Province of Potenza as Coordinator for the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in Covid Pandemic
About this good practice
The unexpected “forced” capitalization principles of the low carbon economy due to new habits assumed during Covid 19 pandemic (smart-working, Zero CO2 emission by vehicles being at home, supplies in the immediate vicinity, home made food, e-learning, etc) and achieved by Municipalities and Communities during the lock down make Potenza Province realize that the achievement of certain objectives depends only on our lifestyles. For instance, there were a high decrease of the energy bills in all the Municipal premises due to the fact that almost all the employees teleworked at home, so contributing to save money and cut emissions.
During Covid 19 lock-down, within the municipalities, it was possible to monitor, account for and record considerable energy savings as a consequence of the lock-down, so reaching the general GP’s objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the provincial territory.
GP’s main aims still are:
• Promote policies and focused actions to combat climate changes, to be implemented with the engagement of the Municipalities of provincial territory;
• Provide technical-methodological and strategic assistance to the Municipalities,also in a remote way ,supporting the development and the implementation of local strategies, plans and actions at a network and wide area level;
• Identify and/or facilitate the location of the resources to support the implementation of the local strategies;
• Monitor the results in a shared follow-up and review process
Resources needed
Provincial Municipalities and Communities Network used as an attractor of regional/national/ European funds. The Municipalities in some cases uses their royalties from oil or wind farms.
Human resources with technical skills in the subjects of EE and RES are also required.
Digital tools
Evidence of success
62 municipalities joined the Covenant and 50 SEAPs have been realized
SEAPs in progress: 11
The critical mass gained by having 62 municipalities signing up to this agreement is key to the effectiveness of this good practice
The validity of the proposal is also demonstrated by the following acknowledgements:
- Kyoto Club Award ‘Spend without money’ to Calvello’s SEAP drawn up by SEL
- A+ CoM Award to Sasso di Castalda’s SEAP drawn up by SEL
Potential for learning or transfer
The strength of the present GP is in its easy transferability: it can be replicated in other EU territories and contexts, in fact it includes membership of a wider EU initiative (EU CoM) that is highly transferrable to other regions and contexts.
At the basis of the GP there are: the framework of the Covenant of Mayors for climate and energy, a public Authority with the willingness and commitment to support signatories within their geographical scope and with a close and consolidated relationship with its municipalities and communities in a bottom-up approach
Covid taught us that the achievement of certain objectives depends only on our lifestyles. Lock down forced us to assume unexpectedly new habits (smart-working, decrease in transport , supplies in the immediate vicinity, home made food, e-learning, etc) indirectly leading us in the right direction of capitalising the principles of the low carbon economy. The lesson learned can be shared in Europe and around the world
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
