Local governments who have signed the Covenant of Mayors have put a lot of work and effort into developing their Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP). But this is just the beginning of the road. To reach the objectives set out in their SECAP, they need to be sure they are taking the most effective and impactful measures every step of the way.
For most municipalities, this can be quite a daunting task. The complexity of SECAPs, lack of resources, uncertainty around the effectiveness of different measures, and the challenge of collecting the relevant data… These are just a few of the challenges that local governments face when pinpointing the right measures for their SECAPs.
A new tool for cities to compare measures and build scenarios
To help municipalities address these challenges, the European City Calculator has been developed as a web tool to support local governments in planning their transition towards carbon neutrality. The prospective modelling tool is based on the European Calculator and was developed within the EUCityCalc project funded by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme.
The tool allows local authorities and relevant stakeholders to compare the impact of different measures on emissions and build multiple scenarios, helping municipalities determine the most effective strategies to achieve their SECAP objectives. As of April 2023, there are 24 measures available, each with several levels of implementation, leading to a total of 70 possible combinations.
Helping find the right measures for your SECAP
Ten pilot cities, all signatories of the Covenant of Mayors and located in six different member states, are currently using the European City Calculator to create pathways towards climate neutrality by the end of 2023.
One of the key objectives of the European City Calculator is to provide emissions calculation processes that can be used to fulfil the SECAP criteria, in particular for the baseline emission inventory.
Guidelines will be available in 2024 to leverage the pathways and scenarios developed with the tool into SEAPs/SECAPs and will be compliant with the Covenant of Mayors SEAP/SECAP guidebooks. The team behind the Calculator is currently working on facilitating the transfer of data between the tool and the SE(C)AP template.
Starting late 2023, more cities will be able to use the webtool through a dedicated training programme. The European City Calculator and the Covenant of Mayors are complementary tools that can help municipalities tackle the challenges of achieving SECAP goals. Together, they provide a powerful framework for municipalities to take action, transform their cities, and reach the EU’s climate objectives.
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Details
- Publication date
- 15 May 2023