Partnership for New Energy Leadership 2050 (PANEL 2050)

By 2050, the EU aims to cut its emissions substantially – by 80-95% compared to 1990 levels as part of the efforts required by developed countries as a group, and effectively turning Europe into a highly energy efficient and low-carbon economy will also boost the economy, create jobs and strengthen Europe' s competitiveness. For EU to reach this ambition, public authorities at national and especially at local level have to develop locally adapted energy policies and plans with strong involvement from local stakeholders, including private energy industry and civil society actors focusing on both renewable energy production as well as on energy efficiency. Activities of low carbon society are closely linked to vision of sustainable development and aim to improve and adapt its actions and economy towards non-dependence of activities raising carbon dioxide emissions.   

In Central and Eastern Europe the growth of renewable energy generation lacks behind EU average, implicating the CEE countries have to increase their current efforts to attain the 2020 EU ambition. Some of these challenges in CEE countries are 1) a low priority on sustainable development issues; 2) a low capacity of energy management on local level; and 3) a lack of cooperation to jointly address common challenges. To address these challenges in CEE countries the PANEL 2050 project has been developed which will provide necessary support  for the development of the capacity and coordination of forerunner who will connect and empower relevant local stakeholders in different regions in CEE countries into replicable sustainable local energy networks.

 

Title

Partnership for New Energy Leadership 2050

Abbreviation

PANEL 2050

Lead partner

TARTU REGIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (Estonia)

Programme Horizon 2020

 

Partners

 

  1. AgEnDa (Czech Repoublic)
  2. Balkan Development Solutions BDS (FYR Macedonia)
  3. ConPlusUltra (Austria)
  4. IAERPA (Lithuania)
  5. Local Energy Agency Bucharest (Romania)
  6. Local Energy Agency Spodnje Podravje (Slovenia)
  7. Mazowiecka Agencja Energetyczna (Poland)
  8. University of Life Sciences (Estonia)
  9. University of Tartu (Estonia)
  10. Vidzeme Planning Region (Latvia)
  11. WWF Bulgaria (Bulgaria)
  12. WWF Hungary (Hungary)

 

Aim

The aim of PANEL 2050 project is to create durable and replicable sustainable energy networks at local (municipality/community) level, where relevant local stakeholders collaborate for the creation of a local energy visions, strategies and action plans for the transition towards low carbon communities in 2050.

Objectives

Objective 1: To identify and support local energy leaders who take the lead in the development and implementation of local action plans, promote the concept to other local (municipalities) and overseeing the long term sustainability of the local stakeholder networks.

Objective 2: To create local stakeholder networks that will develop a shared and broadly supported vision for low carbon communities in 2050.

Objective 3: To develop new broadly share local sustainable energy strategies.

Objective 4: To improve capacity of local stakeholder network and frontrunners

Objective 5: To strengthen and replicate the concept of local stakeholder networks by targeted communication towards other local communities, regional, national and EU public authorities.

Activities

Create Forerunner Training Programme: Design Training Curriculum, Create Guidebook, Train the Trainer Workshops, Conduct Local Advocacy Training, Conduct Forerunners Boot Camp, Conduct International Advocacy Workshops

Create Roadmaps 2050: Create Local/Regional Stakeholder Maps, Analyse Current Status of Local Energy Supply and Usage, Create common methodology for developing energy roadmaps, Consult Stakeholders and citizens, Create Local Energy Visions, Design local roadmaps for 2050, Design local action plans

Establish Central and Eastern European Sustainable Energy Network (CEESEN)

Disseminate and replicate project results.

Results

New policies and strategies created and adapted are to include sustainable energy issues at all governance levels –local/regional policy documents and strategies.

Developed Action Plans by organisations represented in the Regional Roadmap Teams.

More energy market stakeholders and individuals within these organisations with increased skills/capability/competencies on local energy policy development. 

Established CEESEN and online platform created to facilitates communication between the different members of the CEESEN

Budget

Total –   1 790 500 EUR

Vidzeme Planning Region – 131 500 EUR

Implementation period

01.03.2016. - 01.03.2019.

Contact person

Aija Rūse

Tel. +371 26400288

aija.ruse@vidzeme.lv