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

Jana Cicmanova
Jana Cicmanova
Communication

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!

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Advocacy
Cities must plan how to heat themselves sustainably, but have little help to do it

Cities must plan how to heat themselves sustainably, but have little help to do it

Our tracker shows that most Member States are lagging behind in meaningfully transposing the EU obligation for local heating and cooling plans

Fossil-free cities

03/11/2026

More than a year after the transposition deadline, our updated EU Tracker shows who has a legal framework for local heating and cooling plans, and where municipalities still lack the means to deliver them.
News
Home renovation in Getafe, Spain: “The neighbourhood approach proved essential in reaching the heart of the residents.”

Home renovation in Getafe, Spain: “The neighbourhood approach proved essential in reaching the heart of the residents.”

Interview with Pablo Hayali, Healthy Homes Department Coordinator and Social Worker at Municipal Land and Housing Company in Getafe, Spain

Energy efficiency & Buildings
Energy retrofitting
Energy poverty
Housing
Logement
Fossil-free cities

02/11/2026

Getafe is a medium-size municipality of 189,000 inhabitants, located in the south of Madrid. Its Municipal Land and Housing Company (EMSV Getafe) has been working […]
News
Lund’s smart micro-grid: routing energy smartly for more local flexibility

Lund’s smart micro-grid: routing energy smartly for more local flexibility

Lund pilots an internet-style micro-grid for more local flexibility

Energy efficiency & Buildings
Renewables
Decarbonisation
Decentralisation
Local governance
Fossil-free cities
Community energy

29/10/2026

Lund is wants to treat the energy grid like the internet to reduce energy consumption, while providing local energy flexibility.
News
Mayors call on the EU to match local responsibilities with the means to act

Mayors call on the EU to match local responsibilities with the means to act

Takeaways from the EU Covenant of Mayors Ceremony 2026 and follow-up letter to the Commission

Local governance
Fossil-free cities
Community energy
Food systems
Fair economies

21/10/2026

At the 15 October Covenant of Mayors gathering and in a follow-up letter to the European Commission, mayors warn that growing climate risks and energy price shocks are widening the gap between their responsibilities to protect citizens and the resources, powers and influence they need to act.
News
Next Annual Forum will be in Athens in April 2027

Next Annual Forum will be in Athens in April 2027

Save the date!

Energy democracy
Housing
Climate adaptation
Local governance
Fossil-free cities
Community energy
Food systems
Fair economies

13/10/2026

Our next Annual Forum will take place in Athens, Greece, on 14–16 April 2027.

Projects All projects

MUSE DHC

MUSE DHC

coMmUnity-led actionS for Efficient District Heating & Cooling
MUSE DHC

The MUSE DHC project (coMmUnity-led actionS for Efficient District Heating & Cooling), funded by the LIFE programme, aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of Europe’s heating […]

Support Service for Citizen-led Renovation (CLR)

Support Service for Citizen-led Renovation (CLR)

Empowering Citizen-led renovation!
Support Service for Citizen-led Renovation (CLR)

Residential buildings remain among the most energy-intensive sectors, with space heating alone accounting for over 60% of household energy consumption in the European Union. Despite […]

EUREKA

EUREKA

European URban Exchanging Knowldge on climAte neutrality
EUREKA

Project context Cities take up 4% of the EU’s land area, but are home to 75% of the EU population and consume up to 80% […]

SPARKLE

SPARKLE

Sustainable Planning And Resilience Knowledge Learning Environment
SPARKLE

SPARKLE – Sustainable Planning and Resilience Knowledge Learning Environment is a pioneering programme that develops the capacities of over 600 Local and Regional Authorities (LRA), […]