The initiative brochure from EU CONCERTO focuses on saving energy in cities and facilities and discuses about successful approaches that have been undertaken in communities and cities across Europe.
In order to achieve the climate targets and energy standards set by the European Union in its EU 2020 strategy, it is important that communities and facilities try to sustain energy efficiency, utilize renewable energies and try to help in minimizing CO2 emissions. The EU has planned to reduce CO2 emissions by 20%, enhance renewable energy share to 20% and improve energy savings by 20%.
The 68 page booklet “CONCERTO – A Cities’ Guide to a Sustainable Built Environment” discusses in detail how individual communities and cities are working on the project CONCERTO that began in 2005. The brochure presents instances of funding, planning, participation, measurement instruments and public relations by several communities. The examples prove how to ensure that urban buildings adopt energy-saving approaches and perform high on energy-efficiency. All the undertaken projects have the common objective iof minimizing CO2 emissions and also enhancing quality of life in cities. Different cities are undertaking different approaches based on resource availability and political situations. The examples quoted also show how it is possible to include citizens and political decision makers in the planning phase.
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum (SEZ) will evaluate demonstration projects, monitor technological data, conduct knowledge transfer and hold an information campaign for the next two years. The project analysis and the data obtained will help in upcoming development projects especially for future programs of the EU’s Smart Cities and Communities Initiative. Major policy makers in European communities and cities are highly supportive in their attempts to form the needed framework to ensure that the energy policy goals are met.