Integrated Energy, Climate and Spatial planning

Introduction

The overarching objective of IN-PLAN is to develop, test, and roll out the IN-PLAN practice – a long-lasting support structure enabling local and regional authorities to effectively implement their sustainable energy and climate plans. This will be achieved by:

1. Integrating energy and climate planning with spatial planning (and other types of planning tools, such as mobility, infrastructure, etc.).
2. Ensuring commitment at all political levels (through vertical integration).
3. Matching the included measures with specific dedicated local and regional budget lines.

Capacity Building Programme

On top of delivering this innovative and effective approach, IN-PLAN intends to empower local and regional governments and their agencies through a 2-step capacity building programme.

Engagement of Local Governments

From the start, the IN-PLAN consortium will engage 15 local and regional governments (Lighthouses) in order to co-create, implement, and refine the IN-PLAN practice, its operational guidelines, and the capacity building programme.

Phase One: Training-the-Trainers

Once developed, the 2-step capacity building will start. Phase one will aim at “training-the-trainers”: empowering at least 50 energy, climate, and/or development agencies from across Europe to become IN-PLAN Multipliers.

Phase Two: Knowledge Transfer

Phase two will aim at passing on the knowledge to local and regional governments, who will be tutored either by the 5 national project partners (at least 30 further local and regional governments – pilots – will be reached within the project) or by the trained multipliers. These multipliers will be able to offer the service of integrated energy, climate, and spatial planning to local and regional governments in their regions (Replicators).

Sustainability and Coalition Groups

The 2-step capacity building will ensure the sustainability of the action beyond the project duration. This will be complemented by the creation of 6 coalition groups (1 at EU level and 1 for each IN-PLAN member state - Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Romania, and Sweden) to disseminate policy recommendations targeting the institutionalization of integrated planning and budgeting across Europe.