Strengthening the Covenant of Mayors in Extremadura, Spain

The Provincial Council of Badajoz, Spain, has played the important role of coordinating Covenant of Mayors activities in the province since 2012, providing critical climate and energy-related support to its 72 Covenant signatory municipalities.  

Last month, the 2nd provincial meeting of the EU Covenant of Mayors in Badajoz was the perfect opportunity to provide an update on the Covenant of Mayors’ current activities, as well as share good practices from the Cabildo de Gran Canaria – one of the most successful territorial coordinators of the Covenant in Spain. It was also the chance to connect with Extremadura’s work on creating energy communities.

The Covenant of Mayors in Spain

The conference was organised within the framework of the European Sustainable Energy Week and was opened by Raúl Jareño, deputy delegate of the Ecological Transition Area of the Badajoz Provincial Council and Angélica García, deputy delegate of the Environment, Ecological Transition, Agriculture and Livestock Area of the Cáceres Provincial Council. Both presented the work being carried out in the two provinces of Extremadura to address climate change related issues.

Subsequently, Miguel Morcillo, representative of the EU Covenant of Mayors Office, presented the current situation of the Covenant in Europe and Spain, its connections with EU policy and its latest developments.

Lessons from Gran Canaria

In the spirit of learning and collaboration across the Spanish territory, Alexis Lozano, Island Director of Energy and Climate, then presented the approach being taken by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Covenant coordinator in Gran Canaria. Alexis shared both technical and financial elements of their work, focusing on relevant European projects managed by the Cabildo and then presenting the digital tool currently under development aimed at supporting the management of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action plan (SECAP) of Gran Canaria municipalities.

Focus on Energy Communities

The second half of the meeting then moved to the topic of Energy Communities, with the participation of Joan Herrera, founding partner of SANSO, who spoke about 'Empowering the consumer in the energy transition'. Juan Sacri, President of the Valencian Association of Energy Communities also participated, explaining the role of local entities in Energy Communities.

This was followed by a round table with the participation of the four Extramadura Community Transformation Offices, namely OTC Provincial de Badajoz of the Badajoz Provincial Council, OTC Diputación de Cáceres, OTC Extremadura of the Extremadura Energy Agency and OTC Grupo Emececuadrado of the company EMCuadrado. Each shared their efforts to date in relation to energy communities.

SECAP Monitoring

Finally, the SECAP monitoring reports of the municipalities of San Vicente de Alcántara, Alburquerque, Talavera la Real, Olivenza, Villanueva del Fresno, Oliva de la Frontera, Jerez de los Caballeros and Fregenal de la Sierra were also presented, showcasing the mechanism through which their efforts within the Covenant of Mayors are given continuity and focus.

In regions such as Extremadura, where the Covenant of Mayors is not yet as established and embedded into regional structures as in other regions of Spain, this type of event is essential for raising awareness of the Covenant, and its potential to support municipalities accelerate their energy and climate ambitions and activities.

Do you want to similarly raise awareness around the Covenant of Mayors in your region? Join the initiative as a coordinator or supporter and get in touch!