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Existing Methodologies and Tools for the Development and Implementation of Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP)

This Covenant of Mayors publication aims to provide guidance and/or recommendations to help local authorities aiming to develop Sustainable Energy Action Plans to select the tools and methodologies that best suit them, according to their own needs and characteristics.

Summary

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The Covenant of Mayors (CoM) is the commitment by signatory towns and cites to go beyond the EU objectives in terms of CO2 reduction, through the implementation of Sustainable Energy Action plans (SEAPs). Signatories commit to submitting their local SEAPs, with concrete measures aiming at reducing the city's CO2 and emissions within the year following adhesion. The SEAP should include a baseline CO2 emission inventory and the CO2 reduction target.

The JRC carried out a study with the aim of providing an overview of:

  • Existing methodologies/tools for the development and implementation of SEAPs by municipalities (Part I)
  • Existing methodologies/tools for the elaboration of baseline CO2 emission inventory at municipal level (Part II)

The present document is a short (summary) version of part I of the report. The full report is available on the JRC website.

The list of the reviewed tools does not have the pretention to be exhaustive. There certainly exist other tools that may be suitable as well.

The overview exercise is concluded by a signposting table allowing visualising the main characteristics of each of the most relevant methodologies. The aim of this report is not to identify or impose one tool or methodology that should be followed by all cities, but to provide guidance/recommendations to help local authorities to select the tools that best suit them, according to their own needs and characteristics. It is possible that some cities may actually decide to use several tools, taking advantage of the strengths of each of them.

Although it appears that some tools may be closer than others to the rules and principles set out in the context of the CoM, it is up to the cities to decide which tool they want to use.

Based on the evaluation presented here, guidelines have been elaborated, providing detailed recommendations for SEAP elaboration and CO2 baseline inventory. Following these guidelines will help local authorities to reach the commitments they have taken by signing the Covenant.

Related Information on the Regions 202020 Website:

Last updated: 21/04/2011 2:31pm - Contact: