Achievements of Follower City Lecce in the SmartEnCity framework

The experience and support of the Lighthouse Cities, which shaped the Cities4Zero methodology for the integrated energy planning, were fundamental for Lecce in the development of its IEP and City Action Plan. In this framework, a stepwise process, based on the Cities4Zero six-steps methodology, was followed and re-adapted according to the local conditions, with good results in outlining both the objectives targeted by the Municipality for 2030 determining all necessary actions to achieve them.

Therefore Lecce IEP, as one of the main outcomes for the Municipality, is a collection of energy-oriented initiatives related to Energy, Mobility, ICT and Governance, which aim at reducing the city’s environmental footprint achieving the defined socio-economic development goals: the target is the CO₂ reduction of at least 40%, compared to 2007, within 2030, according to the on-force normative at the IEP delivery deadline (January 2021).

The actions proposed have been defined in cooperation with all the stakeholders considered key to pursue the city CO₂ reduction, in order to set up a concrete plan with contents already agreed between the actors involved. In this sense, it would be more easy to put the described actions in practice.

The City Action Plan, included in the final section of the IEP, represents a practical set of guidelines focused on the implementation of specific actions chosen among all other actions outlined in the energy plan, as the most strategic vectors to achieve the set-out goals and the desirable future scenario for Lecce. The involvement of the stakeholders, already engaged in this process, has been even more crucial during the definition of the key actions and the steps to realise them, with the aim to identify a well-structured implementation plan, considering the impact on the indicators commonly agreed and the possible risks that could obstacle the success of the operations. Some of the actions planned in the IEP have already started and some are implemented, as the energy refurbishment of Municipal buildings and schools with specific measures as the substitution of the old heating systems, the installation of LED lightings, new windows and PV panels.

Picture: Targets of CO₂ reduction of Follower City Lecce by 2030.

Another important achievement of is the creation of a SmartEnCity national network of Italian cities, that are interested in starting their process to become smart cities or to continue their efforts in this direction. Lecce, as the leader of the Italian Network, organised several events where fruitful exchanges of experiences and knowledge have taken place, including barriers encountered as well as good practices, considering their common goals related to energy transition and CO₂ reduction. The idea is to consolidate the connections created between the Municipalities with the aim to exploit them in future joint projects and events, towards the goal of carbon neutrality of more and more Italian cities. In this sense, Lecce will continue to act as a frontrunner in these topics, especially among South Italian Cities with a similar local environment, in order to inspire them in activating the energy transition process.

Meaning of SmartEnCity for Lecce

The participation of Lecce Municipality as a Follower City in the project represents its willingness, as ultimate goal, to update the existing Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) through the development of the Integrated Energy Plan (IEP), replicating the solutions of the Lighthouse Cities in defining the energy strategies for the key sectors of the City of Lecce in the period 2020 – 2030. In this view, the specific needs of the municipality have been identified during the project and have been addressed in the IEP, together with the enhancement of the strengths of the city. SmartEnCity project represented the opportunity for Lecce to follow the advanced process of Sonderborg, Tartu and Vitoria-Gasteiz in becoming carbon-neutral smart cities, applying the Cities4Zero methodology to set up the first steps towards the reduction of city carbon footprint through the development of the IEP and Action Plans. The collaboration with local private and public stakeholders has been a fundamental aspect of the process that gave the possibility to outline concrete actions, as well as identify and promote opportunities in the field of economic growth, social development and optimal management of resources.