Regions/Provinces/States
Region Nouvelle Aquitaine—Region Nouvelle Aquitaine, with an area of 84,100 km2 and 5.8 million inhabitants, it is the biggest region of France. The Regional Council has established a Permanent Council for Energy Transition and the Climate. It will coordinate the action of the Regional Council services concerning climate change and mobilize external partners based on the Négawatt approach. It aims to reduce energy consumption, improve energy efficiency and substitution through the development of renewable energy. The renewable energy sector relies on a regional tool: the investment fund Terra Energies that was created in 2006. It brings together private and public partners through participatory financing mechanisms. Its goal is to support and facilitate renewable energy projects so that 32% of energy used in the region comes from renewable sources. Another objective of the region is to improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2020 in the industrial sector. The regional government matches the investments of these companies in their efforts to reduce their energy consumption by 10%. Aware of the importance of the contribution of buildings in energy consumption, the region also matches the money spent by owners of homes and housing in their energy renovation projects.
Contact
Jimenez Julien, Project manager
Mail: Hôtel de Région , 14 Rue François de Sourdis 33 077 Bordeaux cedex
Telephone: 0033 5 56 56 38 91
Email: julien.jimenez@aquitaine.fr
Cities
Le Grand Lyon (Lyon and its surroundings is the second biggest French city)—The Great Lyon signed the Convenant of Mayors committing to respect the objectives fixed by the EU by 2020 and to adapt its cities organization. It committed to reduce its CO2 emissions by 2020 by 20% (by 75% by 2050), and to reduce its energy consumption by 20%. It also pledged that renewal energy will represent 20% of the region’s total energy consumption. In 2012, the Great Lyon also adopted the Territorial Energy Climate Plan (Plan Climat Energie Territorial (PCET)). The Plan includes 26 actions for every sector concerned with GHG emissions. In total, 173 measures involving more than 50 partners are foreseen. For each of the 26 actions a steering committee will be established. The Great Lyon is the first French, and one of the first European cities, that took this initiative.
Various initiatives have been launched with very positive results. One is ‘Families with Positive Energy’ which allowed the region to save 990,000 kWh, equivalent to 170 tons of avoided CO2. In the city of Vénissieux, the share of renewable energy reached 50%. Two thousand eco-buildings have been created through renovation in order to ensure low energy consumption. An ‘application by phone’ system has been created to support reducing local energy consumption and to limit GHGs. The city of Lyon received the label ‘Cit´energie,’ a European Energy Award.
Contact
Bruno Charles, Vice-Président EELV de la métropole de Lyon chargé du développement durable et de l’agriculture
Mail: Europe Écologie Les Verts du Rhône et de la Métropole Grand Lyon 34 rue Rachais 69007 LYON,
Telephone: 04 82 53 92 97
Email: rhone@eelv.fr
Website: https://brunocharles.org
Other contacts regarding the PCET:
Agence Locale de l’Énergie de l’agglomération lyonnaise (ALE)
Mail: 14, place Jules Ferry, Gare des Brotteaux, 69006 Lyon
Telephone: 04 37 48 22 42
Dunkerque (Communauté urbaine de Dunkerque)—The Community of Dunkerque also signed the Convenant of Mayors and adopted a Climate Plan in 2008. It monitors GHG emissions and analyzes its carbon footprint. The main objective of PCET is to reduce the region’s GHG emissions to 25% of current levels by 2050. This is a national objective in line with EU policy. This reduction applies to waste treatment, housing, and transport sectors. A core aspect of the Plan is that the public service should show their examples concerning energy efficiency and savings. One example is that the community has established a “Reflex´Energie” scheme to encourage individuals to rehabilitate their houses. Three type of work are supported: isolation, installation of solar panels, and condensing boilers. A lot has been done to involve local companies and individuals. Various working groups have been established on specific topics (e.g. housing, mobility and urban planning). The city is also leading a research project (pilot project at national the level) ALTYTUDE on the use of alternative fuels for its public transport vehicles. Results: Since 2013, the City of Dunkerque has received the highest rating called ‘Cit´energie GOLD’. It has reached 73% of its objectives.
Contact
M. Jimmy Mary, Chargé de mission PCET et Cit’ergie (Communauté urbaine de Dunkerque),
Telephone: 03 28 24 48 83
Email: jimmy.mary@cud.fr
Associations
There are 11 local associations that are members of the RAC and are involved in fighting climate change and reducing GHG emissions in France (http://www.rac-f.org/Associations-membres.html#asso_locales). Two them are presented below.
Clim actions Bretagne Sud
Clim actions Bretagne Sud is an independent association aiming at mobilizing the politic, social, and economic stakeholders in order to adapt the region to the consequences of climate change. Its objectives are:
– Promoting energy sobriety and consumption models that respect common goods and the environment.
– Supporting, accompanying, and proposing solutions and innovative projects to reach the objective to reduce GHG emissions by 75% (factor 4 of the COP21, of EU and France).
Clim actions Bretagne Sud implements projects on education and climate in order to raise local awareness but it also supports citizen projects in the field of renewable energy through trainings for inhabitants but also for elected representatives.
Contact
Association Clim’Actions Bretagne
Mail: 43 rue du Maréchal Leclerc, 56000 Vannes, France
Telephone: 0689293597
Email: contact@climactions-bretagnesud.bzh
http://climactions-bretagnesud.bzh
Virage Énergie Climat Pays de la Loire
The association ‘Virage Énergie Climat Pays de la Loire’ was created by three other associations: Alisée, Attac44, et Sortir du Nucléaire 49. It aims to:
– Reduce GHG emission in the region Pays de Loire according to the recommendations of the IPPC: -40% by 2020 and at least -85% by 2050.
– Ensure sustainable energy supply by reducing consumption and developing renewable energy.
The association relies on the recommendations of the négaWatt scenario which proposes realistic solutions to reduce by the factor 4 energy consumption and GHG emissions in France, and on the work of ‘Virage Energie Nord Pas de Calais’, which was the first French local plan regarding climate-energy.