Empowering local and regional authorities to design clean Energy TRAnsition plans through Capacity and Knowledge building actions

ENTRACK is an EU project funded under the LIFE programme for technical support to clean energy transition plans and strategies in municipalities and regions. It aims to contribute to the speeding up of the transition to climate neutrality by increasing the energy policy capacities of eight Mediterranean small-medium sized rural municipalities.

The production and use of energy account for more than 75% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), with almost three-quarters reliance on fossil fuels. A rapid and deep decarbonisation of the energy system is therefore essential to reach carbon neutrality goals. 

To achieve such an ambitious goal, the EU has provided multiple frameworks. The European Green Deal drives for climate neutrality in the European continent by 2050, and new obligations for Member States were enforced with the European Climate Law, such as the increase of the 2030 GHG emissions reductions target from 40% to 55% compared to 1990 levels.

To move forward in the energy transition, the role of local and regional authorities is pivotal: in fact, the actual implementation of actions must happen locally, and, thus, local institutional bodies should be facilitators and enablers of this transition.

Against this background, ENTRACK aims to support local authorities in eight rural areas of the Mediterranean to co-design social energy policy responding to specific and real needs of citizens, especially those vulnerable. The project will provide local policy actors at a regional and municipal policy level with scientific-technical knowledge, capacity and a methodological approach to design and implement social energy policies, and, while doing so, including the citizens in their agendas and energy strategies, as well gaining inputs from their active participation. 

Objectives:

• Increase the knowledge and capacity of local governments to foster a just and fair energy transition;
• Facilitate an ongoing structured dialogue in European municipalities and regions with diverse stakeholders to support co-design clean and just energy process;
• Understand key factors determining perceptions, needs and priorities of citizens;
• Generate policy recommendations for policy decision-making in relation to the energy transition and specifically on codesigning socially just and fair energy policies.

Actions:

• Deliver training courses addressing knowledge and capacity gaps of piloting municipalities;
• Establish a community of practitioners to investigate with stakeholders the key levers and necessary conditions for fostering energy transition;
• Create a group of empowered “climate explorers” that can act as observers and activators of change in each rural region;
• Develop energy modelling tools to assess local energy and climate policies;
• Undertake the codesigning of social energy policies within the 8 piloting municipalities.

Partners:

• AISFOR Srl
• RETE ASSIST - ETS
• Kilowatt Soc Coop
• Municipality of Piano di Sorrento
• Municipality Of Vico Equense
• Associació LEADER Ripollès Ges Bisaura
• NOVA University Lisbon
• AREANATejo - Agência Regional de Energia e Ambiente do Norte Alentejano e Tejo
• Prosvasi Anasygkrotisi Tis Astikis Dimokratikis Syneidisis Gia Mia
• Municipality of Avdera
• Municipality of Topeiros
• E3-Modelling AE
• Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy