Case studies, District heating, Municipal buildings and facilities, Others, RES, Residential buildings, Street lighting, Transport
Cities in the EU Green Deal. Opportunities and Responsibilities.
This publication outlines new opportunities and obligations for local governments within the Green Deal, highlighting the crucial part they must play.
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The European Commission has created the European Green Deal as its strategy to achieve EU climate neutrality by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. The EU Climate Law forms a cornerstone of this plan, setting an interim target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. This sweeping initiative requires organisations to revise current laws and introduce new directives across energy, climate, environment, mobility, nature, buildings, agriculture, and industry sectors.
Local authorities serve a pivotal function across these sectors through their responsibilities, leadership, and geographic reach.
In the energy sector, directives such as the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Renewable Energy Directive require cities to boost energy efficiency and incorporate renewable energy sources. These include requirements for public buildings to cut energy consumption and opportunities to build infrastructure that renewable energy powers, heats, and cools.
The social climate fund supports cities financially to ease the social impact of climate policies. It enables investment in energy-efficient housing and sustainable transport systems that benefit all residents, particularly the most vulnerable.
The EU aims to pass much of the Green Deal legislation, especially in the energy sector, before the European elections in June 2024. However, some areas, including mobility and air quality, might experience delays. Member states must transpose the directives into national legislation within two years before beginning implementation. European legislative texts always grant member states some flexibility, allowing exceptions and various interpretations. Therefore, monitoring how each member state translates the Green Deal will prove essential.