16 Metropolitan EIB launches first investment programme for intelligent cities [ by Pamela Luică ] Over 70% of Europe’s citizens live in urban environments, increasing agglomerations that create both opportunities and challenges. For example, while smaller towns generate around 85% of the GDP, they consume 75% of the produced energy, being responsible for 80% of carbon dioxide emissions, the European Investment Bank explains. Large cities and smaller towns are the core of the sustainable, intelligent and inclusive strategy, “Europe 2020”. By 2020, EU wants to reduce CO 2 emissions by 20% and to generate 20% of the renewable energy consumption, while optimising energy efficiency by 20%. I n this context, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Belfius Bank have developed the programme “Smart Cities & Sustainable Development” aimed at providing assistance and financial support to larger and smaller cities for their sustainable and intelligent mobility, urban development, but also for energy efficiency projects. Within this programme, the authorities in Belgium will be the first in Europe (the programme already began in June) to benefit from preferential instalments to loans accessed for the implementation of the “Smart Cities” projects. “With this programme dedicated to ‘Smart Cities’ projects, we are aiming to foster a strategic and integrated approach among public authorities and local decision-makers, fully in keeping with the ‘Europe 2020’ objectives of the European Union. This is a first for Belgium and Europe”, declared EIB Vice-President Pim van Ballekom. Thus cities, irrespective of their size, have no other option but to become “smart” to stay attractive and therefore they have to adopt intelligent solutions to reduce the environmental impact and to rethink resource access examples while satisfying the citizens’ requirements. With this goal and in order to support the cities in Belgium, Belfius and EIB launched in June, the “Smart Cities & Sustainable Development Programme”, a programme dedicated to the implementation of sustainable and intelligent projects such as transport and mobility, urban development and energy efficiency. The two parties grant EUR 400 Million to the programme (of which EIB will cover Photo: eib.org 50% and Belfius Bank 50%) to Belgian authorities, as loans under preferential conditions concerning EIB funds. The objective is to minimize loan costs for municipalities to support an innovating and sustainable approach. “With this programme we are trying to bring a real added value to local communities by encouraging and supporting projects. The ‘Smart Cities & Sustainable Development’ Programme focuses on both large and smaller cities and it will obviously also be of indirect benefit to many businesses, which, as suppliers to the public authorities, will provide the technical solutions required to implement the projects”, declared Dirk Gyselinck, Member of Belfius Bank’s Management Committee. ЕИБ запускает первую инвестиционную схему для умных городов Европейский инвестиционный банк (ЕИБ) и Банк Белфиус разработали программу «Умные города и устойчивое развитие», целью которой является оказание поддержки и финансовой помощи крупным и небольшим городам, включая малые города, ввиду обеспечения устойчивой и умной мобильности, городского развития, но и для осуществления проектов, направленных на энергоэффективность. В рамках указанной программы, власти Бельгии будут первыми в Европе (программа началась с июня месяца), которые будут пользоваться преференциальными условиями платежей в рассрочку на осуществление проектов «Умных городов». www.railwaypro.com | August 2014
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