Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit

Cities

Policy Packages - Energy Efficient Cities

National policy makers play an important role in accelerating urban energy transitions. Cities connect directly with communities and people to enhance implementation and better inform policy. National and city-level alignment in energy efficiency policy is a key dimension of clean energy transitions. Energy efficient cities can use digital tools to make smarter, better-informed decisions and improve quality of life for all.

Regulation

  • National governments help create the environment for cities to take action through setting an overall vision including plans and targets.
  • Local regulations and codes incorporating solutions such as smart data and metering help unlock system-wide efficiencies.
  • Planning is most effective when integrated and cross sectoral, taking a long-term view.
  • International standards and benchmarks are important in enabling seamless communication across technologies and applications, critical for efficient urban energy systems.
  • National action that facilitates business models for clean urban energy services, such as Public Private Partnerships and ESCOs, unlock new sources of finance.

Information

  • National initiatives can be used to build energy efficiency capacity in cities through creating training opportunities and partnerships, informed by international best practices.
  • Digitalisation creates new sources of data e.g. on-air quality, energy consumption and traffic. Analysis and communication of this data can improve the operation of urban energy systems.
  • Digital solutions for energy efficiency in cities, require open, transparent access to data, with privacy protected. National governments can facilitate this by developing guidelines and mechanisms to enable data use and sharing across sectors and levels of government.
  • Sharing information on energy efficiency best practices and proven cost-effective technologies can help cities better understand and implement efficiency opportunities to improve performance.

Incentives

  • Investing in city level action and enabling funding to flow from the national to local level, through targeted funding models, can give the best returns on investment and accelerate inclusive clean energy transitions.
  • National governments can use their influence to leverage international programmes aimed at cities, for example by creating innovation areas to attract digital and clean energy technology talent.
  • Seed funding and complementary finance from national government, can mobilise and help scale up private capital for investment in energy efficient cities.
  • Green procurement for example through the incorporation of energy efficiency performance criteria into municipal tenders, mobilises the purchase power of public bodies, acting as a major driver for market deployment of efficient products.

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