Odense (DK) : Training craftsmen to accelerate the energy transition
About
It all started with the observation that encouraging owners to renovate their houses was quite a challenge.
What is the best way to provide incentives? How can the message be conveyed in a timely manner? Local craftsmen appeared to be the solution: they are in contact with consumers and have the attention of those seeking advice on how to save energy and improve the comfort of their homes.
The city of Odense therefore decided to join the Green Business Growth partnership, a partnership uniting municipalities, businesses and training centres, which has been in operation since 2009 (90% of the municipalities on Funen Island, of which Odense is the main city, are part of it).
http://www.groenerhvervsvaekst.dk
The partnership aims to improve local craftsmen’s training in energy consultancy (energy efficiency), marketing and business development. For municipalities, the important point is to improve craftsmen’s skills so that they can play a role as energy transition relays, whereas the private partners see the partnership as a way to win new contracts and benefit from cooperation opportunities.
In three years, the municipality of Odense trained 50 local craftsmen, who benefited from this training. Some doubled their turnover. These are plumbers, carpenters or electricians who have understood the advantages of communicating and operating in a network and recommend each other, thereby increasing their customer base.
| Training local craftsmen and creating a network of them through the Green Business Growth partnership has enabled the municipality of Odense to stimulate the green economy in its territory and to have an indirect impact on consumers. The concept of the Green Business Growth partnership is easily adaptable to various local contexts. |
More details on this partnership in the study The energy transition : new dialogues between cities & local stakeholders
| The energy transition: new dialogues between cities & local stakeholders – Exploratory study Energy Cities, with the support of ADEME, May 2016 68 p, PDF format ISBN : 978-2-9528748-5-4An exploratory study for cities and diverse project leaders desiring to start a sustainable energy transition in collaboration with all stakeholders in their territory. Energy Cities selected more than ten European energy transition initiatives, as diverse as they are innovative, anticipating new forms of governance and new ways to act and collaborate. The exploratory study does not only describe their process but it also analyses the synergies between the different stakeholders and the role the municipality plays in these initiatives. It identifies the key factors of their success and replication. Download: PDF – 1.7 Mb |
© photo : By Andrewlister via Wikimedia Commons
