The German Marshall Fund and Energy Cities Launch Transatlantic Project Addressing Role of Cities in Driving the Energy Transition

After the Trump administration removed the United States from the landmark Paris climate agreement, cities have increasingly taken a central role in the global effort to limit the effects of global warming. Many municipal governments have already set targets of reaching 100 percent renewable energy, but they cannot act alone. For cities to succeed in the transition to a sustainable, low carbon future, recognizing the key role of a whole new set of actors-- such as civil society-- will be a critical factor.

The German Marshall Fund's Urban and Regional Policy Program (URP), in partnership with Energy Cities, launches "Energy Allies," a transatlantic project that will harness the role of civil society in cities as drivers of sustainable solutions to climate change. 

The eighteen-month project will bring together a delegation of local civil society and government leaders from two U.S. cities (Cambridge, MA and Charlotte, NC) and two European cities (Nantes, France and Heidelberg, Germany), together with relevant stakeholders from umbrella organizations in the U.S. and the EU to collaborate on innovative approaches to energy transition in cities. "Energy Allies" kicks off in Cambridge with an intensive series of peer-to-peer learning workshops designed to foster collaboration on the policy planning and implementation of energy transition policies. Energy Allies is funded by the European Union under the program "EU-U.S.: Transatlantic Civil Society Dialogues." A follow-up workshop will reengage the same delegations in Nantes this spring.

 "Despite their differences, Cambridge, Charlotte, Heidelberg, and Nantes all have something in common: a commitment to explore innovative ideas and policy solutions needed to realize the energy transition," said URP Director Geraldine Gardner. "We hope that by bringing these delegations together they can amplify their efforts to engage civil society and strengthen partnerships, ultimately becoming models for other transatlantic cities."

"I see great city-citizen cooperation around Europe," added Miriam Eisermann, head of communications and policy for Energy Cities. "We can do even better side by side with our U.S. friends. Energy Allies is just the perfect learning opportunity."

German Marshall Fund | www.gmfus.org