Learning handbooks on financially sound investment projects

The learning materials target not only PROSPECT+ mentors & mentees but also public authorities in a wider sense allowing them to learn about the development of financially sound investment projects.

Thematic modules on innovative financing schemes

The module on public buildings covers buildings and facilities owned, managed, or controlled by public authorities. Facilities refer to energy-consuming entities that are not buildings, such as wastewater treatment plants.

The module on private buildings covers buildings and facilities owned, managed, or controlled by private individuals or corporations. This refers primarily to the tertiary sector (services), such as private companies, banks, commercial, retail activities, and residential buildings, including social housing. Actions under private buildings can include renewable energy for heating; energy efficiency in heating; indoor lighting; and new construction or refurbishment

The module on transport covers the provision of and management of municipal fleet (public works, school buses, fire, police, etc.) and mass transport systems by public authorities, as well as private and commercial transport. Actions under transport include municipal fleet procurement and mobility management.

The module on public lighting covers the provision of public lighting owned or operated by public authorities. Examples of public lighting include LED street lighting and integrated renewable power e.g. solar photovoltaic.

The module on cross-sectoral covers all those interventions falling under two or more thematic areas; climate change adaptation; local electricity production (e.g., wind power, hydroelectric power, photovoltaic); and local heat/cold production (e.g., combined heat and power and district heating plant).

The Citizen Financing handbook attempts to serve as practical guidance for local and regional stakeholders. Citizen Finance is not a standardized mechanism for funding climate action projects and initiatives but could be seen as a good practice. However, there have been several examples where Citizen Finance has been used for adequately funding Sustainable Energy and Climate Action projects, so-called SECAPs. In broad terms, Citizen Finance is a form of financing instrument where citizens pool their financial resources to fund initiatives that create common goods. The two most common and relatively advanced forms of CitizenFinance are (1) Crowdfunding and (2) Financing through cooperatives.