Regionale energie-initiatieven: van voorbereiding naar implementatie (en)

IP/09/1660

Brussels, 30 October 2009

Commissioner Piebalgs receives the first 39 Energy Action plans under the Covenant of Mayors

Representatives of the Diputació de Barcelona, the Barcelona Provincial council, today handed over the first 39 Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) of the Covenant of Mayors signatories in the Province to European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs i. Today's meeting marks a step change from preparation to action, as signatories have a year from signature to submission of their SEAPs.

“The Covenant of Mayors has reached the stage of maturity,” says Commissioner Piebalgs. “With 900 cities on board and 40 Supporting Structures, I am proud to say the Covenant has become an unprecedented movement of local and regional authorities. The first 39 Sustainable Energy Action Plans delivered today by the Barcelona Province clearly demonstrate that regions and provinces play a crucial role in changing our energy landscape and make a key contribution in the fight against climate change. It is a breakthrough, as we are moving from preparation to action.”

The Diputació de Barcelona was a first Supporting Structure to the Covenant of Mayors, offering both technical and financial support for the development of the individual SEAPs to the Covenant signatories. By the end of August 2009, 105 of the province’s municipalities had signed up - covering 88% of the province’s total population of 4 527 988. Supporting Structures have a key role in helping smaller public authorities complete the technically challenging SEAP process.

SEAPs involve drafting emissions assessments, diagnosis and strategy documents, action plans, participation plans, monitoring plans and the final Action plan that is submitted to the European Commission and published on the Covenant website. This submission can be, however, made more easily, following the SEAP on-line template, which is now available through the covenant website.

By the end of September 2009, nearly half of the SEAPs initiated in the province of Barcelona were being completed. The finalised SEAPs come from municipalities with populations ranging from 300 to 200 000 inhabitants that plan to reduce emissions by nearly one million tonnes of CO 2 equivalent by 2020. Estimated reductions for all 105 municipalities by 2020 will be over 3.6 million tonnes. Current total emissions for these municipalities are 19.1 million tonnes.

Background

The European Union (EU) is leading the global fight against climate change, and has made it a top priority. Its ambitious targets are spelt out in the EU Climate Action and Renewable Energy Package , which commits Member States to curb their CO 2 emissions by at least 20% by 2020. Signatories of the Covenant of Mayors contribute to these policy objectives through a formal commitment to go beyond this target through the implementation of their Sustainable Energy Action Plan. So far 907 European cities have joined the Covenant.

More information: www.eumayors.eu