The partners from Romania, Bulgaria and Germany discussed the possibilities of integrating the local perspective in the national energy and climate strategies

On October 1, 2024, the conference “Integrating the local perspective in national energy and climate strategies” was held in Bucharest within the framework of the “MENERGERS – Energy Manager Services in Municipalities” project, supported by the EUKI program of the Federal Ministry of Economy and Climate of the Republic Germany.

The event, organized by the Romanian Association of Energy Cities (OER), brought together representatives of local and national authorities, international experts and leaders in the energy sector, who analyzed different solutions for the transition to climate-neutral and energy-independent communities.

The Bulgarian concept was presented by participants from NTEF, Sofena Agency and the municipalities of Ruse, Svilengrad and Sapareva Banya. The project partner, the Independent Institute for the Environment in Berlin, also participated.

During the discussions, the impact of the MENERGERS project on pilot cities in Bulgaria and Romania was highlighted through concrete examples of energy management measures implemented in cities such as Rousse, Sapareva Banya, Svilengrad, Alba Iulia, Sfantu Gheorghe and Zalău.

Challenges and opportunities for the development of energy communities were analyzed and recommendations were made to improve the legal framework for their functioning.

In the current context of climate change and the energy crisis, cities can no longer see energy efficiency as just a legal requirement, but as an essential necessity for their future.

One of the important achievements of the MENERGERS project is the OER-developed “Guide to Energy Efficiency Indicators for Implementation in Technical Documentation” intended for use by local public administration as a tool to help achieve energy efficiency targets.

The energy management model developed in Bulgaria under the MENERGERS project is remarkable in that it functions largely without adequate legislative support, relying on voluntary commitments and strategic partnerships. Although the lack of formal institutionalization and the shortage of specialized staff were identified as major challenges, Bulgaria compensated by developing a network of experts and creating a solid structure in pilot municipalities such as Ruse, Sapareva Banya and Svilengrad.