COM-supporters and -coordinators in Flanders:

experiences and ideas

Alex Verhoeven, Senior staff Sustainability

VVSG - VVSG -

This presentation is about …

• COM-signatories in Flanders

• Flemish Network COM

• How can supporting structures help?

• To keep in mind

• Instruments that help municipalities

• Partners with extra potential

• Topical examples

• Monitoring?

2 -

VVSG - VVSG - 3 -

VVSG - VVSG - 4 -

VVSG - VVSG -

Flemish Network: what? why?

5 -

• What? Why?

• NET-COM project: 12 EU member states

• exchange of knowledge, experiences, requests

• aim at support everywhere for municipalities

• lobbying towards Flemish and national-Belgian and European

government

• Importance of Association of Municipalities

• credibility, continuity, impact, broad media-mix, representation all

municipalities, integrated vision covering all topics, ‘neutral’

VVSG - VVSG -

Flemish Network: strategy and vision

6 -

• long term impact, whole territory

• multilevel, multi-actor

• sound competition; complementarity, synergy

• relieve municipalities from technical COM-stuff

VVSG - VVSG -

Flemish Network: results

7 -

• exchange multi-lateral and bi-lateral, also newcomers

• provinces and intermunicipal cooperations active partners

• Coordinators ± cover territory

• help of Flemish administration

• data CO2-emissions + first help seap

• COM in Flemish Climate Plan

• big event Energyday, EPC-day

• still lacking: national (Flemish) political support

VVSG - VVSG -

Flemish Network: future

• continuing role of global view and exchange

+ lobbying towards central governments

• complementarity with and overview on other fora or

initiatives

• from data and plans to concrete action

• knowledge sharing from frontrunners to broader group

• broader sustainability and transition

8 -

VVSG - VVSG -

How can supporting structures help?

• inform

• partners & network: prospect, cooperate, facilitate

cooperation and exchange

• help with or initiate concrete actions and projects,

especially intermunicipal

• research (not scientific but) quality of solutions (f.i. car battery chargers, social target groups, building regulations, older

house owners)

• relieve municipalities from technical, administrative stuff

• individual advice (f.i. green procurement, sustainable building)

• ­detect needs

• ­lobby

• search funding or smart financial ideas

• translate into understandable language

9 -

VVSG - VVSG -

To keep in mind … ‘the why’

10 -

VVSG - VVSG -

To keep in mind … (1)

11 -

• the ‘why’ and the European spirit, don’t get (externally)

stuck in technical stuff

• join current initiatives that had nothing to do with the COM

or even energy policy (f.i. bike plan for home-to-work transport, funding for city development)

• look for synergy in people, in instruments, in actions (f.i. ‘coordinate’; ‘smart cities’; financial study consultancy + Fl.dept.; Flemish

biking platform; transition arena)

• peer to peer often works best, together with expert (f.i. green procurement learning networks)

• keep your eyes open for opportunities (f.i. heating net & city development Roeselare, Antwerp, Eeklo; legal

framework crowdfunding)

VVSG - VVSG -

To keep in mind … (2)

12 -

• ­align with regular municipal processes

• quick wins + long term projects

• take into account different speed (frontrunners <->

newcomers; big cities <-> small municipalities)

• step by step, trial and error

• central authorities have their job too (f.i. fiscal regime e-vehicles)

• time is our partner (growing concerns climate and energy)

VVSG - VVSG -

Instruments that help municipalities

13 -

• preferably central level

• CO2-data: ongoing engagement till 2020

• the tool, general infosession, specific training sessions, helpdesk-

forum, workshops in every municipality to dialogue with different

departments and politicians together

• probably also monitoring

• energy management systems for buildings

• quickscan renewable energy potential

• green procurement guidelines and product specifications

• thermografic map

• sustainability measuring systems for buildings and

boroughs (cf. breeam) (long preparation, broader sustainability)

VVSG - VVSG -

Partners with extra big potential

14 -

• energy network management companies

technical, financial, administrative aspects of

renovation = esco

But check whether service is cost-effective.

VVSG - VVSG -

Topical examples: financial aspects

15 -

• project running (Antwerp a.o.), outcome not clear yet

• sessions on EU-funding

• EPC-day (but …)

(esco?)

• pre-financing for social target groups (extra to Flemish

policy)

• specific policy towards landlords, via the syndic

• new business models

• lease instead of buy, f.i. new heating oil tank, ± guaranteed yield

• car battery chargers: subsidies & procurement? or permit-model?

• climate fund, if opportunities

• cooperative for natural gaz charger, for windmill …

• lobby to add energy aspects to non-energy-specific funds

VVSG - VVSG -

Other topical examples

16 -

• Companies

• provide energy audit for small & medium companies

• ‘smart cities’

• Participation

• several LAs: public consultation on future vision

• thematic groups with open agenda, with or without expert, and

start up budget

• Individual advice

• Help-& contact-point sustainable procurement

• Provincial help-& contact-points sustainable building

• Waste = energy

• transport via train or ship; heating net; green waste for biogaz

• sewage water

• Specific groups

• world of culture and art (‘green track’)

VVSG - VVSG -

How to monitor implementation?

17 -

• is being studied

• ‘keep it simple’? work with Excel-file bei?

• also task central authorities and knowledge centers

• different levels? (1) general data bei, (2) concrete actions

and their calculated reduction to motivate

For further info and contact: Alex Verhoeven,

alex.verhoeven(AT)vvsg.be

VVSG - VVSG -

19 -

VVSG - VVSG -

Remind Why!

• duurzamer, leefbaarder leefomgeving

• gezondheid: lucht (fijn stof …), lawaai

• betaalbaar wonen

• comfortabeler wonen

• nieuwe of vernieuwde en robuustere (lokale) economie

• energie-factuur verminderen en binnen regio houden +

terugverdien-effecten

• energie-onafhankelijkheid

• klimaatverandering temperen,

toekomst voor latere generaties

• Dus: veel win-win

VVSG - VVSG -

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

• xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

21 -