of Mayors movement'.

Program of the workshop

Photo gallery

Presentations from the workshop:

3.10.2012
	Low Carbon Trend Setters in 2020, Zbigniew MICHNIOWSKI, Deputy Mayor of Bielsko-Biała and President of the Board of the Association of Municipalities Polish Network „Energie Cités”
	EU climate policy, Bogusław Sonik, Member of European Parliament
	Introducing the Energy for Mayors project, Dario MIROGLIO, Province of Genova
Listen to the Covenant Coordinator and Supporters’ needs
	Covenant of Mayors and important role of Covenant Coordinators & Supporters, Kristina DELY, Covenant for Mayors Office
	Creating and Operating as a Covenant Coordinator and Supporter. Experiences of the Association of Municipalities Polish Network „Energie Cités”, Maria STANKIEWICZ, Executive Director of the Association of Municipalities Polish Network „Energie Cités”
	Creating and Operating as a Covenant Coordinator and Supporter. Experiences of the Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities, Mariana IVANOVA, Union of Blugarian Black Sea Local Authorities (UBBSLA)
	Creating and Operating as a Covenant Coordinator and Supporter. Experiences of the Greek Center for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving, Evi TZANAKAKI, Greek Center for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES)
	Creating and operating as a Covenant Coordinator and Supporter. Experiences of the Province of Genova, Dario MIROGLIO, Province of Genova
Involvement of Municipalities
	Political commitment of European local authorities- experiences of Warsaw, Leszek DROGOSZ, City of Warsaw
	Political commitment of European local authorities- experiences of Zagreb, Marijan MARAS, City of Zagreb
	Political commitment of European local authorities- experiences of Bielsko-Biała, Zbigniew MICHNIOWSKI, City of Bielsko-Biała
	Political commitment of European local authorities- experiences of the Province of Barcelona, Rafael OCAÑA, Province of Barcelona
	Political commitment of European local authorities - experiences of Akmene, Daiva TUSIENE, Municipality of Akmene
Sustainable Energy Communities Projects Corner
	City_Sec Project, Joanna KASPEREK, Bielsko-Biała Regional Development Agency
	Green Twinning Project, Patrycja PŁONKA, Association of Municipalities Polish Network „Energie Cités”
	VIS-NOVA Project, Maria STANKIEWICZ, Association of Municipalities Polish Network „Energie Cités”
	ENNEREG – Regions 202020, Evi TZANAKAKI, Greek Center for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES)
Methods and Tools
	Energy Management System as a tool for monitoring SEAP development and implemantation, Marco DEVETTA, Sogesca s.r.l.
	The TOOLBOX for Suporting Structures: a user friendly internet tool to access and centralize existing material, tools and documents , Giorgia RAMBELLI, ICLEI Europe
	Covenant Capacity e-learning modules for local leaders and municipal staff, Maryke van STADEN, ICLEI Europe
4.08.2012 Financial Possibilities
	ELENA Programme– Real suport for the CoM signatories , Marcin IDCZAK, European Investment Bank
	Support for Polish municipalities for realization of EU climate and energy goals, Jarosław ORLIŃSKI, Ministry of Regional Development
Data collecting and Baseline Emission Inventory
	Data collection and Baseline Emission Inventory, Andreea IANCU, Joint Research Center
	Cities experience in data collection and BEI development - Bielsko-Biała, Piotr SOŁTYSEK, City of Bielsko-Biała
	Cities experience in data collection and BEI development - Ełk, Krzysztof WILCZYŃSKI, City of Ełk
	Cities experience in data collection and BEI development - Burgas , Milena NALBANCHEVA, Burgas Regional Agency for Energy Management (Bulgaria)
	Dialogue on data challenges with participation from audience, Maryke VAN STADEN, ICLEI EUROPE and Marco DEVETTA, Sogesca s.r.l
SEAP development & implementation
	SEAP development and validation, Andreea IANCU, Joint Research Center
	SEAP development and implementation- experiences of Warsaw, Leszek DROGOSZ, City of Warsaw
	SEAP development and implementation- experiences of Zagreb, Marijan MARAS, City of Zagreb
	SEAP development and implementation- experiences of Genova, Mario MERELLO, City of Genova
	SEAPs developed in the Province of Barcelona, Rafael OCAÑA, Province of Barcelona
	58 SEAPs developed in the Province of Huelva, Patricia ABUIN, Province Huelva

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