CAESAR
Project information
PROJECT TITLE: CAESAR (CApacitating Energy efficiency in Small Alpine EnteRprises)
ACRONYM: CAESAR
Project content
The implementation of effective energy efficiency (EE) measures in enterprises is a key element to reach Europe's energy and climate targets 2030. Enterprises account for approximately 1/3 of Europe's energy consumption. Improving EE in enterprises therefore contributes significantly to the decarbonisation of the economy and the achievement of the climate goals, while at the same time increasing competitiveness and reducing costs. Large companies are already obliged to conduct energy audits (e.g. EN16247) to determine energy saving potentials. SMEs, and especially very small enterprises, are often put off by a lack of know-how or fears of excessive costs/concerns about the quality of the audits. CAESAR project aims at addressing the potential that lies herein. The consortium will establish and maintain a network of stakeholders with the purpose of rolling out EE policies in SMEs. It will set the basis for the successful qualification of stakeholders (policy makers, enterprises, energy agencies, auditors) in the regions to set up and accompany EE measures in enterprises. It will define the benchmarks for enterprises and create and distribute a low-barrier energy efficiency auditing tool designed for the needs of all regions of the Alpine Space and the requirements of small enterprises. “Energy tutors" will be trained and will gain the competences needed to help SMEs improving EE.
Key results
- Established EUSALPS network of key stakeholders for rolling out energy efficiency measures in SMEs
- Creation of energy efficiency auditing tool for assessing EE of SMEs and defining measures for improvement
- Setting-up transnational benchmarking model for energy efficiency of SMEs
- Training of energy tutors and awareness-raising among SMEs and intermediate bodies
Funding: The project is co-financed by the European Union (Alpine Region Preparatory Action Funds - ARPAF)
Project partners:
- Agency for Energy South Tyrol – CasaClima (IT, lead partner)
- ClusterAgentur BW (DE)
- Energy Management Agency of Friuli Venezia Giulia (IT)
- Energy Tirol (AT)
- E-institute (SI)
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Energy Environment (F – observer)
- Autonomous Province of Trento, Provincial Agency for Water Resources and Energy (IT – observer)
- Infrastrutture Lombarde SpA (IT – observer)
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This project is co-financed by the European Union |
ENES-CE
Project information
PROJECT TITLE: »Collaboration between public bodies and citizen energy groups in implementing local energy strategies in Central Europe”
ACRONYM: ENES-CE
PROJECT DURATION: 36 months (1. 4. 2019 – 31. 3. 2022)
Central European countries need support in the development of local and regional energy strategies and action plans, since they are lagging in their implementation and thereby threatening regional competitiveness. Local authorities face many challenges in implementing the plans including lack of financing, being understaffed and lacking local acceptance. This undermines the pledge that signatories made to support the EU action in reducing GHG emissions by 40% until 2030. Creating a functional Low Carbon Economy Plan (like SEAP/SECAP) requires tapping into the human and financial potential of citizens.
Project ENES-CE is addressing this challenge and beyond through improving the adoption and quality of energy plans with a bottom up quadruple helix approach, where citizens play a pivotal role.
The expected results are the following:
- Innovative energy strategies developed and implemented, through a revision of existing energy plans
- Citizens involved thanks to a bottom up approach in the process of energy strategies and planning development
- Managerial system improved in terms of human resources improvement
- A framework for developing citizen investments has been created, addressing legal, institutional and economic specificities
- Energy groups/energy cooperatives created and able to support the planning, implementing and also the financing of sustainable energy projects and based on the needs of the citizens in Central Europe and beyond
PROJECT PARTNERS:
- Comune di Forlì, Italy
- Međimurska energetska agencija d.o.o., Croatia
- Grad Prelog, Croatia
- E-zavod, zavod za projektno svetovanje, raziskovanje in razvoj celovitih rešitev, Slovena
- Mestna občina Koper, Slovenia
- Energiaklub Szakpolitikai Intézet és Módszertani Központ Egyesület, Hungary
- Budapest Föváros XIV. kerület Zugló Önkormányzata, Hungary
- City Pfaffenhofen Stadtwerke, Germany
- Bürger-Energie-Genossenschaft im Landkreis Pfaffenhofen a.d.Ilm e.G., Germany
- Województwo Lubelskie, Poland
Project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
LIFE 4 POLLINATORS
Project information
PROJECT TITLE: Involving people to protect wild bees and other pollinators in the Mediterranean
Acronym: LIFE 4 POLLINATORS
Project duration: 1.10.2019 - 30.9.2023
The aim of the project is to gain environmental benefits by improving pollinator conservation, by creating a virtuous circuit that leads to a progressive change in practices across the Mediterranean region. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, the project has set a number of more specific objectives that foster education and dissemination, the implementation of citizen science approaches, and improved environmental governance. The specific objectives of LIFE 4 POLLINATORS are:
- Raise citizens and stakeholders awareness on the decline of wild pollinators and the importance of pollination services for the functioning and health of ecosystems and agroecosystems.
- Promote attitudes and behaviours in favour of native wild pollinators.
- Enhance citizens’ participation in data collection and greening actions to increase their contribution to biodiversity knowledge and ecosystem conservation/restoration.
- Improve the general knowledge of 1) native Mediterranean wild pollinators and entomophilous plants; 2) their interactions, and 3) alien invasive species, by citizen science monitoring activities.
- Improve the use of greening infrastructures, promote free-pesticides agriculture and pollinator-friendly practices in rural and urban environments, involving farmers, farmers consultants and other stakeholders concerned in the management of urban green public spaces.
- Promote better environmental governance transferring data to concerned authorities and stimulating the development of pollinator strategies or action plans in the MS (= Member States) where they are missing (IT, GR, ES)
- Create a participatory and interactive database on wild pollinators, improving environmental information availability and sharing in the Mediterranean zone. This information regards the interactions between pollinators and plants, which represent highly informative data for practical conservation purposes.
- Improve biodiversity knowledge on the Mediterranean area: the information gathered will partially contribute to go beyond the gap of knowledge on pollinator diversity and status that characterises the Mediterranean area.
Partners:
- Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna
- Federazione Regionale Coldiretti Emilia Romagna
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA)
- State Agency Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
- E-Institute
- University of the Aegean – Research Unit
- University of Vigo
Project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
SEAVIEWS
Project information
PROJECT TITLE: SEctor Adaptive VIrtual Early Warning System for marine pollution
Acronym: SEAVIEWS
Project duration: 1.4.2020 - 30.9.2022
The SEAVIEWS project aims at promoting and enhancing the capacity of transnational collaborations tackling environmental vulnerability, fragmentation and the safeguarding of ecosystem services in the wider Adriatic area. The project will bring together stakeholders from 6 partner states; Greece, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Italy and Slovenia.
The first output of the project refers to the development of a transnational repository network that will receive, store and analyse data about the sea water quality from a network of smart sensors allocated in critical points. Individuals will also be able to post real time observations regarding marine pollution using an application. Big data analytics tools will be incorporated making this an innovative virtual early warning system for preventing and managing the marine pollution from various sources.
Within this network marine pollution hubs are proposed. These digital labs will be established and will be used as channels, so information, data analysis and research results will be circulated to the broader society. The ultimate goal of this output is to promote through the network the people’s understanding and sensitivity and therefore, engage them in the prevention of marine pollution.
The second output is targeting to the amendment of the macroregional action plan. Through the engagement of the national and regional authorities, the ultimate goal of the SEAVIEWS is to strengthen the marine environmental protection by implementing tools such as the big data for enhancing the marine environmental protection. In this context, an Industrial Committee will be established and evaluate and propose improvement actions by incorporating a dynamic decision policy process. Reaching its targets, SEAVIEWS could transform the Adriatic-Ionian Sea to the so called meta-national pioneer.
Partners:
- National Technical University of Athens
- National Interuniversity Consortium for Marine Sciences
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture
- Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs
- E-Institute
- University of Tirana
- Chambers Group for the Development of Greek Isles
Newsletter:
SEAVIEWS Newsletter No1 (946 Kb)
SEAVIEWS Newsletter No2 (1.2 Mb)
Project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
Attached documents
CAESAR 2
Project information
PROJECT TITLE: CAESAR 2 (ClimAte & Energy Solutions for small Alpine enterpRises)
ACRONYM: CAESAR 2
Project content
To maintain competitiveness and comply with decarbonization goals, enterprises must reduce their energy consumption. Especially SMEs, which in the Alpine region account for a significant part of the economy, have difficulties analyzing their potentials for increased energy efficiency (EE) and identify pathways towards net-zero. The project will showcase the benefits of carbon-footprinting (CCF) to SMEs, especially from the Agrofood sector, and engage them in a process of data analysis. Pilot enterprises will contribute to creating checklists, process lists and tools for assessing their emissions and energy situation and start improving it.
CAESAR 2 is upgrading the results of CAESAR project where solutions for introducing energy efficiency measures in small Alpine enterprises were developed through co-creation process with industry clusters from four Alpine countries. The CAESAR-approach will be expanded to move from the topic of energy efficiency to the higher level of carbon-footprinting energy audits, reach out to new sectors of the economy and test a methodology which is feasible for SMEs. This topic is currently high on the agenda in several Alpine regions and will be of high importance in the near future. SMEs will need to be prepared to respond to growing political and consumer/partner demands in this sense.
Specific objectives and results
- To identify available tools for performing Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) assessments and to adapt them to meet the needs and capacities of small enterprises
- To integrate the CCF approach with existing energy efficiency audit tools (integrated CCF&EE audit)
- To test the tool through pilot projects in partner countries with a focus on the agricultural sector
- To prepare easy-to-use guidelines for performing CCF&EE audits in small enterprises and disseminating the tool among industry clusters and enterprises.
Funding: The project is co-financed by the European Union (Alpine Region Preparatory Action Fund - ARPAF)
Project budget: 146.215,00 EUR
Project duration: 01.06.2022 – 30.11.2023
Project partners:
- Energy Agency South Tyrol – CasaClima (IT, lead partner)
- Salzburg University of Applied Sciences (AT)
- Energy Management Agency of Friuli Venezia Giulia (IT)
- E-institute (SI)
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This project is co-financed by the European Union |