Our initial findings suggest a high level of motivation among municipalities to deliver on energy transition targets, with carbon reduction being the leading factor for pursuing transition agendas. The research so far indicates considerable national level constraints and blockages that municipalities face in pursuing ambitious carbon reduction and transition strategies but also considerable innovation in overcoming these blockages. Transition achievements seem higher where there is considerable sustained national commitment, allied with local actors having considerable devolved powers and municipal governance and ownership capacities.
We have carried out a number of research study visits to leading municipalities across Europe (including Aberdeen, Hamburg, Ghent, Ljubljana and Ettlingen) in diverse geographical settings although this was constrained by Pandemic related travel restrictions. These visits have been used to triangulate our earlier findings and add depth to the explanations we are developing to understand the diversity of municipal action on energy transitions.
We have completed the delivery of mPOWER Exchange, our bespoke peer-peer learning programme, that worked with small groups with no more than six municipalities at a time. This part of the programme consisted of study visits, expert witness sessions and peer-peer learning and problem solving. mPOWER Exchange’s final output’s were replication plans and a celebration event.
In preparation for the delivery of mPOWER Digital, we conducted three study visits to Nis, Burgas and Brussels. These have been turned into three documentaries that can be viewed here (
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI6TsTB_YajkHoyD9WtkR2u9nm2BwAV6o(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie))
We have coordinated and delivered mPOWER Digital, our online learning programme, three times. mPOWER Digital is a comprehensive course in how municipalities can deliver a fair, clean and democratic energy transition whilst considering participation and addressing energy poverty. We focus on different forms of public and community ownership, as well as public-public, public-civic and public-private partnerships. The course uses case studies of best practice in the municipal energy transition from across Europe. In each course the content has expanded with new materials that have been developed by the project, including podcasts, videos and blogs. Project participants can continue to share and disseminate learning on our mailing list and in our Facebook group. This website (
https://mpowerlearn.co.uk/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)) has been built that contains the many resources of mPower Digital, allowing additional municipalities to engage with these materials.
Key learnings from mPOWER Digital are the importance of learning spaces for local authorities in realising a just, fair and democratic energy transition. We also learnt that many local authorities simply do not have the capacity to explore best practice, but having knowledge of what other options are available has helped them to build a case within their own contexts for more ambitious plans.
We coordinate and delivered mPOWER Activate, our bespoke one-one incubator programme. This part of the project worked one on one with a municipality to support them towards realising an aspect of their energy transition plans.