ENERGY SAVING PUBLIC LIGHTING IN MALTA - MIEMA

Energy Saving Public Lighting in Malta3 Sustainable Energy Action PlansSustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) are a direct requirement of adhesionto the Covenant of Mayors. Local governments commit to submit their SEAPwithin the year following adhesion, this being a key document showing howthe local government will reach its CO2 reduction target by 2020. It isparticularly significant to the perceived leading role of local government inenergy performance that the SEAP is intended to address both the public andprivate sectors, especially since the covenant's commitments concern thewhole geographical area of the local government’s jurisdiction. In principle, itis anticipated that most SEAPs will include actions in the following sectors:– Built environment, including new buildings and major refurbishment;– Municipal infrastructure (district heating, public lighting, smart grids,etc);– Land use and urban planning;– Decentralised renewable energy sources;– Public and private transport policies and urban mobility;– Citizen and, in general, civil society participation;– Intelligent energy behaviour by citizens, consumers and businesses.The SEAP also specifically intended to include only those areas that fall withinthe usual competences of municipalities, and to exclude those that do not.Thus, for example, the SEAP should not include reductions of greenhouse gasemissions due to industry delocalisation, as industrial policy falls outside thescope of municipalities. However, it can and should include an indication ofhow the various activity areas of the local government will include measuresfor energy efficiency, renewable energy projects and such like energyrelatedactions. SEAPs preparation should involve civil society, as those with ahigh degree of citizen participation are the most likely to continue in the longtermand to succeed in attaining their objectives. The Covenant of Mayorsdeals with action at local level within the strict competence of the localgovernments, which are expected to take action in several or all of theirpossible roles:– Consumer and service provider;– Planner, developer and regulator;– Advisor, motivator and a model; andMalta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 8