On 29 May 2013, starting from 9:00 o’clock, at the headquarters of the Timisoara Town Hall, in the Local Council Hall, the Town Hall of the Timisoara Municipality organised the Local Energy Forum and the Work Groups meant to analyse the actions and measures established by the Climate Change Strategy and the Action Plan on fighting against, quenching and adapting to the effects of climate change, as well as to reassess the Action Plan for Sustainable Energies.  

 The aims of this event were:

-          To present the results of implementing the Climate Change Strategy and of the Local Action Plan on fighting against, quenching and adapting to the effects of climate changes – Sustainable Energies Action Plan (SEAP) at the level of Timisoara Municipality;

-          To share the vision on the sustainable development of Timisoara Municipality;

-          To imply a greater number of citizens and interested parties in a partnership between them and the Town Hall;

-          To provide support for the implementation of the Sustainable Energies Action Plan;

-          To ensure the implementation of measures, actions, initiatives and projects which should lead to the reduction with at least 20% the CO₂ emissions until 2020, in close correlation with the financial possibilities of the municipality and to raise funds by means  projects, public – private partnerships, or from the local budget;

-          To share experience, discuss certain aspects connected to the implementation approach of SEAP (monitoring and reporting);

-          To organise active work groups for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the extent of the SEAP implementation and results, with a view to update this strategic document.

 38 representatives from the following institutions attended the event:

- Town Hall of Timisoara – specialists /experts from the specialised departments of the Timisoara Municipality Mayor’s Office (technical departments, Communication Department, Urban Planning, Environment) who are in charge with the implementation of certain SEAP measures and actions;

-  S.C. “DENKSTATT” Romania – consultant;

-  Timis Agency for Environment Protection;

-  National Environmental Guard –Timis County Commissary Office;

-  Association for the Management of Energy - Timis - AMET;

-  Association for Sustainable Production and Consumption – Timisoara;  

-  Sustainable Energies Cluster - ROSENC;

-  Politehnica University of Timisoara;

-  Inspectorate for Energy Studies – ISPE Timis;

-  Timis Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture;

-  Timisoara Federation of Lodgers Associations;

-  Timis Office for Pedological and Agrochemical Studies;

-  S.C. „RETIM ECOLOGIC SERVICE” S.A. Timisoara;

-  Commercial societies, interested citizens.

The event has been open to everyone interested and eager to get implied in the process of designing and successfully implementing the Sustainable Energy Action Plan at the level of Timisoara Municipality: local and regional administration representatives, politicians, associations, NGO-s, companies delivering public services, representatives of industry and business environment, and above all, citizens from the Municipality of Timisoara.

The programme of the Municipality of Timisoara Energy Forum was structured as follows:

 -          Presentation of CONURBANT Project, of its objectives, activities and results, of the obligations assumed by signing the Covenant of Mayors;

-          Presentation of the Report on the Implementation of the Climate Change Strategy and of the Local Action Plan on fighting against, quenching and adapting to the effects of climate changes;

-          Free discussions, launching of ideas, proposals concerning new measures of the SEAP, including measures of fighting against  and adapting to the effects of the climatic changes – SMART devising of objectives and targets;

-          Activity of the Work Groups on domains and sectors.

 The CONURBANT Project was presented, the implementation stage concerning certain SEAP measures and the qualitative progress report on the implementation of the measures included in the SEAP, according to the CoMo requirements. Ms. Iudit BERE – SEMEREDI, project coordinator on behalf of the Timisoara Municipality Town Hall and Ms. Gabriela FISTIŞ, on behalf of the Consultant DENKSTATT ROMÂNIA, were moderators of the event.

 During the Forum for Local Energy, free discussions were carried out, new ideas and proposals were advanced both in order to bring SEAP up to date and to implement its measures in a better manner. Informal discussions during the coffee breaks facilitated the exchange of ideas, examples of good practice and the exchange of contacts among the participants.

Results and lessons learned during the proceedings of the Local Action Forum and of the work groups at the level of the Timisoara Municipality:

-          Presentation of the measures and actions that have already been implemented, of the ones that are being implemented at present and of those that will start in future;

-          Re-examination of  certain measures whose implementation is no longer in actuality and the proposal of new measures;

-          A number of 14 new proposals of measures/concrete actions in order to accomplish the proposed objectives and targets, participants agreeing together that these proposals may help the growth of energetic efficiency, reduction of energy consumption and the use of renewable energy sources;

-          Establishment of active, sectorial work groups, with the aim of debating certain aspects of the implementation of SEAP and of updating the SEAP;

-          The necessity to communicate better and to persist in attracting new partners within the Work Groups;

-          The proposals concerning aspects such as communication, establishing relations have been analysed in order to imply individual and groups of citizens in the SEAP implementation activities;

-          It has been proposed that only work groups focused on activity sectors should be organised on a monthly basis in future, following that, periodically, inter-sectorial work groups be organised when necessary.

The completed forms for assessing the degree of participants’ satisfaction revealed a high level of contentment concerning the way the event unfolded and also they advanced certain proposals as follows:

-          The next meetings should be organised strictly on work groups focused on sectors / domains of SEAP, assuring the technical support from specialised services;

-          The work groups should benefit from the implication of local councillors, so that the political representatives at local level could know, understand, become involved and support the Municipality’s projects of sustainable development;

-          The communication process, both at institutional level and with the local actors, with citizens and other interested parties, should be improved in order for the SEAP to be widely known and understood.