Energy Cities calls for more innovative financing

Energy Cities, the European association of local authorities assisting over 1,000 cities and towns in their energy transition, calls for better project financing for municipalities to ensure cities’ energy mix becomes more sustainable.

“We know the huge potential of local and regional authorities to contribute to the achievement of the European energy and climate objectives and that is why it is important that their efforts should be supported both by the EU budget and European Investment Bank,” Jana Cicmanova, Project Manager at Energy Cities told Cities Today. “EU funding plays a driving role in influencing budget priorities and leveraging investments at national, regional and local levels. However, cities’ own resources, innovative local financing schemes and partnerships with banks, private sector and citizens are vital, gaining on importance now and in the near future.”

To address these issues, attendees at Energy Cities’ Annual Rendezvous, which will take place from 24 to 26 April in the Swedish city of Växjö, will have the opportunity to discuss the energy transition not only from a technical or political point of view, but also from a financial one.

Co-organised with the City of Växjö and the Swedish network Klimatkommunerna, in collaboration with Linnaeus University, the conference will be dedicated to financing at European, national, regional and city level.

The first round table, Money from Europe: what is at stake for local authorities in the new financial period 2014-2020?, will question how the EU budget for 2014-2020 will meet the financing needs linked, among others, to the Energy Efficiency Directive’s implementation. An open networking session will follow, where participants will be given the opportunity to exchange and explore together innovative financing solutions for their own cities.

The second round table will focus on energy performance contracting (EPC). With no need for upfront capital from the public authority, EPC offers an optimal solution to ensure the energy performance of the building stock is upgraded through renovation.

“Our annual conference is a special opportunity in that we give the floor both to elected people and mayors from European cities as well as to representatives from the European Commission,” said Kristina Dely, Head of European Affairs at Energy Cities, who will be moderating the first round table. “By listening to each other, they will identify local needs and European funding possibilities. We want to bring the different levels together and foster common understanding.”