Vibrant,
resilientcities
Developing city resilience: why and how?
p.4
The economic impact of the energy transition
p.7
Local authorities and UN climate negotiations
p.8
Energy
Cities
www.energy-cities.eu
INFO
No. 43
Spring 2015
Editorial
Co-powering a prosperous energy future
The first landmark achievement of the Juncker
Commission has been the “Energy Union”
proposal, a name with strong symbolic weight, as it carries the hope of breathing new life into the EU integration project. What better way to
guarantee popular support for this mammoth
plan than to link it to local, energy-enabled
development? As the Kyoto period is set to
give way to a new, “Paris Protocol” era, what
better opportunity to focus on the social and economic
gains of local climate action! We are not tired of saying it: the impact of decentralised energy policies reaches far beyond environmental gains. A study recently published by Energy Cities documents
the economic impact of the local energy transition with
compelling figures and case studies (see p.7).
Energy efficiency projects for example are highly job-
intensive as they rely on a large set of skills, be it in the
construction sector, preparation of action plans and energy audits; financial development of proposals; in research and
development or equipment manufacturing. Local invest-
ments in energy efficiency reduce costs while making the
regions more attractive to economic players. Likewise, the
deployment of renewable or recovered energy sources generates new revenues for local authorities and land-
owners, also creating new business opportunities.I could list more arguments, but I will leave it to the fol-
lowing pages of this Energy Cities INFO issue to convince
you further of the social and economic case of a locally
driven energy future. The efforts of our network in the
past 25 years have succeeded in moving local authorities up the EU agenda. We will relentlessly advocate a new
governance model where cities are considered genuine partners in the Energy Union and where EU legislation, programmes and funding instruments support them in
serving the general interest of European citizens.
Eckart Würzner
,
Mayor of Heidelberg, Germany,and President of Energy Cities
Energy Cities | Bureau Bruxelles
1, Square de MeeûsB - 1000 BrusselsTél. : +32 2 213 83 54
Energy Cities | Secrétariat
2, chemin de PalenteF - 25000 BesançonTél. : +33 381 65 36 80Fax : +33 381 50 73 51www.energy-cities.eu
If you wish to receive this magazine
once a year for free, please e-mail: www.energy-cities.eu/miriam
Director of publication:
Miriam Eisermann
Contributors to this issue:
the Energy Cities staff and members of the network, coordinated by Floriane Bernardot, Alix Bolle and Miriam Eisermann
Translation:
Nathalie Fauchadour
Graphic design:
www.tuttiquanti.net
Print office:
SIMONGRAPHIC (Imprim’Vert)Printed on recycled paper N° ISSN: 1256-6098 Print run: 2000 copies
Cover:
Tutti Quanti / Shutterstock
@energycities
Regenerative urban development (by World Future Council)
.........p.3
Future-proof cities: Is resilience the key?
.................................................. p.4-6
Barcelona sets up a Fab Lab network
...............................................................p.5
Energy transition, a true vitamin cocktail for the local economy!
..................................................................................................p.7
Local authorities and the COP21: challenges and expectations
.................................................................................p.8-9
Decentralisation, devolution...Revolution
...............................................p.10-11
The European Union’s energy policy put to test
................................p.12-13
Twin cities and other forms of urban cooperation
................................p.14
Publications: Energy Cities’ recommendations
........................................p.15
2050 Local Energy Roadmaps
................................................................................p.16
The trendy word: Divestment
.................................................................................p.16
CONTENTS
A taste of the localenergy job bonanza!
In Belgium, the
Region of Brussels
foresees the creation of
4,300 jobs
by 2020 through the activities of its sustainable construction alliance. In
Copenhagen
, the
“green sector”
represents
18,000 businesses
and
25,000 jobs
. In the
Ile-de-France Region
, figures dated in a 2008 report
112,000 “eco-activity” jobs
and turnover of
EUR 17 bn
.In
Paris
,
Porto
,
Madrid
and
Turin
,
public transport operators
are the top
5 biggest employers
.
Guest article
When waste isn’t waste:
How a city can regenerate its resources
Modern cities are defined by their concentration of economic activity and intense social interaction. Despite greater efficiencies thanks to dense living space, they also tend to have voracious appetites for energy, water, food and other resources.
Regenerative urban development addresses the relationship between cities and their hinterlands that supply them with these vital resources. Cities should embrace the central role they play in re-enriching the landscapes they depend on and enhancing the capacity of ecosystems to generate goods and services.
The case of resource upcyclingin Kalundborg
The town of Kalundborg, Denmark, demonstrates the benefits of regene-ration by treating waste as a resource rather than a nuisance. The munici-pality and 20 local businesses benefit from using each other’s by-products that would otherwise be discarded.Kalundborg’s symbiotic web begins with its coal-fired power station, whose cooling water is channelled to pro-duce ideal conditions for the local fish farm. Ash is used in the construction and cement industries. Excess lime is sold as fertiliser for far-mland. Various wastes are thus turned into new products in this circular pro-duction system. Efficient resource use creates a loca-tional advantage, making it financially attractive to stay in the region despite lower labour costs elsewhere. When plasterboard manufacturer Gyproc wanted to relocate to be closer to gypsum mines, cooperation with the local power station – which produces gypsum as a by-product – made it economically viable for Gyproc and the jobs it created to remain.Besides economic and social bene-fits, symbiosis also leads to ecolo-gical improvements. Capitalising on the steam by-product of the power station has led to reductions in oil consumption of 20,000 tonnes and water consumption by 25% per year in the system. A decrease in waste discharge also reduces environmental pollution to the region.
Policies for regenerativeurban development
Kalundborg is just one example of how regenerative cities can drive local development. In order to replicate and scale up these successes, we need long-term planning and holistic policy frameworks rather than short-term patchwork solutions. Cities are active agents that can have a positive impact on their environments. With high concentrations of human and financial capital, they are already proving to be leaders in tackling the pressing chal-lenges of our time.
Efficient resource use creates a locational advantage
The World Future Council brings the interests of future generations to the centre of policy-making. Together with civil society actors, parliamentarians, governments and businesses, the Council addresses challenges to our com-mon future and provides decision makers with effective policy solu-tions.
www.worldfuturecouncil.org
Author: Fiona Woo, Policy Officer – Climate and Energy, World Future Council
© A n d r e a s G e b e r t