The Design of Local Actions Toward EU2050 Targets Performed on Municipal Budgets

The pathways in designing local interventions toward climate neutrality can be declined according to several approaches such as energy efficiency, climate adaptation/mitigation or the reduction of GHG emissions. In this research, the authors explored an economic approach oriented by sustainability criteria according to the Sustainable Development Goals provided by the Agenda 2030. In this scenario, the European initiative of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) was selected because each CoM signatory develops an Action Plan, designing energy efficiency and climate interventions for climate change. The methodological proposal is based on the analysis of the investment expenditures related to the public energy efficiency interventions retrieved from the Municipal budget. This allows for the addressing of effective support in designing interventions oriented to couple the economics with climate neutrality. As a sample study area, the Basilicata Region was selected, where out of 131 Municipalities, 92 are CoM Signatories, that have designed energy efficiency interventions through their Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP). The methodological proposal was applied to the CoM Municipality group and non-CoM ones to highlight the differences. The results achieved have been compared so as to remark: 1. The differences in terms of expenditure allocated and interventions planned by Municipalities’ sample according to the methodological proposal and 2. The impact of the CoM initiative and whether SEAP represents an effective driver to boost energy transition in small municipalities.