C-Track 50: First actions and results

C–Track 50 is a H2020 project which began in March 2018. It aims to support local and regional authorities in energy and climate planning in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 (a min. 80% reduction of CO2 emissions). To this end, C–Track 50 will promote multi-level governance and support local and regional authorities in developing, financing and implementing ambitious integrated sustainable energy and climate policy action plans.

A report comparing the energy planning processes in the 11 partner countries (Greece, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Austria) laid the ground for the roundtables. These roundtables aim to promote multi-level governance in the partner countries by convening all actors engaged in strategic energy and climate policy planning at the national, regional, and local level (public authorities,  organisations, associations, etc.). More precisely, their objective is to discuss the best available collaboration model for strategic energy planning at a country level, and to identify recommendations to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The first roundtables took place in France (28 May), Austria (18 June), Greece (5 July 2018), Portugal (9 July), Croatia (11 July), Hungary (11 July), and Poland (12 july). Discussions focused on the current energy policy planning process and the feasibility of the carbon neutrality target at the regional and national level.

Potential ways for improvements were raised in each country. In Greece, participants concluded that cooperation between local and regional authorities should be reinforced, and minimum requirements for energy planning set. In Croatia, the weight of NGOs in the decision-making process has to be strenghtened. In France, it was noted that a distinction must be made between regions and localities with a high potential, and those with lesser means. Participants in Poland evoked the possibilities brought by new technologies such as hydrogen and fuels cells.

Upcoming roundtables in Germany, Latvia, Romania and Spain, taking place in August and September 2018, will complete the first series of C-track 50 roundtables.