Energy Transition Reality Check: Are Municipalities Meeting the Mark?
2024
Kristiāna Dolge, Laura Kristiāna Vičmane, Ģirts Bohvalovs, Dagnija Blumberga

In order to meet regional and national climate neutrality goals, decentralisation has placed the energy sector under local government governance, pushing municipalities to take a more active role in energy planning and sector decarbonisation. This study attempted to assess the extent to which municipal efforts have been successful in the adaptation of low-carbon energy systems, and what is the current state of municipal initiatives concerning regional energy transitions. A composite index was constructed, incorporating nine indicators grouped into three main dimensions of sustainable municipal energy transition: energy efficiency, energy decarbonization, and smart energy system deployment. Five municipalities of the Baltic Sea Region were analyzed, and their energy transitions were assessed: the Gulbene municipality (Latvia), Tukums municipality (Latvia), Taurage municipality (Lithuania), Tomelilla municipality (Sweden), and Wejherowo municipality (Poland). Using a benchmarking approach, the main challenges and opportunities of energy transition in the selected municipalities were identified, which could be used as signals in developing concrete municipal sustainability action plans.


Keywords
Benchmarking, composite index, energy efficiency, energy transition, energy policy, energy sustainability, municipality
DOI
10.2478/rtuect-2024-0031
Hyperlink
https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/rtuect-2024-0031

Dolge, K., Vičmane, L., Bohvalovs, Ģ., Blumberga, D. Energy Transition Reality Check: Are Municipalities Meeting the Mark? Environmental and Climate Technologies, 2024, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp.394-408. ISSN 1691-5208. e-ISSN 2255-8837. Available from: doi:10.2478/rtuect-2024-0031

Publication language
English (en)
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