KlimaBZ

The Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) is a programmatic document drafted by municipalities that sign the Covenant of Mayors. This document describes the actions that municipalities intend to take to achieve the objectives of reducing CO2 emissions and adapting to climate change.

The Municipality of Bolzano joined the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy in 2017 and published its own SECAP in October 2020.

The plan describes the risks that climate change poses to the city and proposes actions to reduce CO2 emissions by 40.65% by 2030, compared to 2010 levels, and measures to adapt to the effects of climate change, particularly to rising temperatures and heat waves.

Four years after approving the first SECAP, the Municipality of Bolzano has decided to update it. This update aims to align the SECAP with the new climate objectives of the Climate Plan of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and with current European directives.

To update the plan, the Municipality partnered with Eurac Research - Institute for Renewable Energy to organize a participatory process that includes a Citizens' Assembly for Climate and a Stakeholder Forum, following the model adopted by the Autonomous Province and several other Italian and foreign cities. Additionally, a proposal portal will be activated, where citizens can contribute ideas and suggestions on reducing emissions and adapting to climate change.

The process involves three phases:

• Training: Training sessions on climate change and possible actions to mitigate and adapt to it will be organized. Participants can ask experts questions to delve deeper into the topics.
• Debate: Members of the Assembly and the Forum will discuss proposals and actions to be taken.
• Decision: Participants will together formulate final recommendations for the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan of the city of Bolzano.

The Citizens' Assembly for Climate is a group of 30 randomly selected citizens who will help propose actions to combat and adapt to climate change.

Participants will be individuals over 18 years of age residing in the Municipality of Bolzano selected by random sampling. This ensures that the sample reflects the socio-demographic characteristics of the city (age, gender, and residential neighbourhood).

Selected individuals will receive an official invitation from the Municipality of Bolzano to participate in the selection for the establishment of the Assembly.

The Assembly will formulate recommendations on actions to combat and adapt to climate change to be included in the SECAP. The recommendations will be evaluated by experts from Eurac Research and the Municipality of Bolzano, collected in a report, and presented to the Municipal Council.

Participation is free and voluntary. As a thank you for their time, participants will receive a booklet with tickets for 5 cultural events offered by Teatro Stabile di Bolzano, Vereinigte Bühnen Bozen, Bolzano Festival Bozen, and concerts by the Haydn Orchestra. Additionally, a guided tour of the NOI Techpark is planned.

The Stakeholder Forum brings together organizations and interest groups from the city of Bolzano to discuss how to respond to climate change. Unlike the Citizens' Assembly, the Stakeholder Forum includes selected actors representing various interests in the territory.

The goal is to dialogue to achieve a common and shared vision of the actions to be included in the SECAP, in order to achieve the objectives set by 2030.

The Stakeholder Forum will include 12 representatives from businesses, trade associations, civil society, merchants, and the public sector.

Participants will receive an invitation letter from the Municipality of Bolzano to participate in the Stakeholder Forum.

The Forum will meet between September and October 2024 for a total of 5 meetings.

At the end of the Stakeholder Forum, recommendations on actions to combat and adapt to climate change to be included in the SECAP will be developed. The recommendations will be evaluated by experts from Eurac Research and the Municipality of Bolzano, collected in a report, and presented to the Municipal Council.

Participation is free and voluntary. As a thank you for their time, participants will receive a booklet with tickets for 5 cultural events offered by Teatro Stabile di Bolzano, Vereinigte Bühnen Bozen, Bolzano Festival Bozen, and concerts by the Haydn Orchestra. Additionally, a guided tour of the NOI Techpark is planned.