Vidzeme Planning Region (VPR) has brought a Latvian good practice into practical testing in Romania through the Interreg Europe project SPOTLOG. The CommitClimate Simulator, identified by VPR as a good practice with potential for transfer to other European regions, has been tested by the Constanta partners to support sustainable urban mobility planning and CO₂ emissions modelling.
During the pilot action, the simulator was applied to passenger and freight transport scenarios relevant to the Constanta Metropolitan Area. The scenarios included route optimisation and operational efficiency, transition to low- and zero-carbon fuels, modal shift towards public transport, fleet modernisation and an increased share of renewable energy. The tool allows different measures to be compared and their potential impact on CO₂ emissions to be modelled against target years such as 2030, 2045 and 2050.
According to the Constanta partners, the testing helped them better understand CO₂ emission sources in the metropolitan area and improve mobility planning in line with their environmental objectives. Participants in the practical testing confirmed the simulator’s potential to support SUMP implementation, CO₂ emissions assessment and future scenario modelling.
The CommitClimate Simulator was originally developed through the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project CommitClimate, coordinated by Riga Technical University with partners from Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Sweden. SPOTLOG has provided an opportunity to transfer this experience beyond the Baltic Sea Region, adapt the tool to the needs of the Constanta Metropolitan Area and test it in a different local context.
The Constanta pilot demonstrates the practical value of European territorial cooperation. An existing solution developed through one Interreg project has been transferred and tested in another European region through another Interreg project, avoiding the need to develop a new tool from scratch. At the same time, the experience gained in Romania can contribute to the further development and application of the simulator in other European regions.
Following the pilot, the Constanta partners have expressed interest in continuing cooperation with the Latvian partners after the SPOTLOG project and promoting the CommitClimate Simulator within Romania’s Smart Cities ecosystem as an example of good practice.
