LOCAL GoGREEN, a LIFE-funded clean energy transition project led by our partners at LEA Spodnje Podravje, is wrapping up this month. Read more about what they have been up to over the past three years.
Local authorities play a central role in the clean energy transition, but turning local energy priorities into concrete projects requires technical knowledge, stakeholder cooperation and suitable financing. The LIFE-funded LOCAL GoGREEN project supports six European pilot municipalities through training, expert assistance and the preparation of roadmaps, action plans, project pipelines and pre-feasibility studies.
This combination of practical project preparation and knowledge exchange offers useful lessons for municipalities and energy agencies facing similar challenges.
Connecting planning with project preparation
Existing municipal strategies provide a starting point, but individual investments require more detailed preparation. LOCAL GoGREEN connects local energy priorities with actions and potential investment projects. Roadmaps establish the direction for the clean energy transition, action plans define responsibilities and resources, and project pipelines organise the proposed investments and their development status.
Pre-feasibility studies provide a further step by examining technical options, costs, financing, regulatory requirements, expected benefits and risks. This approach helps local authorities assess whether an idea is worth developing further and what additional work is needed before an investment decision.
The practical lesson is to make the next step clear. Each priority needs a responsible organisation, a realistic route to financing and an understanding of the information or approvals still required.
Combining knowledge with local cooperation
LOCAL GoGREEN also addresses the skills needed to manage this process. Local training activities and transnational webinars cover integrated climate and energy planning, clean energy measures and financing. The project’s e-learning platform makes learning materials available for further use, while its Transnational Expert Group provides access to specialised knowledge.
Technical expertise needs to be connected with local experience. Municipal staff, building owners, businesses and other stakeholders understand the conditions that influence whether a proposed measure can work. Bringing these perspectives together helps identify practical constraints and clarify roles during project preparation.
For other organisations, the transferable lesson is to connect training and consultation to concrete local decisions. Knowledge becomes more useful when participants can apply it to the projects they are preparing.
Allowing for uncertainty
Investment preparation does not guarantee immediate implementation. Financing, approval procedures and changing local priorities can influence when a project proceeds. A pre-feasibility study provides a basis for a decision, while further design, permitting or funding applications may still be necessary.
Municipalities therefore need to review their pipelines regularly and communicate progress clearly. Planned measures, projects undergoing preparation and completed investments represent different stages, as do estimated benefits and measured results.
Sharing experience in Berlin and beyond
The LOCAL GoGREEN final conference in Berlin brought project partners and sister projects together to share results and practical experience. The exchange connected the project’s work with other European initiatives and created opportunities to discuss approaches that could be useful in different local contexts.
For the CEESEN learning community, LOCAL GoGREEN offers an approach that other municipalities can adapt: combine capacity building with stakeholder cooperation, develop projects alongside financing options, and keep plans responsive to changing circumstances. Visit the LOCAL GoGREEN website at https://localgogreen.eu/ to explore the project’s activities and learning resources.