local transition renovate 2050

BE REEL! Learning and support program for local authorities

A dissemination program for local authorities in Wallonia and Flanders will be organized to ensure they can contribute to tackling the renovation challenge in their municipality or region. The Union of Cities and Municipalities of Wallonia (UVCW) and the Association of Flemish Towns and Cities (VVSG) will work together to develop and organize this program. Through a combination of meet-ups, masterclasses, and events, local authorities will be informed about the challenge that awaits them and given the tools and knowledge to take action.


Challenge

The energy performance of buildings in Belgium is below par compared to the European average. The 2050 renovation strategies of Flanders and Wallonia, however, focus on an average decrease of 75% in the energy consumption of residential building and a substantial increase in the production of renewable energy. Boosting the renovation rate is therefore necessary to achieve the energy transition.


An active municipal renovation policy is necessary to meet the objectives of both housing, sustainability and energy policy. After all, local authorities play a leading role in keeping their housing stock qualitative. Designing a locally anchored sustainable housing policy is an essential part of the action plans for the Covenant of Mayors.

Initiative

BE REEL! wants to support all Belgian local authorities to set up an active renovation policy. This is done in cooperation with the Knowledge Center for Flemish Cities and the three Regional Federations for Cities and Municipalities. The aim is to increase knowledge about good practices, innovative solutions and local levers for the thorough energetic renovation of residential buildings.


By building a cross-regional network, we bridge the boundaries between the various organizations and authorities. We therefore organize a series of meet-ups, workshops and masterclasses in the period 2019 - 2024 and set up a digital platform.


This program is part of LIFE IP CA 2016 BE REEL! and is realized with the support of the European Union's LIFE financial instrument. BE REEL! wants to create the basis and conditions for the implementation of the Walloon and Flemish renovation strategies 2050.


The interregional nature of this support program will increase the consistency of local policy in Belgium and thus increase the chances of success for future challenges. Any city or municipality in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels that needs training to further develop its policies and to launch projects can delegate participants to the program.

First Meet-up the major renovation challenge

The launch of that support program took place on the 22nd of May 2019 in Huis Madou, hart voor steden en gemeenten, in Brussels. You can find the presentations below.


Second Meet-up the major renovation challenge

On Wednesday, the 4th of December 2019, we organized a second meet-up in the Hendrik Conscience building in Brussels to gather more input for the 6-day master class in 2020. The preparation of a roadmap was the central focus that morning. Such a roadmap contains a logical structure for a local renovation policy and all possible tools and best practices for each of the components of such a policy. We partly wanted to collect these tools and best practices during the workshops. This is to be able to offer you handles during the masterclasses to enable you to draw up a roadmap tailored to your municipality. The presentations of the first part for inspiration can be found below and the report of the work tables from the second part can be consulted in Dutch or French by changing the language at the top of this page.

Third Meet-up

During this third meet-up for the “De Grote Verbouwing” that will take place on June 28th the approach, the cases and the supporting resources for drawing up a long-term renovation strategy for the private housing market will be presented, and the participants will be asked about the usability and adaptability for its application. We start with a presentation of the Flemish long-term renovation strategy and then present the framework of a local renovation strategy.

During this meet-up, a manual or scenario for drawing up renovation strategies is presented as already described during the second meet-up. This manual is based on eight inspiring step-by-step plans or roadmaps of the municipalities of Hoogstraten, Eeklo, Harelbeke & Heist-op-den-Berg and the cities of Antwerp, Ghent, Mechelen & Genk.

A new supporting digital analysis and visualization tool will be presented, which has been developed to identify the renovation potential per neighborhood down to the statistical sector level. The intention is to extend this tool to all Flemish municipalities in a next phase.

A draft database of measures will be presented, which will be supplemented in due course with the relevant measures for other local authorities. The question is what the possible thresholds and possibilities will be for the implementation of the measures. Attention is also paid to the impact of the Flemish measures that should support the local long-term strategy.

At this meet-up, a series of Master classes will be presented to allow local authorities to draw up a tailor-made step-by-step plan and how local authorities can be maximally unburdened in their role as local coordinator/stimulator of renovations. It is the task of the municipality to give its own touch to renovations and the related strategy on the basis of the elements supplied.

The following topics will also be discussed during a workshop at the end of the meeting: : ·      

  • The approach to business models and financial planning through the RenoBizz network of BE REEL! to set up a number of concrete “breakthrough projects”. ·      
  • The integration of local policies into a network of renovation advisors, such as the energy houses for whom training and support in renovation advice is being set up, to strengthen the communication and advice strategy (and renovation coaching) from the municipalities to the citizens. ·      
  • The development of a learning network for all municipalities with digital exchange of experiences, a series of webinars, (digital) workshops, a series of solution-oriented visits and/or presentations of concrete cases. An international exchange can also be developed. 

This meet-up will be held exclusively in Dutch. The meet-up for the Walloon and Brussels cities and municipalities will be organized in the second half of 2021. 

For more information, please contact: