PLAN4CET
Improving Clean Energy Transition planning at local and regional level
Cities and urban areas have been identified as the main opportunity in reaching climate neutrality, as they consume 78% of the world’s energy and produce more than 60% of GHG. This need and vision are shared across EU cities and regions, but the climate neutrality transition process is complex, and many barriers have been identified. Local and regional authorities have shown commitment to achieve climate neutrality, but there is a lack of appropriate horizontal and vertical Clean Energy Transition governance, of integrated solutions, and of capacity (knowledge and resources) to develop and implement CET plans and strategies that slow down the development of this process.
The general objective of PLAN4CET is to support European regions and cities to design, develop, and implement CET plans according to their needs and possibilities. To do so, the different project outputs (methodologies, tools, capability building, and technical assistance) have been generated to support EU regions and cities in their CET planning, implementation, and monitoring activities. This Toolbox is available on the project’s official website for consultation and use.
PLAN4CET directly supported 3 EU regions in improving their Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans: Navarra (ES), Skäne (SW) and Emilia-Romagna (IT). These regions represent different types of EU regions and will serve as samples to many others in which the learnings and best practices can be transferred.
Key project outcomes and recommendations
The PLAN4CET project has released its Final Publishable Report, summarising the key achievements, lessons learned, and tools developed throughout the project to support Europe’s Clean Energy Transition.
The report presents the project’s main results, including methodologies, governance approaches, and capacity-building activities designed to help local and regional authorities plan, implement, and monitor their clean energy transition strategies more effectively. By addressing common challenges such as limited technical capacity, fragmented governance, and lack of integrated planning tools, the project provides practical guidance to accelerate climate-neutral development across European territories.
A central element of the project was the collaboration with three pilot regions of Navarra (Spain), Emilia-Romagna (Italy), and Skåne (Sweden), where PLAN4CET tested and refined its approaches in real policy contexts. The experiences and best practices from these regions form the foundation of the report and offer valuable insights for other European regions aiming to strengthen their energy and climate planning.
The final report also highlights the project’s broader impact, including the development of practical tools, training programmes, and knowledge-sharing activities that build long-term capacity for the clean energy transition at the local and regional level. By making these resources openly available, PLAN4CET contributes to the replication of successful approaches and supports regions across Europe in turning climate ambitions into concrete actions.
Learn more about the project’s results and impact by watching this recap video from the final PLAN4CET conference
The PLAN4CET project is co-funded by the LIFE Programme of the European Union.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held reponsible for them.
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