Heidelberg and Modena mobilise local stakeholders and citizens

by Claire Iochum on 14 December 2009 / 239 visites

Energie-Cités bakes fortune cookies for the Copenhagen negotiators: 10 inspiring local policies for 10 days of the Summit. Proven and successful local experiences in climate and energy matters are the best support the EU negotiators can get in Copenhagen. That is why Energie-Cités, with 20 years of experience in sustainable energy policy, has prepared 10 electronic fortune cookies to inspire the decision-makers during the Climate Summit COP 15.

Hundreds of citizens involving for climate protection!

In Heidelberg, town in the west of Germany, more than 450 citizens have been reaffirming their identity as climate protectors in a recent Climate Protection Campaign and Exhibition of posters organized by the city. The campaign calls on all individuals to contribute more actively to climate protection with the aim to achieve a 20% reduction of CO2 emissions in the city by 2015. The posters show citizens advising their fellow citizens on how their individual contributions can help to achieve this goal. The ongoing climate protection campaign entitled “Climate looking for protection in Heidelberg - also with you” [1]is carried out together with partners from craft, industry and environmental associations and aims to inform as many citizens as possible about possibilities of climate protection by showing them possible types of actions and encouraging them to participate.

A local energy forum in Modena

The City of Modena adopted an Energy and Environment Strategy over 20 years ago. . The document has given particular attention to energy planning, for instance via the City Energy Plan 2002, now under revision,and since 1996 to the control and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. A greenhouse gas balance sheet for the Modena area has been prepared and work has been carried out on reducing energy consumption and the environmental impact of fuels. Implementing energy policy in Modena has involved various projects designed to improve energy saving and raise awareness on energy issues and related problems in all the main City Departments. Policies on energy saving and renewable energy induced the municipality to joined Climate Alliance, taking on the commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% before 2010 from a 1987 baseline. The city received the Climate Star 2002 Award, a European award for climate protection activities. Modena also got the first prize for energy saving and climate protection policies at Eurosolar 2003. Modena wanted to use the BELIEF project to create 3-4 permanent Forums and so increased the range of its own action and policies, thus creating a new energy culture based on energy saving.