Innovative financing for cities

The PROSPECT H2020 learning programme enables peer-to-peer learning in regional and local authorities in order to finance and implement their sustainable energy and climate action plans. The programme builds upon successful financing schemes implemented in cities and regions in the European Union.

It helps local and regional authorities to benefit from the lessons learnt and the experience of their peers in order to launch their own investment programme.

To complement their peer-learning initiative, the PROSPECT programme has released 5 thematic handbooks aimed at referencing and explaining innovative financing schemes for cities’ sustainable energy and climate plans.

This set of publications references funding methods from public institutions, the private sector but also from the civil society (e.g. crowdfunding). They include detailed features and processes to apply to, obtain or manage such funding opportunities.

The handbooks, even if originally designed to be used as resources for the peer-learning modules, can be useful even for cities or organizations that did not take part in the PROSPECT peer-learning modules. They are also filled with examples of good practices that are at the heart of their peer-learning programme.

Public Buildings Module: Innovative financins chemes to improve the energy performance of public buildings. This module covers buildings and facilities owned, managed, or controlled by public authorities. Facilities refer to energy consuming entities that are not buildings, such as wastewater treatment plants.

Private Buildings Module: Encourage energy efficiency in private buildings by using innovative financing schemes. This module covers buildings owned, managed, or controlled by private inidividuals or corporations. This refers primarily to the tertiary sector, such as private companies, banks, commercial and retails activites, hospotals, etc. and residentials buildings, including social housing.

Public Lighting Module: Light up your ideas to make the energy transition in public lighting using innovative financing schemes. This module covers the provision of public lighting, such as street lighting and traffic lights owned or operated by public authorities.

Transport Module: Develop sustainable transportation systems using innovative schemes. This module covers the provision of and management of mass transit systems by public authorities, as well as private transport.

Cross-Sectoral Module: From energy production to climate change adaptation, develop sustainable projects using innovative financing schemes. This module covers all those interventions falling under two or more thematic modules; climate change adaptation; local electricitty production e.g. wind power, hydroelectric power, photovoltaic; and local heat/cold production e.g. combined heat and power and district heating plant.

PROSPECT H2020 has already launched 3 calls for applications and more than a hundred cities, regions and energy agencies participate in the learning cycle. A fourth and final call for applications will open in May 2019.

For further information on PROSPECT, please visit www.h2020prospect.eu