How to prioritise actions from your Action Plan

SYNERGISE+ is a practical and versatile Excel-based tool designed specifically designed to help Covenant of Mayors Signatories. It aims to support local governments in two critical stages of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) development: planning and implementation. Whether you are selecting actions for your SECAP or prioritising investments within budget constraints, SYNERGISE+ guides cities through a structured, flexible decision-making process.

While designed for Covenant signatories, SYNERGISE+ is also valuable for other entities such as energy agencies or enterprises working on local sustainability projects. The tool allows users to select actions relevant to their specific sector, making it applicable to a broad range of urban and local adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Tailored decision-making for local climate action

In the planning stage, SYNERGISE+ helps cities select climate actions based on criteria like environmental impact, cost-efficiency, and alignment with local values. Whether you're addressing renewable energy, energy efficiency, or adaptation to climate risks, the tool provides structured analysis that is adaptable to your city’s unique needs.

In the implementation stage, it helps decision-makers in prioritise investments by clearly ranking actions based on available resources and potential long-term benefits. It is designed to cater to both simple and complex decision-making processes, offering a tailored approach to selecting and implementing climate actions.

Stakeholder engagement

Effective climate action requires collaboration and SYNERGISE+ supports this by encouraging stakeholder engagement throughout the decision-making process. Before using the tool, cities should have their SECAP or other sustainability plans ready, as well as a list of stakeholders representing various sectors or departments.

Each department or sector involved in the decision-making process can provide valuable input, and the tool allows cities to incorporate this feedback into a single, comprehensive framework. By ensuring that each stakeholder group is represented equally, SYNERGISE+ fosters a balanced, inclusive approach to planning and investment prioritization.

How it works

SYNERGISE+ offers clear, colour-coded visual feedback on how different actions align with your city’s climate goals. A scorecard provides a summary of how well your plan is performing across key indicators such as environmental impact and financial feasibility. This intuitive overview helps cities quickly identify areas of strength and areas needing further attention.

Getting started

To begin using SYNERGISE+, gather your existing SECAP or sustainability plans and decide which stakeholders you would like to involve. Aim to have one representative from each department or sector, and group responses to ensure balanced representation. Then, open the Excel tool and follow the instructions provided. For more details, refer to the accompanying guide to help navigate the tool and maximise its benefits for your city's climate strategy.

Discover and download the tool here.