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Report: ECM - European Climate Menu for Local & Regional Authorities

In June 2004, the ECM coordinators, Ecofys, announced the launch of a new web tool that helps local authorities discuss and develop climate policies. The tool will generate reports of the current situation and the desired outcome, which will then formt eh basis of a local policy plant.

The ECM is a climate policy tool for local authorities that acknowledges the increasing importance and responsibility of local and regional authorities in achieving the Kyoto and RES (Renewable Energy Sources) targets.

The ECM is meant to remove the barriers local authorities experience while materializing climate policy. The ECM offers clear ambitions and targets, translates national climate policy targets into local ones, and uses a procedure to shorten the decision making process while still addressing the need to achieve consensus. All of this results in the creation of a coherent climate policy integrated throughout all relevant policy areas.

The ECM consists of a table of various themes, ambition levels and targets. These themes and corresponding targets refer to climate emission reduction. The Menu offers a compact but comprehensive framework on which local authorities can define an integral (including all relevant policy areas), transparent, and practicable climate policy.

The ECM is accompanied by a procedure on how to use the tool, and information on activities (a project database) local authorities can implement in order to achieve the targets in the Climate Menu.

The ECM is based on existing, successful experiences, notably the Dutch Climate Menu. The Dutch Government launched the Dutch Climate Menu in 2001 as part of its national climate programme. More than 170 local authorities already use the Dutch Climate Menu. This is certainly related to the fact that in the Netherlands a funding programme was and is connected to the implementation of Climate Menu based activities. ECM certainly hope other national authorities will be stimulated by the ECM project and act accordingly.

The ECM is supported, through the Altener program, by the European Commission.

Local and regional authorities are invited to join the project to develop their own climate policy and at the same time enhance the European Climate Menu. If you are interested, please contact the co-ordinator of the project: Yolanda de Jager, Ecofys - y.dejager@ecofys.nl.

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