Fossil-free districts & buildings

Ensuring our energy system’s stability through diversified local renewable energy sources, strong energy public services & improved energy efficiency & sufficiency.

what are the hubs ?

We, at Energy Cities, are driven by a desire to strengthen the role and skills of local governments. The hubs are the community spaces that help us achieving our target impacts and goals by:

  • activating local leaders to deliver living spaces that are accessible to everyone
  • empowering local communities to decide on their own future
  • inspiring a learning community of cities engaged in future proofing their economies

join the hubs !

Our members are diverse cities and local organisations.
Hubs membership is totally free!

There are no conditions to join other than the ambition and the commitment to share experiences.

Register here

Hub coordinator

Nicolas Raimondi
Nicolas Raimondi
EU Policy and Project Management

About the hub

Are you willing to reduce your municipality’s energy needs? Are you looking for ways to develop heat planning and use local heating and cooling sources efficiently while involving citizens and stakeholders? Are you developing support mechanisms to foster deep renovations and positive energy districts? Then the Fossil free districts and buildings Hub is for you!

Together, we will coordinate efforts to improve financial, technical, and human capacities for cities. We will explore local and national legislation as well as public actions to trigger the energy system’s decarbonisation, while putting in debate the questions of governance, energy public services and ownerships. Through this, we will support cities in choosing the best local energy mix and decarbonising their built environment.

Discover our learning offer!

Upcoming events All events

27 May

conference

Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, Ilica 49, Zagreb, Croatia

Boosting Residential Building Renovations: European Examples and the Croatian Market

On May 27, 2025, EBC, its Croatian member HOK (The Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts), and the LIFE CondoReno project are organising the workshop titled “Boosting Residential Building […]

28 May

workshop
Workshop: Transposing EU Regulation into National Transformation Strategies – Accelerating Renewable Heating and Sector Coupling

The transposition of EU legislation into national frameworks is a key step in advancing the decarbonisation of the heating sector. For this purpose, Member States […]

11 Jun

EUSEW 2025: Housing for resilient cities: empowering citizens for a clean energy transition

Session Co-Organised by the Covenant of Mayors – Europe Hybrid Session This session will explore policy tools and local best practices to ensure affordable, decarbonised […]

24 Jun

webinar
Join the discussion – How can we cool our cities?

Energy Cities is coordinating a new Community of Practice to discuss one important urban challenge: keeping our cities cool. With the climate crisis intensifying, demand […]

25 Jun - 26 Jun

workshop

Getafe, Spain

Scalable Cities Roadshow P2P Event in Getafe, Spain – How to scale Energy Communities: financing and innovation to guarantee the Right to Energy

This P2P will explore how community-led energy initiatives can support the right to energy, drive the energy transition, and be scaled up across cities. We’ll […]

27 Jun

webinar
Impact & trust: Co-designing energy communities with vulnerable households

How can local energy communities become credible and trusted players in fighting energy poverty? Pilot experiences from Belgium and Italy. Moderation: Marine Cornelis, Next Energy […]

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News
Local Transitions Learning Centre: Discover our rich learning offer!

Local Transitions Learning Centre: Discover our rich learning offer!

From urban regeneration to financing sustainable energy projects and much more - all the knowledge and tools you need to make your city futureproof

Finance & Divest
Renewables
Urban planning & Vision
Lifestyle & Behaviour
Decarbonisation
+
Local governance
Fossil-free cities
Community energy
Food systems
Fair economies

20/05/2025

Have you already explored our Local Transitions Learning Centre? A range of free courses awaits you, designed to help you effectively tackle pressing urban and […]
Interviews
“Chimneys will be for nostalgics and for Santa Claus”

“Chimneys will be for nostalgics and for Santa Claus”

Detox City Mechelen and their people-centered heat transition

Heating & Cooling
Urban planning & Vision
Local governance
Fossil-free cities

13/05/2025

Today we take you to Mechelen, a Belgian medium-sized town located right in between Brussels and Antwerp. Mechelen has already started its heat journey a while ago. The goal? To switch to a renewable heat supply for all its buildings by 2050. But what political strategies, resources and players does it take to make such a municipal heat shift happen? Ighor Van De Vyver may have some answers: Ighor belongs to the city's climate team.
Advocacy
Local Alliance puts forth concrete recommendations for an EU budget fit for future

Local Alliance puts forth concrete recommendations for an EU budget fit for future

The eight networks jointly published three papers calling for a better reform agenda, shared governance and a place-based approach to competitiveness

Participative governance
Quality of life
Decarbonisation
Decentralisation
Local energy
+
Local governance
Fossil-free cities
Community energy
Food systems
Fair economies

06/05/2025

In response to the public consultation on the future EU budget, the Local Alliance publishes concrete recommendations calling for a bold realignment of EU spending priorities.
Media
Clean heating is the answer to Europe’s gas dependency weak point

Clean heating is the answer to Europe’s gas dependency weak point

Energy efficiency & Buildings
Heating & Cooling
Fossil-free cities

23/04/2025

Rolling out strategic net-zero technologies like heat pumps and geothermal energy will help Europe cut its over-reliance on gas imports from overseas, argue Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, a member of the European Parliament, and Mohamed Ridouani, Mayor of Leuven.
Interviews
Fixing homes through an inspiring public-private partnership

Fixing homes through an inspiring public-private partnership

Oktave, a regional One-Stop Shop for home energy renovation

Energy efficiency & Buildings
Tools & Capacity building
Energy retrofitting
Local governance
Fossil-free cities

23/04/2025

Interview with one-stop-shop expert Gabriel Quentin, who is Partnership Manager at Oktave, a regional one-stop-shop for renovation in the East of France.

Projects All projects

SPARKLE

SPARKLE

Sustainable Planning And Resilience Knowledge Learning Environment
SPARKLE

SPARKLE – Sustainable Planning and Resilience Knowledge Learning Environment is a pioneering programme that will develop the capacities of over 600 Local and Regional Authorities […]

ESCALATE

ESCALATE

ESCALATE

The ESCALATE Project aims to speed up Europe’s shift to clean renewable energy by helping cities across the EU plan for more energy efficient heating and […]

EU Peers

EU Peers

Building the European community of practice for Integrated Home Renovation Services
EU Peers

Integrated Home Renovation Services (IHRS) offer holistic solutions for home renovations and are part of the enabling framework breaking barriers to renovation. The overall objective […]

ASCEND

ASCEND

ASCEND

Accelerating positive, clean energy districts (PCED) for cities’ transition towards climate neutrality and social justice across Europe The project’s overarching goals are to: make cities […]