ACTION PLANS

for the Region of Borsod-

Abaúj-Zemplén and

Heves counties

English version

prepared by

WWF Hungary

PANEL 2050 – Partnership for New Energy Leadership 2050

Deliverable 3.7

Date: October 2018

Table of Content

Action Plan: Energy adviser office for every district .................................................................. 3

1 Objective ................................................................................................................................. 3

1.1 Objective scope and targets values ........................................................................... 3

1.2 Target indicators ............................................................................................................. 4

2 Implementation strategy ....................................................................................................... 4

2.1 Step by step description ................................................................................................ 4

2.2 Time schedule ................................................................................................................. 5

2.3 Budget and resources needed .................................................................................... 5

3 Collaboration with stakeholders ........................................................................................... 6

4 Monitoring Strategy ................................................................................................................ 7

5 Risk management .................................................................................................................. 8

Contact ........................................................................................................................................... 8

Priority area:

Decentralized renewable energy production

Action Plan: Eco villages for guidance

1 Objective

By 2050 at least 75 ecovillages will exist in the region.

1.1 Objective scope and targets values

According to Robert Gilman, ecovillages are human-scale full-featured settlements in

which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is

supportive of healthy human development, and can be successfully continued into the

indefinite future1.

In terms of energy management, buildings in ecovillages meet or are close to the passive

house standard, while the used materials have environmentally low impact. The energy

needs are covered by renewable energy in the buildings. The mobility needs are

covered by transport mode with low carbon footprint: bicycle, public transport or shared

electric car. Besides of energy needs, other activities also apply close-to-nature solutions,

which also lower the carbon footprint of the community, e.g. locally grown organic food.

Ecovillage can be either traditional, when existing rural villages and communities decide

to design their own pathway into the future, using participatory processes to combine

life-sustaining traditional wisdom and positive new innovation, or either intentional, which

created by people who come together afresh with a shared purpose or vision.

Some ecovillages are existing in Hungary, in Visnyeszéplak, Gyűrűfű, Galgahévíz, one also

in the region, in Gömörszőlős. All of them are intentional with only few families, and

focusing more on the organic agriculture, rather than the energy independency.

The aim of the action plan is that by 2050 at least 75 ecovillages will exist in the region.

These villages can serve as a knowledge center of climate smart solutions, where energy

is used in efficient way, the energy consumption supplied by local renewable energy

sources, and the mobility and nutritional needs covered by low-carbon solutions,

preferably with growing carbon pools. This action plan is the most complex one,

therefore its implementation closely connects to the following action plans:

Heating supply of public building with local bioenergy

Green district heating against air pollution

1 Gilman, Robert (Summer, 1991). "The Eco-village Challenge".

Climate-aware Decision Makers Program

Climate Change Education and Awareness in primary education

Public Transport goes green

Share your car

1.2 Target indicators

Objective Target indicator Method of measurement

and validation

By 2030 10, by 2040 30, by

2050 75 ecovillages will exist

in the.

number of ecovillages Memorandum of

association of ecovillages

2 Implementation strategy

2.1 Step by step description

To reach the targeted objective, the following work packages were identified.

WP1 General management. The county councils are those organizations that are able to

oversee the local governments. Their existing roles and connections enable them to be

the main responsible for the action plan. Their general role is to engage the municipalities

and convince them to join the initiative as soon as possible. Besides that, they are

responsible for overall project manager and ensure that the other work packages will be

implemented in the planned way. General management is necessary until the targets

are not reached.

WP2 What makes an ecovillage? – handbook and workshops for the planning phase.

Creating ecovillage requires extensive knowledge, in different topics, e.g. energy

management, agriculture, wastewater treatment, water management, etc.. A

comprehensive handbook which includes all the required knowledge in the frame of

national circumstances and dedicated workshops could guide the inhabitants creating

their own ecovillage. The development of this handbook and the implementation of the

training programs needs broad cooperation among multiple research institutes, NGOs

and existing ecovillage communities. The handbook should be prepared in the first year

of the action, before any physical implementation. Workshop needs to be done in the

first few (2-3 years).

WP3 Mentoring scheme. The root of the ecovillage movement is from the 1970s, which

means that in some areas four-five decades experience could help new ecovillage

communities. In the frame of this work package the county councils with the help of the

above mentioned ecovillages would invite the actors of good regional examples to a

platform, which can be served as a mentoring scheme at the first 20 years of the action

plans, until the new local ecovillages can take the role on this and can help the other

ecovillage communities. This should be prepared in the first year of the action, before

any physical implementation.

WP4 Creating the ecovillages. Forerunners After the supporting system has been

developed with the preparation of the handbook and workshop and the mentoring

scheme, at first county councils have to launch the call and engage municipalities to the

action. Then municipalities have to take the role and support individuals in community

building. It is assumed that mainly intentional ecovillages will be established. Therefore for

municipalities with highly decreasing population in the frame of this action can have the

chance to engage individuals from urban areas to move to the village and be active

part of the ecovillage community. They also have to create the required infrastructure. It

is also important that the most active individuals have to take a forerunner role and be

the facilitator of the improvement of the local ecovillage.

WP5 Marketing and dissemination. Without additional activities the risk is high that there

will be no interest from the municipalities and from the individuals to join the activity.

Therefore the county councils and the municipalities have to develop marketing

campaign which highlights the advantage of the action. This effort will be supported also

by the action “Climate-aware Decision Makers Program” and by the “• Climate

Change Education and Awareness in primary education” action. The campaign has to

be maintained until the needed numbers of ecovillages have been established. Also,

after the first 15 years “lesson learnt” documentation has to be developed in order to

help the implementation of same initiatives in other regions.

2.2 Time schedule

In line with the above described steps, the main activities would be the followings:

2.3 Budget and resources needed

The target groups of the action plans are individuals who are the potentially new

inhabitants of the ecovillages. Their homemaking cost can be reduced by the Family

Housing Allowance (CSOK), which can be required by married couples for used or newly

built houses and apartments if they promise that they will have one, two, three or four

children. The size of support depends on the number of children the couple plans to

• Development of the handbook and the training program

• Estabilishment of the mentoring scheme

2019 County concils launch the call 2020

• At least 10 ecovillages

• Mentoring scheme is provided further by the first participating municipalities

2030

• At least 30 ecovillages

• Mentoring scheme is provided further by the first participating municipalities

2040 At least 75 ecovillages 2050

have. The maximum support is EUR 32 thousand, with the same amount loan with fix

payment.

Since the building materials are should be natural one preferably from local sources, the

associated cost can be reduced significantly compared to other family houses. These

practises should be included in the handbook. Also, traditionally ecovillages are also

strong community, where the inhabitants help each other, which can reduce the cost of

human resources.

3 Collaboration with stakeholders

The previously identified forerunners were invited to a dedicated roadmapping

workshop. During the PANEL project county-level long term climate strategies were

developed and approved by the county councils this year. The aim is to connecting the

action plans to this official strategy. In order for this, the Mining and Geological Survey of

Hungary, who developed the climate strategy for Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County – which

covers the 2/3 of the project region – was also taking part in the roadmapping workshop

and provided useful experiences.

The outcome of the workshop was summarized in an online table, and was circulated

among the forerunners/most active stakeholders. This created the possibility for those

who could not attend the workshop to provide feedback, and also for those who could

attend the meeting to develop further their ideas.

Since the proposed action plans call for wider participation, they will be promoted to the

identified interest groups through the CEESEN website.

Roles and responsibilities of different actors for Action Plan implementation

The following stakeholder groups were identified as necessary actors for the

implementation.

Stakeholder groups Role and

responsibility

Involvement and

communication strategy

Implementing

parties

county

councils

overall project

management,

engagement of

municipalities and

contributors

Since the action plan

contributes to the

implementation of the official

county-level strategy,

approved by the county

council, who support the

PANEL 2050 project, there is no

need for specific involvement

action

municipalities engagement of

individuals and

creating necessary

environment for

ecovillage

In the frame of WP5 WP5

Marketing and dissemination

effort.

communites

Contributors

green NGOs participating in the

handbook, training

programme and

mentoring scheme

development

(especially the

Ecological Institute

for Sustainable

Development)

They have to be involved by

the county councils.

research

institutes

participating in the

development of the

handbook and the

implementation of

the training program

They have to be involved by

the county councils.

architects

specialized on

ecohouses

participating in the

development of the

handbook and the

implementation of

the training program

They have to be involved by

the county councils.

communities

with relevant

experience

participating in the

mentoring scheme

and in the

implementation of

the training program

They have to be involved by

the ecovillages who take part

in the development of the

handbook

Target groups individuals as a target group

they role is to

participating in the

action and ensure

that the target will be

reached.

In the frame of WP5 Marketing

and dissemination effort.

4 Monitoring Strategy

The evaluation of monitoring parameters will take place in every 5 years, however, since

the action has a long time-frame, the key milestones are the following.

By the end of 2020, the handbook, the training programme and the mentoring

scheme have to be finalized and sent out to municipalities. Since without this

supporting scheme the local programs cannot be started, proper agenda have

to be developed which ensure that there will be no delay in the implementation

of WP2 and WP3.

By 2030 at least 10 ecovillages will be in the region. This milestone has to be

checked by the city councils, from the summed up documentation from the

municipalities. If the target number will not be reached, city councils have to

consulate with the municipalities and update the supporting scheme based on

their feedback.

By 2040 at least 30 ecovillages will be in the region. The method of monitoring is

the same as in the previous point.

By 2050 at least 75 ecovillages will be in the region. The method of monitoring is

the same as in the previous point.

Besides of these points, city councils have to monitor the process in every five years, and

if the risk is high that the milestone will not be achieved, then they have to implement the

same action as it was described above.

5 Risk management

Identified possible risks and the possible measure to mitigate them are the followings:

Risk Probability

of realising

Mitigation measure

Municipalities and individuals are not

interested in taking part in the action

High Dedicated WP (Marketing and

dissemination) will mitigate this risk,

and also the connected climate

awareness rising actions.

Contact

WWF Hungary

Adam Harmat

Project manager of Climate and Energy Programme

e-mail: adam.harmat@wwf.hu

phone: +36-30-595-1443

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020

research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 696173. The

sole responsibility of the content of this material lies with the authors. It does not

necessarily represent the views of European Union, and neither EASME nor the

European Commission are responsible for any use of this material.