Support small Municipalities towArds Energy Transition

Introduction

The Life-SMART project aims to increase the technical and organizational capacity of 22 small-sized public administrations in 5 target regions across 5 countries (Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal) to design, implement, and manage their energy transition plans/strategies through an integrated approach.

Objectives

The project entails the following key objectives:

1. Activation of Inter-Municipal Technical Structures (IMTS)

   • Testing and consolidation of 5 inter-municipal technical structures, formed by technicians from the involved municipalities and external experts expressly contracted (2 for each target area).
   • These structures will be further trained with the support of partner organizations, enabling them to lead the design, implementation, and management of energy plans in line with the requirements of the Covenant of Mayors.

2. Definition of Clean Energy Transition Paths

   • Establishing inter-municipal clean energy transition paths in the 5 target areas, with a gradually increasing level of development depending on the baseline situation of each territory.
   • This will range from a supra-local vision and strategy up to the launch of local initiatives.

3. Improvement of Energy Literacy

   • Enhancing the ‘energy literacy’ of involved communities to create conditions for the informed engagement of stakeholders and citizens in the implementation of inter-municipal energy plans.

4. Dissemination of Methodology and Tools

   • Disseminating the Life-SMART methodology, models, and tools towards other territories with similar features to foster the transfer and replication of project results.
   • The involvement of Covenant of Mayors (CoM) signatories, coordinators, or supporters will contribute significantly to this effort.

Consortium Composition

The composition of the consortium involves a diversified typology of organizations relevant to energy planning and having a supra-local scope. This will ensure:

• Cross-fertilization among different approaches to energy topics.
• Effective coordination at the district level.
• Interesting replication opportunities in other contexts.