More than 6500 European local authorities have signed the Covenant of Mayors (CoM), and among them 23 municipalities from Cyprus who share a common vision: making cities decarbonised and resilient, where citizens have access to secure, sustainable and affordable energy. With the support of the Cyprus Energy Agency, these municipalities have developed local Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) aiming to reduce 600,000 tons CO2 emissions (>25% reduction) by 2020. New CoM signatories now pledge to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 40% by 2030 and to adopt an integrated approach to tackling mitigation and adaptation to climate change. One of the main barriers among Cypriot municipalities is the limited competences and capacities to successfully implement sustainable energy projects.
The C4S project aims to mobilise these municipal SEAPs and empower the capacity of four local authorities by applying energy competitions and ISO 50001 in the buildings and operations of the municipalities. These two main actions will strongly help local authorities to understand their own energy problems and provide sustainable solutions. The knowledge gained through the C4S project will be a good opportunity for energy transition in the territory of the involved municipalities, as well as across the island.
The Cyprus Energy Agency (CEA) is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 2009. The establishment and operation of the Energy Agency was co-funded by the European Commission through the Intelligent Energy for Europe Program and the Union of Cyprus Communities for three years. It strengthens the role of local authorities in energy planning issues by providing technical support for the development and implementation of actions to address and adapt to climate change.
The municipality of Agios Athanasios has been implementing a Sustainable Energy Action Plan since 2011. It has signed the C4S Letter of Support and participates in the energy saving competitions with three buildings.
The municipality of Lakatamia has been implementing a Sustainable Energy Action Plan since 2013. Through its participation in the C4S project, the municipality expects to develop a powerful Energy Management System.
The municipality of Aradippou is another local authority of Cyprus participating in the C4S project. The Municipality of Aradippou aims through the project to upgrade its SEAP to SECAP and to be certified with ISO 50001.
The municipality of Strovolos has been implementing a Sustainable Energy Action Plan since 2011 and is in the process of upgrading Its SEAP to SECAP. It participates in C4S with three buildings.
