PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Step-WISE acknowledges the pivotal role that Local and Regional Authorities(LRAs) play in reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions through the development of local Clean Energy Transition Plans(CETPs). Step-WISE recognizes that there is no single solution or easily transferrable practice that can be adopted universally to develop these plans. The multiplicity of local geographical, political and social contexts adds more variations at local governance level as stakeholders have roles, activities and skills that differ based on the characteristics of the area they administer. Step-WISE builds on a thorough understanding of this “local DNA” and embeds this into the decision-making process of LRAs as a first step towards a systemic, future-appropriate CET plans development. Step-WISE provides LRAs with an inclusive, adaptive and effective support package leveraging: i) Use Case (UC)-based learning streams, which establish local partnerships to understand how to engage stakeholders and their contexts; and ii) a unique intuitive digital toolkit enabling LRAs to create their own, cross-sectoral digitized and dynamic model, with energy and socio-economic and regulatory aspects to make CET plans development, implementation and monitoring easier, faster and more accurate. A two-wave cascade Capacity Building Programme (CBP) will empower Local and Regional Authorities (LRAs) across 4 UCs (Bulgaria, Spain, Cyprus and Mediterranean Islands). This will target local governance and consider challenges of different areas, and stakeholder engagement. The first wave will "Train the Trainers" to co-create, implement and refine the Step-WISE toolkit, its operational guidelines and the CBP. The second wave will pass on the knowledge to local authorities, by guiding them step-by-step through the Step-WISE toolkit for their CETP. The two-wave CBP will ensure the sustainability of the approach through 5 Virtual Knowledge Offices acting as knowledge repositories and amplifiers, helping to replicate the approach across EU.