The Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) Principle is firmly established in EU law, but how do we ensure its effective application on the ground in our regions and municipalities? The latest deliverable from the LIFE Regio1st project, D4.1: Synthesis of the project’s policy outcomes, provides the essential answers.
The analysis identified key hurdles hindering the principle’s uptake in regional planning:
- Siloed Governance: A lack of coordination between crucial sectors like energy, transport, and spatial planning.
- Capacity Gaps: Limited technical capacity and low awareness among staff on how to apply the principle effectively.
- Data & Tools Shortage: A lack of tailored regional data and robust decision-support tools for cost-benefit analysis and investment prioritisation.
The Regio1st project successfully demonstrated the value of dedicated decision-support tools, such as Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (SCBA) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), when combined with dedicated capacity-building.
Building on this practical experience, the report puts forward nine cross-cutting policy recommendations designed to be adaptable for diverse regional contexts, focussing on Strengthening Governance through inter-departmental task forces; Embedding EE1st directly into legislation, funding programmes, and public procurement; Providing Technical and Financial Support to close capacity gaps.
Additionally, the report proposes ten concrete actions for the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) to help seamlessly integrate the EE1st principle into the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) cycle.
