The Commissioner underlined the important role played by networks in the exhange of best practices between European local and regional authorities, describing the Covenant of Mayors as an exemplary platform for such indispensable cooperation.
"Regions can promote structural change, but they often lack knowledge and capacity and this is reflected in the lower use of EU regional funding for climate-related projects than for other projects," she stated.
The Commissioner urged regional leaders to improve their energy efficiency performance. According to Mrs. Hedegaard, some €270 billion investment per year would be needed to support the transition to a low-carbon economy - a shift that would enable Europeans to save between €175 and €320 billion from the import of fossil fuels.
Likewise, she underlined the benefits this transition would imply in terms of enhanced quality of life and job creation: an estimated 1 to 2 million jobs could be created across the EU, notably in the construction sector, particularly affected by the economic downturn.
"We are on track to meet the emissions target and the renewables target, but not our energy efficiency target," said the Commissioner, referring to the "Climate & Energy Package" adopted by the EU in 2009.
She added that progress in the field of energy efficiency could only be achieved at the local, regional and national levels, where decisions are taken in the fields of public building management, transport and infrastructure.
© photo European Commission.
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