Delivering the clean energy transition requires more than ambitious plans. It requires strong cooperation between local authorities, regional stakeholders, and decision-makers, ensuring that climate and energy ambitions can translate into concrete action on the ground.
This is the challenge OCTOPUS is addressing through the development of Enabling Organisational Networks (EONs): collaborative networks designed to strengthen local capacities, improve coordination across governance levels and accelerate the implementation of sustainable energy and climate actions.
To provide a common foundation for these networks, OCTOPUS has developed a Charter that formalises the shared principles, objectives and engagement models guiding the seven EONs established across Europe.
What are Enabling Organisational Networks?
Enabling Organisational Networks are structured ecosystems that bring together local and regional authorities, Energy Agencies, technical experts, research organisations and other relevant stakeholders involved in the clean energy transition. Their purpose is to facilitate cooperation, knowledge exchange and capacity building while providing practical support to territories working towards their climate and energy objectives.
Within OCTOPUS, seven EONs are being established or reinforced across Europe:
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
- Isère, France
- Basque Country, Spain
- Extremadura, Spain
- Cyprus
- Mazovian Voivodeship, Poland
- Ústí Region, Czech Republic
Rather than creating identical structures, OCTOPUS enables each EON to build on its existing regional ecosystem, governance arrangements, and stakeholder networks, while working towards a shared set of principles and objectives.
Responding to local needs
Stakeholder consultations carried out across the participating regions revealed a number of common challenges. Local authorities often face limited technical and human resources, fragmented access to knowledge and data, difficulties identifying funding opportunities, and insufficient coordination across governance levels. At the same time, many stakeholders expressed a strong need for peer learning and experience sharing.
In response, the EONs have been designed as flexible and sustainable support structures capable of connecting stakeholders, facilitating cooperation and helping territories overcome barriers to implementation.
A common framework for collaboration
While each EON responds to the specific needs of its territory, all OCTOPUS networks are built around a shared understanding of what makes a successful and durable network.
The OCTOPUS Charter provides this common framework for collaboration. Across the seven EONs, it promotes peer exchange and mutual learning, capacity-building activities tailored to local needs, continuous communication between members, and mechanisms for sharing tools, experiences and good practices. It also encourages clear governance structures and a long-term vision for sustainability beyond the project itself.
Across the participating regions, networks are already exploring different approaches, from collaborative mapping exercises and thematic working groups to digital knowledge platforms, stakeholder forums and regional cooperation mechanisms.
Energy Agencies as key enablers of local energy transition
One of the defining features of the OCTOPUS approach is its focus on multilevel governance. Local authorities are often responsible for implementing climate and energy measures, yet they do not always have the skills, knowledge, resources to implement the policies/measures. EONs help bridge this gap by strengthening connections between local, regional, national and European actors.
In this context, Energy Agencies play a pivotal role in supporting local and regional authorities in advancing their energy transition objectives. Acting as intermediaries, facilitators and technical experts, they bridge the gap between policy ambitions and implementation on the ground, helping turn climate and energy objectives into concrete actions.
Through the EONs, Energy Agencies act as facilitators of cooperation, bringing together local authorities, public institutions and other relevant stakeholders around shared energy and climate objectives. Their close connection to territories allows them to identify local needs, support capacity building and foster the exchange of knowledge and good practices across governance levels.
The OCTOPUS approach recognises that Energy Agencies are uniquely positioned to strengthen multilevel governance, this is why each EON involves at least one Energy Agency. By connecting local realities with regional, national and European frameworks, they help ensure that local actors have access to the expertise, tools and support needed to advance their energy transition pathways, while also amplifying local experiences and challenges within broader decision-making processes.
By reinforcing the role of Energy Agencies as enablers, coordinators and facilitators, OCTOPUS contributes to building stronger and more resilient governance structures capable of supporting community-driven energy transitions well beyond the project’s lifetime.
“By creating a common foundation for cooperation, knowledge exchange and capacity building, the OCTOPUS EONs are laying the groundwork for lasting communities of practice that will continue supporting local energy transitions long after the project has ended.”
— Etienne Viénot, Head of EU and International Affairs at Auvergne-Rhône Alpes Energy and Environment Agency
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