Print

Objectives

PentaHelix project aims to empower local and regional authorities to find innovative and cost effective approaches to develop, finance, implement and improve sustainable energy and climate action plans (SECAP) that contribute to reaching national and European climate and energy goals and policies. The main objective is to develop an innovative pentahelix based method and use this to engage and support authorities on multiple levels together with other key stakeholders in different sectors for increased SECAP development and implementation. PentaHelix stands for integrated development and focuses on five different stakeholder groups:

  • Public authorities (local, regional, national and international)
  • Industry (and businesses such as SMEs, farmers, trade etc)
  • Academia (research and educational institutes)
  • NGOs (associations, interest organisations, etc)
  • Citizens (house owners, car owners, commuters etc).

The public sector is an important driving force in supporting a market transformation to the circular green economy. One of the key challenges remains in linking up public bodies at a national, regional and local level through effective multi-level governance to realize an energy transition driven from the local level with concerted planning and implementation of energy projects, as well as in achieving a coherent transformation of the energy system capitalizing on synergies and economies of scale (Riedel et al. 2016).

In this project the PentaHelix approach will be tested on 8 pilot municipalities and replicated in many more while the obtained results and findings will be disseminated to key target groups throughout Europe. Task forces with representatives from each of the five pillars, will be established in each partner country. These task forces will cooperate closely with the regional authorities to evaluate, develop and implement climate and energy actions both during and after the project period. In cooperation with the Climate Action Network and EBN innovation network, the partner regions will ensure that the PentaHelix method and results will be disseminated throughout Europe.

The project objectives

  • Develop the innovative PentaHelix method and demonstrate it in 5 partner countries, with 1-2 pilot municipalities in each region (8 in total). This includes:
    • Establish and use the PentaHelix task forces, consisting of 1-2 members of each of the pentahelix pillars, to develop or re-evaluate integrated SE(C)APs in the 8 pilot municipalities
    • Use PentaHelix task forces in the implementation of a total of at least 30 actions detailed in local SE(C)Aps (an average of at least 5 actions in each region). This will lead to direct energy savings of estimated 1200 GWh/year, and increased renewable energy production of estimated 700 GWh/year, and prepare the ground for investments in the order of 800m€.
  • Develop a peer-to-peer platform where the planners and members of the PentaHelix task force can share not only best practices, but materials such as text, figures, emission data, etc, that the municipalities can use directly in their SE(C)AP work.
    • Improve the platform and content by opening it to 1) the replicator municipalities, and 2) national and pan-European stakeholders, and public authorities within and outside the project partner areas.
    • Include text examples, data, policy documents and figures on at least 10 concrete sectors, such as transport,agriculture, buildings, marine and maritime industries, solar RES, district heating, etc., in at least 6 languages.
  • Provide climate communication training and guidelines for the partners in the consortium and the associated pilot municipalities
    • Use the training and guidelines to ensure a high level of stakeholder participation, and high quality communication in PentaHelix and stakeholder meetings, workshops and conferences.
    • Use the training and guidelines to ensure high quality of the material available in the platform.