REVIPOWER – Energy and Resource Efficient Neighbourhood Renewals in Polish Cities

As part of the European Cohesion policy 2014 – 2020, Polish municipalities received nearly EUR 6 billion in structural support for revitalisation efforts through national and regional programmes. The Partnership Agreement signed between Poland and the European Commission defines sustainable development (incl. energy- and resource efficiency) as horizontal criteria. The low-emission transition, air pollution challenges, and energy efficiency, although mentioned in major Polish strategic documents, were however not included in the debate and implementation of revitalisation efforts in Poland. The lack of prominence and concrete provisions for energy- and resource efficiency may lock Polish cities into unsustainable development patterns and infrastructure.

Quelle: Michal Koralewski

adelphi and the partner organisations IPA, PNEC and IWO e.V. have put sustainable development and energy efficiency at the heart of the debate on revitalisation in Poland. Further project partners designed and tested the innovative modular and “open source” training concept REVIPOWER for and together with Polish municipal authorities and key actors from local and regional organisations. Together with experts from Germany and Poland, the participants from municipalities and local and regional actors developed the training modules. A more participative approach was being used instead of the traditional separation between teachers and trainees. The thematic modules were structured by considering the socio-economic priorities of the Polish participating municipalities. The goal was to overcome the usual sectoral approach and to tap into the potential of cross-cutting approaches for the revitalisation efforts. Ultimately, the training material empowered participants to act as multipliers and to spread the acquired knowledge in their networks, thereby contributing to the mainstreaming of sustainable neighbourhood revitalisation.

• Training: A total of 57 municipal staff and other local representatives were trained on the complex aspects of energy- and resource-efficient revitalisation and received practical solutions for planning and implementation. In two workshops, more than 97 per cent of participants confirmed that they had gained valuable, directly applicable knowledge – a clear indication of the sustainable increase in expertise for their professional practice. 
• Raising political awareness: In five conferences and round tables, more than 300 policy makers at local, regional and national level and representatives of non-governmental organisations were made aware of the benefits of energy- and resource-efficient neighbourhood upgrading. As a result, the topic moved more into the political spotlight and was recognised as a central component of sustainable urban development. 
• Contribution to professional discourse: The discussion paper  "Enhancing the quality of life in Polish cities with energy and resource efficient revitalisation", which also presents experiences from Germany and other Central European countries, was published in Polish and English and made available to a broad specialist audience.