The 2007 "Energy Policy for Europe" targets towards improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020. The ANSWER project aims to contribute to this policy by reducing energy use. The project will promote the reduction of carbon emissions through increased energy efficiency amongst businesses and communities within the North Sea Region.
The project calls for promoting changes in practice by addressing attitudes and behaviour of businesses and societies, therefore leading to a reduction in energy use (and hence in carbon footprint). The project will develop a Climate Barometer Monitoring Tool which will be used to monitor and visualise the real time energy and climate performance of the participating communities and SMEs.
Duration
01/09/2008 - 29/02/2012
Priority
4 - Promoting Sustainable and Competitive Communities
Bremen, Senate for Environment, Construction, Transport and European Affairs (SUBVE)
RKW Bremen GmbH
Sweden
Växjö Kommun
Norway
Stavanger Kommune
Rogaland Fylkeskommune
Background and Aim
Aim The project will create an ambitious partnership of North Sea regions that will explore a comprehensive range of proven and innovative measures, interventions and actions to reduce the carbon emissions of communities, individuals and businesses, through improved energy efficiency. The project will demonstrate and evaluate good practice, with outcomes providing models, tools and techniques for transference to other regions within the North Sea.
The project will develop ways to promote and increase energy efficient consumption patterns in society, working with communities and businesses to engage and empower them to increase efficiency. This will help meet local/ national/ international targets for greenhouse gas reduction and will lead to on-going reductions in energy use and carbon dioxide emissions.
Background The Kyoto Protocol commited the EU to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 8% on 1990 levels by 2012. The Green Paper ‘Towards a European Strategy for the Security of Energy Supply' highlights rising energy consumption and increasing dependence on external sources.
The ANSWER project aims to contribute by reducing energy use. Assisting businesses and communities to develop energy-efficient solutions will help create sustainable communities as the foundation of a successful economy. The challenge is to turn energy-efficient behaviour from the exception to the norm. Raising awareness and generating low-energy behaviour within businesses and communities presents a sustainable solution, embedding the answers within the target population as a means of investing in their future.
Transnational cooperation will allow expertise to be shared to determine, implement and evaluate responses to each obstacle encountered.
Building a body of experience on efficient energy use will complement the North Sea's reputation as a leader in energy production of both fossil and renewable sources. It will also complement developing national/ international legal and financial initiatives.
Expected Outcomes
The project will develop ways to promote and increase energy efficient consumption patterns in:
Society, working with communities and businesses to engage and empower them to increase energy efficiency,
Establish the partner regions as a centre of excellence for energy efficiency,
Develop a Climate Barometer Monitoring Tool which will be used to monitor and visualise the real-time energy and climate performance of the participating communities and SMEs.
October 2010 - March 2011
ANSWER continues to deliver practical solutions to real obstacles to energy reduction with a range of local activities linked through knowledge-sharing and transnational platforms. ANSWER was shortlisted for the Low Carbon Excellence Award at the Creating Futures event for its use of European funding to develop an innovative approach to energy reduction.
During the Transnational Energy Teacher Training Programme, schools and local education authorities from Norway, Sweden and UK utilise real time monitoring of energy as a context to compare and collaborate across international boundaries.
A Climometer has been launched in Stavanger, Norway. Offering real time energy monitoring on a community level is an innovative solution to visualize what individual actions mean in a global context.
The European Green Business Network (www.greenbusinessnetwork.eu) promotes the sharing of innovative energy-saving solutions covering everything from server migration to supply chain management. The network also shares pioneer business case studies and approaches such as charters and energy efficiency tables.
April - September 2010
Effective enabling of energy efficiency must work with - and be tailored to - the target audience. The publication Capturing the Entrepreneurial Spirit shows how Answer's approaches can join to provide local solutions that deliver real benefits; making a difference both economically and environmentally.
The Answer project continuously carries out energy audits to businesses resulting in practical steps to reduce their carbon footprint, including for example installing solar panels and looking into lighting options.
The work of the Energy Business Clubs continues to promote innovation and energy savings amongst SMEs. The energy clubs aim at introducing the BAT (Best Available Techniques), not for single businesses, but for clusters of businesses.
October 2009 - March 2010
ANSWER is well under way with implementing linked and innovative solutions to help businesses and communities move towards sustainability. Highlights of the past period include the Carbon Charter and Climate Idols project, which is an innovative pilot project which aims to promote new, green products and services. The Charter is targeted at SMEs to gain a charter mark to show their commitment to and actual action on reducing their carbon footprint.
Partners are collaborating to learn from each others' experiences, and looking ahead on how to maximise the impact of our conclusions for other policy makers in the region and beyond. First results of school pilots suggest the schools achieved a 7% and 34% (based on space heating data) reduction in electric consumption, respectively.
ANSWER attended the Open Days in Brussels October 5-8 2009 and was invited as one of a very few projects to present in the Registration tent.
April - September 2009
Building on the transnational learning of the project's first 6 months, partners have begun to implement a range of linked and innovative solutions to assist businesses and communities moving towards sustainability. Highlights include the establishment of energy clubs for SMEs and a carbon reduction loan scheme, whilst work on the real-time barometers is nearing completion.
The inclusion of the municipality of Växjö - recognised as "The Greenest City in Europe" brings a wealth of new experience to the partnership.
Until March 2009
The first stage of the project has focused on sharing learning so that all partners can benefit from those with greater experience across different areas. Partners have been sharing experience of how best to engage communities and businesses in the need for carbon reduction. During the meetings, all partners for WPA agreed areas of common approach and common questions for attitudinal survey.
At the WPB meeting in Bremen, a key focus was on fixing common ambitions and sharing learning. Exchanging of transnational experience about existing approaches (energy clubs, business networks, awarding and certification systems, e t c) to engage businesses to reduce energy use were identified. Work identifying successful SME energy networks and community engagement will allow ANSWER to deliver joined-up, innovative solutions.
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