Policy News
Analysis and opinion pieces on EU and national policies that matter for the energy transition.
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“Fit for 55” package gives increased recognition to the local level but fails to deliver systemic change
Our analysis of the European Commission's proposals
On the 14th of July, the European Commission released a mammoth legislative package made up of 13 proposals in order to be “Fit for 55”. […]
Why and how fossil fuels in buildings will be history by 2050
Read our new policy paper for fossil-free districts and cities!
By 2050, fossil fuels in cities will hopefully be history. Renewable technologies that are already available, such as heat pumps and heat networks, will make […]
The rehabilitation of building stock will be public-private, or not at all
Guest article by Jordi Salvador Culí, Municipal Auditor of Olot City Council (Spain)
It is clear that building stock, especially housing, requires structural changes in terms of accessibility, safety, and eco-efficiency. In Europe, many of these buildings date […]
What role for local authorities in the Recovery and the Renovation Wave?
Energy Cities’ analysis and suggestions for the next steps
Local authorities are essential actors of the Renovation Wave, a proper inclusion of the local level in the “Renovate” components of the National Recovery and […]
Energy Cities endorses Cities Manifesto for Fossil-Free Heating and Cooling
New European initiative calls on EU & Member States to put cities in the driving seat of a fossil-free heat transition
In mid-July, the EU will issue key proposals to address heat decarbonisation – the so-called “Fit for 55” package. It is a critical moment, as […]
Higher efficiency + more renewables = lower emissions
Consultations on the European Commission’s Renewable and Efficiency Directives show the complexity behind a simple formula
The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) need to become more ambitious if the EU is to achieve its objective to […]
Energy Cities joins broad coalition calling on EU not to rely on hydrogen to decarbonise buildings
33 businesses, industry associations, NGOs, and think tanks joined forces to urge the European Commission to prioritise available efficient and sustainable solutions to decarbonise Europe’s […]
The EU’s Smart and Sustainable Mobility Strategy
Ambitious goals centered on cities
The EU has released its ‘Smart and Sustainable Mobility Strategy’ which sets out a number of goals for how people and goods will move around […]
5 years after the Paris Agreement: Mission (im)possible?
Learn about the latest developments in EU policy in Energy Cities' What's EUp? - December 2020
On the 12th of December 2015, the adoption of the Paris Agreement was hailed as a historic milestone in tackling the climate crisis. At the time, some world leaders even spoke of “having saved the world” from the catastrophic impacts of climate change. Now, 5 years later, where do we stand in achieving the aims of the Paris Agreement? Is there cause for optimism on the success of this mission, or are we dangerously falling short in delivering the action needed? In this last What’s EUp of a turbulent 2020 engulfed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Energy Cities draws a state of play on the occasion of the first major “anniversary” of the Paris Agreement.
Drinking from a firehose
The success of the EU’s Green Deal and national recovery plans hinge on cities – but they are not at the table
Look out your window and make a mental note of what you see: a road, footpath, parked cars, maybe a park, trees, a rubbish bin, […]
