Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on The contribution of local and regional authorities to combating climate change
Date: 2005-11-17
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: climate change, energy policy, energy saving, environmental policy, local authority, soft energy

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Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on The contribution of local and regional authorities to
combating climate change

(2006/C 115/20)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to the request from the UK Presidency of the European Union of 30 June 2005 to draw up
an opinion on The Contribution of Local and Regional Authorities to Combating Climate Change, under Article
265(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

Having regard to its President's decision of 25 July 2005 to instruct its Commission for Sustainable Devel-
opment to draw up the opinion on this subject;

Having regard to the conclusions of the Council of 22 and 23 March 2005, and of the Environment
Council of 7 March 2005;

Having regard to its opinion of 21 September 2000 on the Green Paper on Greenhouse-gas emissions
trading within the European Union and the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the
European Parliament on EU policies and measures to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: Towards a European
Climate Change Programme (ECCP), COM(2000) 87 final and COM(2000) 88 final — (CdR 189/2000 fin (1));

Having regard to the draft opinion (CdR 65/2005 rev. 1) adopted on 28 June 2005 by its Commission
for Sustainable Development on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European
Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Winning the
Battle Against Global Climate Change (COM(2005) 35 final);

Having regard to its draft opinion (CdR 215/2005 rev. 1) adopted on 6 October 2005 by its Commission
for Sustainable Development (rapporteur: Cllr. Ken Bodfish, Leader of Brighton and Hove Council (UK/
PES));

Whereas:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

the climate is changing. Scientists universally recognise that by 2100 we can expect global tempera-
ture increases of 1.4 to 5.8oC;

the EU Council of Ministers stated in 1996 that it ‘believes that global average temperatures should
not exceed two degrees above pre-industrial levels’;

the effects of climate change will be felt across the globe and at the local level above all, through
impacts such as reduced crop production; floods; forest fires; soil damage and erosion; restrictions
on water use; damage to road and rail infrastructure; biodiversity loss; interrupted power supply;
island (2) and air quality
reduced fossil
problems;

fuel reserves; structural damage and subsidence; heat

extreme weather conditions such as flooding already have a significant impact on the European
economy, and could prove catastrophic with further predicted climate change;

it is recognised that prevention of climate change does achieve results, but a combination of mitiga-
tion and adaptation to the already emerging effects of climate change will also be needed;

local and regional authorities play a major role in monitoring and assessing climate change and
informing local and regional communities of potential impacts, as well as developing strategies to
mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change and promoting sustainable energy use;

unanimously adopted the following opinion at
17 November 2005 (meeting of 17 November):

its 62nd plenary session, held on 16 and

(1) OJ C 22, 24.1.2001, p. 30
(2) On warm days the air in urban areas can be up to around 4oC higher than surrounding areas. In cities the combina-
tion of extensive urban and suburban landscapes combined with little wind and little cloud cover leads to ‘heat
island’ effects.

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1. Views of the Committee of the Regions

c) Use renewable energy

d) Any continuing use of fossil fuels to be clean and efficient;

The Committee of the Regions

Introduction

1.1 welcomes the leadership demonstrated so far by the
European Commission and Council of Ministers on climate
change and urges this commitment to continue within the
forthcoming post-2012 climate change policy and beyond;

appreciates the commitment shown by the Council of
1.2
Ministers in March 2005 by agreeing to further emissions
reductions targets, and urges the EU to strengthen its focus on
the global response to climate change to ensure that
this
commitment is matched elsewhere;

1.3
emphasises that local and regional authorities have a
pivotal and indispensable role in climate security. Local and
regional government is where responsibility to promote the
well-being of an area, delivery of key services, influence over
how people live and work, enforcement powers, practical
know-how and democratic legitimacy, all come together. Local
and regional government can contribute to a stable climate by
using sustainable energy in a way no other single organisation
can match;

1.4
considers that there should be greater universal recog-
nition of the comprehensive role that local and regional autho-
rities can play in combating climate change. As such they
should be adequately resourced to do so;

highlights that those most adversely affected by climate
1.5
change are often the poorest, both in the EU and externally,
and their ability to adapt to the effects of climate change is
often limited. Tackling climate change must include a greater
focus on tackling fuel poverty and energy efficiency improve-
ments, and enabling communities to be more resilient in the
face of anticipated future impacts;

believes that the energy hierarchy must be at the heart

1.6
of all policies:

a) Reduce the need for energy

b) Use energy more efficiently

1.7
notes that there are often many benefits to be realised
regionally and locally from tackling climate change, including
regional
improvements
economy.

competitiveness of

the

the

for

2. Climate change as an opportunity, not simply a threat

2.1
stresses that climate change poses a direct security
threat to Europe, through the increasing fragility of the security
supply as fossil fuels dwindle, and negative impacts caused by
changing weather patterns. Europe as a whole will face rising
insurance costs, and in many cases property will become unin-
surable;

2.2
the
suggests that climate change presents one of
greatest threats to our way of life, but also presents major
opportunities to build a more sustainable, inclusive and compe-
titive future;

considers that the experiences of local and regional
2.3
government have a great deal to contribute to the future EU
climate change policy. To this end, a series of short case studies
are highlighted below considering some of the key themes for
action on climate change and highlighting recommendations
for the future.

3. Examples of local and regional action (3)

3.1 Promoting excellence and exchange of good practice

Partnerships to promote expertise can strengthen and coordi-
nate delivery of local and regional climate change strategies as
well as disseminate knowledge and exchange good practice.
The experience of local and regional authority partnership has
demonstrated significant results and should inform European
and national policies.

(3) The following examples have been gathered through direct knowl-
edge and local government networks across the EU. Many examples
are from the UK, as a result of national climate change projects by
the respective national local government associations in the UK. The
rapporteur
there are many further examples
throughout the EU and welcomes a stronger focus on promoting
exchange internationally supported by the EU.

recognises

that

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The Climate Star Awards,
founded by Climate Alliance,
awards exemplary activities in tackling climate change and
documents the experiences gained and successes achieved
across Europe. As well as rewarding excellence it promotes
exchange between local and regional authorities. National
schemes such as the Beacon Council Scheme on sustainable
energy (England and Wales) also focus on exchange and
communicating challenges faced at the local level.

3.2 Promoting renewable energy

The threats to climate security mean that we will increasingly
need to look to generate energy locally. Locally generated
energy is often more efficient as it is transmitted over shorter
distances. Local and regional government holds the key to the
development of more renewable energy capacity. Through its
role in planning and procurement, it is a major steward of local
energy capacity and consumption. Development of local renew-
able energy is also vital to building a local skills and technology
base. However, the commitment being shown at the local level
is not matched by high-level commitment within the EU. This
must be changed if we are to establish the skills and technology
for a competitive low carbon future.

The City of Malmö (Sweden),
through the International
Council for Local Environmental Initiatives' Cities for Climate
Protection programme, has built a new urban district with
1000 dwellings, which is supplied with 100 % renewable
energy. The energy supply is based on local resources of sun,
wind and water together with energy from refuse and sewage
from the district. The dwellings are fitted with individual elec-
tricity metering to ensure that the City can identify energy
usage patterns and plan for renewable capacity accordingly.

3.3 Measuring, and decreasing, the carbon footprint locally

Local and regional authorities can play a major role in assessing
and guiding the use of energy and the carbon footprint of their
local community, including domestic and commercial energy
use. To achieve this, more emphasis must be placed on devel-
oping tools to assess carbon impacts and increasing access to
verifiable data on energy consumption.

The Europe-wide DISPLAY campaign helps local authorities
and their municipal buildings calculate their energy usage
through specialised software. It also encourages them to display

energy consumption data in a user friendly way in public build-
ings to help promote energy efficiency awareness.

3.4 Tackling climate change — a full range of social, environmental

and economic benefits

Adapting to low-energy consumption and production patterns
will offer a higher quality of life for local citizens by reducing
their exposure to risk,
improving the safety on streets by
promoting more sustainable mobility, and developing more
comfortable homes irrespective of weather conditions. All of
these improvements will be delivered through local and
regional government working to promote local action and
establishing more localised markets and improved resource
management in the community.

Brighton and Hove Council (England) has established an
Energy Action Partnership that focuses on delivering a more
comfortable home environment to those most at risk, including
the elderly and those in smaller dwellings, as well as people
recently discharged from hospital. By 2005, just two years into
the Partnership, it has improved the home environment of 361
private sector households and realised annual savings of 128
tonnes of CO2. The streamlined grant administration proce-
dures and careful construction of the Partnership tendering
have helped the Partnership to deliver significant benefits to the
community within a short period.

Working with the Scottish local authority of Midlothian, the
City of Heerlen (The Netherlands) is developing a district
heating system that uses hot water from abandoned coal mines
to heat local buildings. This technology is combined with a
massive growth in the use of solar power, including in muni-
cipal buildings to ensure a wide spread of
innovation and
awareness of renewable energy across the city and into the
neighbouring communities in Germany.

3.5 Promoting local action on a range of policies

Existing buildings, settlements, livelihoods and lifestyles need to
be adapted to ensure that we can cope with unpredictable,
varied and potentially extreme weather. Simplicity, robustness
and short supply lines will assist communities to achieve this.
Resilience to climate change can be improved by making sure
that basic needs such as food, warmth,
light, and amenities
such as shopping are met as locally as possible.

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Bristol City Council (England) is working on a Food for Life
pilot scheme in 20 of the area's schools — buying unprocessed,
fresh, seasonal healthy food for school dinners — the Council
is working in partnership with the Primary Healthcare Trust
and the Soil Association.

3.6 Promoting job growth

Climate change and sustainable energy strategies present an
opportunity to address the fundamental problems threatening
our communities, and develop a strong expertise and skills base
for the future. Partnerships between the local community, local
and regional government, the education and healthcare sector
and, importantly, private companies will result in a stronger
sense of common purpose and a strong ‘invest
to save’
approach.

Newark and Sherwood District Council
(England) has
almost eliminated fuel poverty among residents in public sector
housing. In 1984, just 6 % of dwellings were capable of deli-
vering affordable warmth — now, 98.4 % do as a result of
investment in energy efficiency. The improvement programmes
have created 30 jobs locally each year for 18 years. The overall
spend for 7,500 properties will have been approximately
EUR 24 million (£16 million) for the period 1988-2008. As
well as creating jobs, Newark has witnessed an improved
performance in schools and fewer mental health problems. The
Council has found that the associated benefits paid for them-
selves within four years.

3.7 Improving the health and well-being of the local community

Fuel poverty affects many households in Europe and poses a
significant health threat. Similarly, excessive heat
in recent
summers has already resulted in higher than average deaths
from heat exhaustion. Local and regional authorities can work
with their housing stock, and through building and planning
regulations and more efficient heating and other appliances, to
ensure that homes will be more comfortable and less suscep-
tible to external weather conditions, whilst ensuring that the
overall carbon footprint is reduced through better ventilation
and improved energy efficiency.

(England),

implemented

Carrick District Council
together with tenant
associations and other members of the Beacon Community
Regeneration Partnership,
efficiency
improvements in the Beacon Housing Estate in Falmouth, once
one of the most deprived areas in Cornwall. In terms of results:
energy efficiency improvements have been made to 900 homes;
central heating and insulation measures have been installed in
300 properties in the first year, and a total of EUR 274 000
(£186 000) was saved on fuel bills. The Regeneration Partner-
ship believes a range of other changes can also be attributed to

energy

the local school

the housing improvements: there have been health improve-
ments among residents, including a 50 % drop in the numbers
suffering from asthma;
reports a 100 %
improvement in the standard school examination results of
boys; the crime rate has dropped dramatically,
including a
reduction in domestic violence incidents and the number of
children on the ‘Children at Risk’ Register; vandalism is at an
all-time low; there is increased employment; more people are
wanting to move to the estate; and there is a remarkable
upswing in community spirit.

The population of Lewenborg (The Netherlands) has suffered
with health complaints as a result of moisture in their homes,
problems with heating, and draughts. The city of Groningen is
coordinating a project with the Province of Groningen, a
federal agency, consultants and a large bank to undertake
energy audits of the homes and provide low-cost mortgages to
homeowners to help them improve the climate in their homes
at no additional cost. The result has been improved health and
lower energy bills.

3.8 Changing behaviour patterns

Local and regional authorities must work together with the
private sector and other areas of the public sector to establish
partnerships that lead to a low energy vision. This exercise has
already been undertaken in England and Wales where the
national Local Government Association has developed a vision
of ‘Anytown’ 2025 where it would be possible to develop a
more sustainable community using technology that already
exists. This sustainable future uses electric vehicles, more green
space, combined heat and power generation and a street layout
that discourages the use of cars, without having to develop any
new technology. This type of vision should become a feature of
policies such as the future Thematic Strategy on Urban Envir-
onment in order to help local and regional authorities take
them to a more sustainable future using
decisions to get
existing technology and know-how.

The Mayor of London introduced Europe's first daily conges-
tion charge in February 2002. The scheme has successfully
reduced traffic congestion by 30 % and CO2 emissions within
the charging zone are now 20 % lower than 2002 levels. With
fewer cars on the roads,
journey speeds of public transport
have increased and more and more Londoners are now
choosing to cycle to work. The extra revenue created has
helped to improve public transport in London. Other initiatives
of the Mayor of London designed to tackle climate change
include the launch of the new London Climate Change Agency.
In partnership with private sector firms, the Agency will deliver
low and zero-carbon energy projects across London using the

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very cleanest technologies and provide new economic develop-
ment opportunities. The Mayor is also planning to introduce a
Low Emission Zone, banning the most polluting lorries,
coaches, buses and taxis from the streets of greater London by
2008.

In Italy, more than 350 local and provincial authorities have
adopted and applied Local Agendas 21, and in 1999 they set
up an association to extend and disseminate the approach and
the results of implementing local integrated plans. Working on
the basis of a set of indicators, each town or city has drawn up
a strategy for
reducing CO2 emissions by cutting energy
consumption and raising the awareness of various categories
and target groups of citizens, including schools, promoting a
shared environmental culture and carrying out schemes and
information campaigns targeted at the short, medium and long
term.

ances, generating heat and power together, and insulating
buildings to retain heat.

In 1990, Leicester City Council (England) set an objective to
reduce consumption of energy and CO2 emissions by 50 % by
the year 2025. A central focus has been monitoring the energy
used in the city through intelligent metering that feeds data
back into the Council every 30 minutes from around the City.
The Council has also established an Energy Centre providing a
comprehensive energy service to all parts of the community,
including the sale of efficient and renewable energy appliances.
The Energy Centre has pioneered the development of
low
carbon technologies by promoting these technologies and
acting as a liaison between customers and contractors. This has
involved the training of local tradespeople in the installation of
low carbon technologies.

3.9 Energy services, rather than energy itself

Society must be encouraged to recognise that people do not
want to consume energy itself, but want the services or benefits
that energy can provide, such as warmth and lighting and
private transport. Some of these benefits associated with energy
can be established without energy itself by designing buildings
to be warmed by the sun and allowing people to access the
services they need without using cars.

The principle of ‘contract energy management’ should be more
widely rolled out across the EU to ensure that all communities
can access the energy savings that Energy Savings Companies
(ESCO) can bring. Clients benefit from ESCO's provision of
energy by having a modernised energy system without needing
to invest in or manage them. ESCOs act not simply as energy
providers but also to provide energy services such as energy
efficiency measures. Local authorities play an indispensable role
as trusted intermediaries for energy projects through arranging
for the installation of energy efficient appliances and providing
grants
in municipal
housing. Local authorities are ideally placed to extend the
potential for energy savings by establishing ESCOs, or encoura-
ging energy companies to become ESCOs themselves by instal-
ling packages of measures for householders and recoup the
costs for energy savings. It is vital that the local or regional
authority is involved to ensure that all aspects of the domestic
and business market can access energy savings.

energy efficiency improvements

for

3.10 Using energy more efficiently

The EU must focus on getting more benefit per unit of the
energy we do consume, such as using higher-efficiency appli-

3.11 Procuring renewable energy wherever possible

Local and regional authorities are responsible for 16 % of all
GDP in Europe. Many authorities now specify some form of
renewable energy for some or all of their consumption, and
make it a criterion for the construction of new dwellings.

The London Borough of Lewisham has adopted a green
energy procurement policy since 1999. By November 2000,
100 % renewable electricity was procured, and it became the
third largest purchaser of green energy in Western Europe. The
lack of stability in the supply of green electricity meant that
when the second tender process was established in 2004, only
80 % of its electricity was renewable. Lewisham's aim was to
assist in the creation of a market for renewable electricity and
many local authorities and public sector bodies are now
following suit.

3.12 Mainstreaming climate change and ‘climate-proofing’

EU, national, regional and local policies should be ‘climate-
proofed’ to ensure they are consistent with the threat of climate
security. This could be achieved through the use of Regulatory
Impact Assessments, but also by applying pressure on national
governments to consider developing fiscal incentives towards
more sustainable patterns of energy usage.

Middlesborough Borough Council (England) has developed
an assessment procedure to identify the impacts of climate
change across a range of the Council's services. A climate
change impact assessment module was developed in coopera-
tion with an NGO and has allowed all services within the
Council to assess the potential
impact of changing weather
patterns on the services they deliver. As a result, from the 16
service areas that have now undertaken the assessment, there

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have been changes to service provision including:
increased
resources to highways services in the event of floods; shading
to be installed around municipal buildings to avoid overheating
and excessive glare; and the re-grading of bituminous road
surfacing to factor in additional heat loads likely to be experi-
enced in the next 20 years.

3.13 Community engagement through climate change

The scale of the climate security challenge means that adapta-
tion and mitigation of climate change will only have a real
impact if it is tackled by all aspects of society, from local and
regional government, to consumers and businesses. It will also
require a full package of measures to ensure that we can make
the most of the improved quality of life that tackling climate
change can comprehensively deliver. Many of
the climate
change solutions that have been highlighted here will only
work as part of an integrated package of measures. For
instance, a large reduction in private car use would only be
acceptable to most people if there were high quality local
amenities and good, sustainable public transport. The impact of
less private car use would lead to reduced traffic and the freer
movement of goods and services, improving the flow of public
transport, as experienced in the congestion charging zone in
Central London. This in turn makes other forms of sustainable
mobility, such as cycling, more attractive. To achieve such a
‘virtuous circle’ of improvement, all aspects of the community
must be engaged.

The London Borough of Islington has developed a scheme of
‘Energy Ambassadors’ who are trained in energy efficiency and
community engagement. They undertake visits with local resi-
dents, SMEs and schools, to highlight the Borough's energy
usage and methods to reduce energy usage through the provi-
sion of energy health checks for buildings.

make this role overt within policy documents such as the
future White Paper on Energy Efficiency;

4.3
asks that the EU commits to the further 60-80 % emis-
sions reductions targets by 2050 agreed at the March 2005
European Council as a minimum, and ensure that this same
level of ambition is reflected in international fora including the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;

4.4 welcomes the emphasis on climate change within the
current Presidency of the EU and the G8, and calls on the
future Presidencies of the EU to continue this focus;

4.5
encourages the Commission and national governments
to ‘climate proof’ their own policies and those of the World
Trade Organisation and international financial institutions such
as the World Bank;

calls on the Commission to undertake efforts to remove
4.6
the most
inefficient energy using products by raising the
minimum permissible energy efficiency levels of appliances by
10 per cent or 20 per cent every few years in all categories
where there is a significant difference in energy consumption
between the best and worst;

4.7
asks the Commission to recognise that the significant
growth in the provision of new dwellings that will be required
to meet rising populations, especially in urban areas, provides a
major opportunity to establish mandatory standards of energy
efficiency in buildings much higher than the 2002 Energy
Performance in Buildings Directive. This opportunity should
not be missed. Buildings standards should also focus more on
promoting the use of natural shade and ventilation to reduce
the reliance on climate control;

4. The Committee of the Regions' recommendations

supports the integration of climate change into water

4.8
resource plans and management;

The Committee of the Regions

4.1
calls on the Commission to recognise that climate
change must be tackled through a portfolio approach, through
cooperation between all spheres of government, in partnership
with the private sector, healthcare, community and education
groups, and with energy efficiency organisations;

4.2
calls on the Commission to recognise the unique role of
local and regional government and to provide adequate
resources for demonstration and dissemination projects and to

asks the Commission to work closely with the private
4.9
sector to develop new forms of insurance that recognise and
respond to climate change;

real-time

4.10
asks the Commission to ensure that local and regional
authorities have greater and more uniform access to locally-
meaningful
contemporary
validity to the lowest postcode/zipcode level whilst protecting
the privacy of individual users. Without this information it is
impossible for local and regional authorities to fully guide the
move towards a low-carbon economy;

consumption data of

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4.11
calls for the Commission to consider the contribution
of local climate change strategies and actions to the Lisbon
Strategy goals of jobs, growth and competitiveness, and estab-
lish stronger links between the Lisbon policy agenda and
climate change policies;

4.15
calls on the Commission to promote strong links
between the forthcoming Thematic Strategy on the Urban
Environment and the Thematic Strategy on Air Quality to
ensure a strong commitment to tackling climate change across
all policy areas;

4.16
calls on the Council of Ministers to commit to higher
and more long-term renewable energy targets to enable local
decision-makers to drive forward local renewable energy capa-
city;

calls on the Commission to commit to working with
4.17
local and regional authorities and their European networks to
develop a strong vision for a low carbon future for different
types of municipalities and geographies making the best use of
existing technology and developing the necessary skills base to
realise a truly low carbon future. This must be facilitated by the
Commission through a stronger focus on exchange of practice
from the local and regional level.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB

calls on the Commission and national governments to
4.12
establish a single communication campaign,
in cooperation
with local and regional authorities, to identify and communi-
cate the urgency of the situation of climate change and the
need for immediate action;

4.13
appeals to the Commission to build on existing work
undertaken at the local and regional level about the gender and
social inequalities of the impacts of climate change to ensure
that women do not suffer the impacts of climate change dispro-
portionately (4);

4.14
policy funding for
change);

supports the proposal

sustainable development

to use mainstream regional
(and climate

Brussels, 17 November 2005.

(4) According to recent

research undertaken by Climate Alliance,

www.klimabuendnis.org.