italy - Networking the Covenant of Mayors

Feedback from the ground
on the Covenant of Mayors implementation
in Italy
June 2013
Prepared by Climate Alliance Italy
Contact: Maurizio Zara, m.zara[a]climatealliance.it
CONTENTS
National context ........................................................................................................ 3
Italian Covenant of Mayors Dialogue Platform ...................................................... 3
The Platform’s strategy ..................................................................................................................... 3
Meetings, workshops and activities so far ..................................................................................... 3
Upcoming activities until the end of the project ............................................................................ 4
Events where the Covenant and the National Club have been presented .................................. 4
The Covenant in Italy: Evaluation of the questionnaires and experiences gained
in the framework of theCovenant Club ................................................................... 6
Perception of the Covenant by politicians / by civil servants ...................................................... 6
Barriers and drivers for cities to join the Covenant ...................................................................... 6
General Recommendations concerning Covenant implementation in the country ................... 6
Feedback from Covenant Actors ............................................................................ 7
Abbreviations:
CoM: Covenant of Mayors
CoMO: Covenant of Mayors Office
SEAP: Sustainable Energy Action Plan
BEI: Baseline Emissions Inventory
LAs: Local Authorities
The sole responsibility for the content of this report lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the
European Union. Neither the EACI nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the
information contained therein.
Feedback from the ground on the Covenant of Mayors implementation in Italy – 2
NATIONAL CONTEXT
In Italy the Covenant of Mayors continues to be a highly visible initiative in every part of the country.
To date 2308 cities and towns have signed, 1445 SEAPs have been presented and 498 have been
approved. Of the presently 127 coordinators of the Covenant of Mayors 81 are Italian most of them
Provinces and there are 15 supporters. The situation is hence very favourable as far as the signing is
concerned and the main thrust of activity is to sustain the members of the Covenant and the
Supporting Structures to guarantee that the former meet their commitments.
If at the beginning perhaps there was not always a clear awareness among Italian local governments
as to the nature of the commitment when they joined the Covenant of Mayors, today the duties and
opportunities of the Covenant are certainly clearer and known to the cities and towns. Given the large
number of adhesions to the Covenant a number of interesting initiatives have originated on the part of
some Regions and Provinces to support in a decisive manner the Covenant. Among them are the
Foundation Cariplo in Lombardia, the Provinces of Milano, Rome and Sassari, the Region of Abruzzo
and Emilia Romagna.
The instrument of the SEAP has by now proven necessary as well as useful and some characteristics
have become common heritage of all the SEAPs presented. Others remain critical points where the
local governments need to be nudged and convinced, in particular the involvement of the stakeholders
and the participation of citizens, the continuous monitoring of the energy consumptions and the
private/public collaborations (with ESCOs) particularly in the field of energy efficiency.
ITALIAN COVENANT OF MAYORS DIALOGUE PLATFORM
The Platform’s strategy
The decision of Climate Alliance Italy, as explained before, was to start from an existing collaboration
between supporters and not of the Covenant of Mayors called “Climate Table” and to intensify the
work as an Italian Covenant of Mayors Dialogue Platform. The strategy concentrates on the 15
supporters of the Covenant of Mayors in Italy, all of whom networks of local authorities, and seeks to
involve the coordinators (mostly Provinces). This seems a valid effort that is being integrated by similar
efforts, for example the first conference of Italian coordinators of the Covenant in May 2013 in
Pescara, organized by the Region of Abruzzi. The platform has concentrated on adaptation to climate
change, energy efficiency and financial strategies in the implementation of SEAPs as substantive
issues. The most active partners of the Platform are together with Climate Alliance Italy the National
Coordination of Local Agenda 21 and Kyoto Club. Other actors are AICCRE and Associazione
Nazionale dei Comuni Virtuosi as well as INU, ANCI and UPI. The last three have not yet adhered
formally.
Meetings, workshops and activities so far
Date
23/06/2011
Place
Rome
26/01/2012
Rome
Meeting/Workshop
Presentazione Progetto al
Tavolo del Clima
Workshop: Per un contributo
alla Strategia Nazionale di
Adattamento al
Cambiamento Climatico
Type of Meeting
Covenant Key Actors’ Meeting
Covenant Key Actors’ Meeting
Feedback from the ground on the Covenant of Mayors implementation in Italy – 3
26/05/2012
Florence
02/11/2012
Città di Castello
22/11/2012
Rome
17/05/2013
Florence
24/05/2013
Rome
Il Patto dei Sindaci: i Piani di
Azione per l’Energia
Sostenibile ed oltre
Premio A+COM – I edizione
Attuare i Piani d’Azione per
l’Energia Sostenibile –
Strumenti di finanza
innovativa
Verso la Strategia Nazionale
di Adattamento Responsabilità di Governo e
competenze dei territori
Workshop: Patto dei Sindaci
e Smart Cities, rigenerare le
città e riqualificare gli edifici
Patto dei Sindaci – PAES di
eccellenza. Strategie
finanziarie e politiche
nazionali per
l’implementazione
Workshop for local authorities
and Covenant key actors’
meeting
Workshop for local authorities,
experts with Fish Bowl
discussion
Workshop for local authorities
and experts
Workshop for local authorities
and Covenant key actors’
meeting
Conference for local authorities
and Covenant key actors’
meeting
Premio A+CoM – II edizione
Upcoming activities until the end of the project
0405/07/2013
0708/11/2013
Pisa
Green City Energy Pisa
Bologna
Net-working the Covenant of
Mayors for the
implementation of the
Sustainable Energy Action
Plans
Workshop for local authorities
and experts
Conference for Covenant
Supporters and Coordinators ,
local authorities and Covenant
key actors.
Events where the Covenant and the National Club have been presented
date
03/10/2011
place
Dobbiaco/Toblach
Dissemination Activity
20/10/2011
Città di Castello
11/11/2011
Rimini,
EcomondoKeyenergy
Rome
Local Energy Day – Mettere
in rete gli attori per uno
sviluppo sostenibile
Scenari 100% rinnovabili
09/02/2012
Il Patto dei Sindaci dopo
Durban – La lotta al
cambiamento climatico tra
accordi globali e azione
locale
Meeting with the 6 Mayors of
the Puster Valley in preparation
of NET-COM club
Local Energy Day – Networking
the Stakeholders for a
sustainable development
Scenarios for 100%
Renewables
Conference on the CoM after
Durban with the Participation of
the Minister of Environment,
Corrado Clini
Feedback from the ground on the Covenant of Mayors implementation in Italy – 4
18/05/2012
Perugia
Green Days / Il Patto dei
Sindaci: obiettivi ed
opportunità per gli Enti locali
07/09/2012
Rome
Il Patto dei Sindaci nei
comuni medio-piccoli: obiettivi
ed opportunità per una
migliore aggregazione
territoriale
30/09/2012
Perugia
20/10/2012
Rome
Klimahouse Perugia /
Dall’adesione alla redazione
dei PAES: buone pratiche nel
settore della BIOENERGIA a
supporto del Patto dei Sindaci
in Umbria
Sustainability International
Forum / La società post
fossile.
15/11/2012
Rome
07/05/2013
Pescara
10/05/2013
Gubbio
Organized by the City of
Perugia with the participation of
the Minister of Environment of
the Region of Umbria and the
Environmental Commissioner
of the Province of Perugia
At the Congress Centre of the
Fair of Rome in occasion of
ZeroEmission. Organized by
Kyoto Club, member of the
National Platform, addressing
small and medium-sized
communities and the
perspectives of joint energy
planning and implementation
Organized by the Ministry of
Environment with the
participation of the Minister of
Environment of the Region of
Umbria
Verso la maturità sociale
I comuni per un’Europa
efficiente nell’uso delle
risorse
Primo incontro dei
coordinatori territoriali del
Patto dei Sindaci in Italia – La
multi-level governance del
Covenant of Mayors:
esperienze, potenzialità e
sfide
European Solar Days
Feedback from the ground on the Covenant of Mayors implementation in Italy – 5
THE COVENANT IN ITALY: EVALUATION OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES
AND EXPERIENCES GAINED IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THECOVENANT
CLUB
Perception of the Covenant by politicians / by civil servants
The perception of the Covenant of Mayors in Italy continues to be very positive. One out of four cities
and towns in this country have adhered to the Covenant and among them all the big cities. There are
many positive examples and good practices of participation, of implementation, of financial strategies
and important actions. The impression is that the awareness as to the added value of elaborating and
implementing a SEAP has grown and the quality of theses documents has increased, as we can say
from our experience of looking at 77 SEAPs that were candidates for our award A+CoM. There is a
wide-spread willingness, even eagerness on the part of local politicians to implement the SEAPs and
this holds increasingly true for the technicians and civil servants in the administration. What they miss
is a bigger attention on the part of the higher levels of government assisting and supporting local
governments.
Barriers and drivers for cities to join the Covenant
The barriers are, as we said before, very low for joining because for the political leadership the idea to
get into direct contact with the European Union is very attractive. It remains also true that the main
effort has to be to guarantee high quality SEAPs once the cities and towns have joined, to raise the
consciousness on the necessity to monitor the energy consumption over time and create a close feedback between implementation of the actions and updating of the SEAP so that it remains a working
instrument over time and not a one time product. Climate Alliance and Kyoto Club continue in the
context of NET-CoM and beyond their activity of promoting high quality SEAPs with the award
A+CoM, which saw in 2013 its second edition, concentrating on the points above as well as the
participation and sharing of the SEAPs objectives with the stakeholders in the territory. Once the
monitoring template is in place, A+CoM will also give an award for implementation.
General Recommendations concerning Covenant implementation in the
country
Given the dimensions of the large majority of Italian towns and villages that have adhered to the
Covenant (96% are under 50.000 inhabitants) it becomes ever more urgent to support them not only in
the elaboration of the SEAP - which has been done admirably by a number of Italian Covenant
coordinators and supporters - but also in its implementation. Here the Province of Milano and the
foundation Cariplo are doing exemplary work. The former has obtained financial resources from the
EIB for the retrofitting of municipal buildings and is supporting the local governments in drawing up
calls for ESCOs, the latter is supporting the small cities in applying for funds from ELENA.
Unfortunately until now the national Italian government in general and the ministry of the Environment
in particular have taken no interest in the Covenant of Mayors. The importance of empowering the
local level to be able to act in favour of the Covenant commitments as a driver for overcoming the
present crisis in this country is being underestimated. More precisely: it is not perceived at all.
Feedback from the ground on the Covenant of Mayors implementation in Italy – 6
FEEDBACK FROM COVENANT ACTORS
Non-Signatory
Context
Why isn’t the city a
Covenant signatory yet?
Barriers faced (negative
aspects of the CoM)
Drivers (positive aspects of
the CoM)
Narni
A city of small/medium-sized dimensions (approximately 20.000
inhabitants) in Umbria with an important industrial sector and a
potential for developing tourism and the service industry
The city has decided to adhere but hasn’t done so yet formally. It is
presently preparing the necessary information and is getting
organized for the commitment.
The difficulty to find the necessary funds for implementing the actions
that should go into the SEAP, general scarcity of funds for planning
and monitoring.
Monitoring the energy consumptions of the administration and of the
territory promotes an integrated development towards a sustainable
future.
Any recommendations to
the CoM to get more
attractive?
A better connection to national and regional incentives.
Contact person
Alfonso Morelli, assessore ambiente
alfonso.morelli[a]comune.narni.tr.it
Non-Signatory
Context
Why isn’t the city a
Covenant signatory yet?
Barriers faced (negative
aspects of the CoM)
Drivers (positive aspects
of the CoM)
Any recommendations to
the CoM to get more
attractive?
Contact person
Perugia
Perugia is the capital of the Region of Umbria in Central Italy. The
town occupies an area of 450 quare km and has 160.000 inhabitants.
The energy policy of Perugia has been elaborated in the
Environmental Energy Plan, in force since 2005. Presently the update
of this plan is about to be approved by the city council. Implementing
this plan the city of Perugia is active since a long time promoting
renewable energy, energy saving and increasing energy efficiency in
various sectors.
The city administration is considering adhering to the Covenant of
Mayors. Until now the city of Perugia has not adhered to the Covenant
because it retained it necessary to evaluate the dimensions of the
interventions necessary to obtain the results it will commit itself to. This
was done, updating the Energy Plan.
There are no critical elements as to the aims and the methods of the
project in evidence.
It is being considered useful to confront ourselves with cities that have
already adhered to the Covenant of Mayors and are further along on
the road towards the goals set, because we consider it essential that
the key persons in our administration understand well the efforts that
must be made in order to meet the commitments undersigned.
Give visibility to the cities and their experiences that have a high quota
of emissions per inhabitant and therefore bigger problems to meet
their goals in relation to others.
Ing. Daniele Volpi – Energy manager;
Tel. +39.075.577.22.85:
d.volpi[a]comune.perugia.it
Feedback from the ground on the Covenant of Mayors implementation in Italy – 7
Covenant Supporting
Structure
Context
Why is the organisation a
CoM Supporter?
Activities organised so far
as CoM Supporter
Barriers faced (negative
aspects)
Drivers (positive aspects)
Recommendations to the
national and/or European
level to favour the
Covenant implementation.
Recommendations to the
CoM to get more attractive
Contact person
Borghi Autentici d’Italia (B.A.I.)
B.A.I. is an association of approx. 200 small cities and towns spread
out over the whole national territory
(www.borghiautenticiditlia.it)
The founding motive of the association is the valorisation of the lesser
territories, create conditions for an economic development based on
the principles of sustainability, promote the sense of community and of
belonging to the territory.
The actions with which the association involves the towns are based
on the implementation of the so called “Strategic Projects”, one of
them being “Intelligent Village”. This project promotes the efficient use
of energy e its production from renewable resources with the goal
creating energy autonomy in the territories. In this perspective the
decision was taken to promote the Covenant of Mayors among the
associated members and to support them in the elaboration of their
SEAPs and the actions they foresee.
Presentation and promotion of the Covenant of Mayors in meetings
and events of the association. Participation in European projects like
Meshartility (IEE) (www.meshartility.eu) and in this context technical
assistance to 18 municipalities for the elaboration of their SEAP,
hENCE (Europe for Citizens) and other projects at the regional level.
Agreements with associations and enterprises as to energy efficiency.
The lack of capacity with the punlich administrations to work internally
in a synergic manner. The difficulty to have date on the actual energy
consumptions from the utilities, the difficulty for small towns obtain and
use financial resources for implementing energy efficiency measures
and produce renewable energy.
The good sensibility of the administrations and of the citizens, the
decisive action of the European Commission and the CoM, the
growing attention the citizens pay to energy questions.
Activation of support programs and finances giving priority to cities and
towns who have signed the Covenant. More attention by the national
ministries involved.
To try to have a more “friendly” image and to stay closer to the
citizens, more information on the actions taken in the single countries
in the context of the Covenant of Mayors and the ongoing European
projects.
Simone Taddei
[email protected] – tel.
0524 587185
Feedback from the ground on the Covenant of Mayors implementation in Italy – 8