The EU-funded SUDEP South project has presented its methodology, ‘From policy to practice – City partnership as a benchmark of excellence in the Southern Mediterranean’, during a climate change roundtable organised by the Committee of the Regions, highlighting the achievements of the project and the best practices learned in the course of its implementation.

Three municipalities participating in the SUDEP South programmed were present as testimony to the challenges and success of the project. The Mayors of Baakline and Chefchaouen, and the Head of Environmental unit of Eilat were invited to present their experience of this ‘local to global’ initiative.

“SUDEP has been just the first step and a lever for new energy efficiency projects in our city,” said Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen. For Abdallah Ghouseini, Mayor of Baakline, the project “has provided the municipality with tools to sustain the energy efficiency momentum”. Assaf Admon, representing Eilat municipality, indicated “how important is for a city like ours to involve the private sector in tackling energy inefficiencies”.

More than 50 people participated in the discussion and exchanged best practises with their counterparts, coming from Central America, Sub Saharan Africa and Eastern Partnership countries.

The SUDEP-South project began in early 2015 with 12 cities in 6 countries of the southern Mediterranean. The objective of the programme is to assist local authorities in responding to the sustainable energy challenges and to enable them to implement sustainable energy actions leading to energy savings, energy efficiency and more use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy.

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Press release

SUDEP South website