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The first cohort of 330 cities and local authorities supported by the European City Facility (EUCF) is planning for a combined €31 billion in investments for sustainable energy projects across Europe, according to the newly published EUCF Impact Dashboard. The dashboard aggregates data across countries, sectors and funding rounds.
An equally impressive €1.2 billion was reported as secured in the first round of completed monitoring reports submitted by beneficiaries. So far, out of 400 beneficiaries, 330 have finished developing their Investment Concepts with planned investment aims, and 140 have submitted monitoring reports.
This means that the current figure represents only a partial picture and is likely to increase as more beneficiaries enter and complete the monitoring phase. Compared with the initial funding provided to local authorities totalling around €25 million, the €1.2 billion secured already demonstrates a strong leverage effect.
The figures reflect the growing ambition of municipalities to turn climate and energy plans into bankable projects. The Investment Concepts cover a wide range of sectors, including building renovation, district heating, renewable energy production, smart grids, and sustainable urban mobility.
From ideas to investment-ready projects
The European City Facility, supported by the European Commission’s European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) through both the Horizon 2020 and LIFE Programme, has funded more than 400 municipalities and local public entities in developing robust clean energy or energy efficiency Investment Concepts.
Across the submitted Investment Concepts, beneficiaries report expected annual energy savings of more than 15,000 GWh, renewable energy production of nearly 12,000 GWh, and potential emissions reductions of around 11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year. These figures reflect the scale and diversity of local climate action supported by the EUCF, across sectors such as building renovation, district heating, renewable energy, smart grids, and sustainable urban mobility.
The individual Investment Concepts range from highly specific actions that have been successfully implemented with the support of EUCF, such as in Ravenna (Italy), which sought and secured €15 million in public grants, to large-scale renovation programmes, such as the partnership between a regional utility and a grouping of municipalities led by Schaerbeek (Belgium), with ambitions exceeding €1 billion, and everything in between.
The EUCF Impact Dashboard aggregates this information, offering an overview of both expected and monitored investments reported by beneficiaries.
Monitoring confirms growing implementation
The reported €1.2 billion in secured investments is based on monitoring reports submitted one year after the completion of Investment Concepts. It represents both funding sources from within, through other public funding and private financing.
As many beneficiaries are still in earlier phases, this figure currently represents a slice of the overall portfolio, with the volume of reported investments expected to increase further.
At the same time, challenges persist, and some EUCF beneficiaries also report no implementation one year later. Key constraints identified during the European City’s Facility capacity-building programme include shifting political priorities, financial constraints, limited capacity, and the challenge of connecting with available funding or finance.
Supporting Europe’s climate goals
Local authorities play a central role in achieving Europe’s climate and energy targets. Through initiatives such as the EUCF, municipalities gain access to tools and expertise that enable them to develop high-quality, investment-ready projects.
By strengthening local capacity and improving access to finance, the EUCF contributes to building a long-term pipeline of sustainable energy investments across Europe.
As more cities finalise their Investment Concepts and enter the monitoring phase, the Impact Dashboard will continue to provide insights into how local ambition is being translated into concrete action, with examples, best cases and experience presented by the European City Facility and its partners.
About the European City Facility
Municipalities, local authorities and local public entities are the driver of the European sustainable energy transition. With tremendous potential to build comprehensive sustainable energy investment programmes, they also play a key role in pooling smaller projects into larger investment portfolios and in mobilising significant financial resources required for the energy transition.
The EUCF unlocks the potential of municipalities, local authorities and their groupings to contribute to the energy transition in Europe by providing tailor-made, fast and simplified financial support (in the form of EUR 60,000 lump sums) and related services. Successful applicants to the EUCF are using their lump sum to develop their investment concepts, which represents an initial step towards a fully-fledged business and financial plan and its implementation.
The EUCF was set up under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation of the European Union, and is currently being funded as part of the LIFE Programme. The initiative is coordinated by Energy Cities, with Climate Alliance, FEDARENE, Adelphi, Enviros, GNE Finance and ICLEI Europe in the partnership.