I) Increased knowledge and skills of staff from local authorities for the design and implementation of municipal plans for sustainable energy:
- CASCADE created a network of city experts and decision makers on local energy leadership across 11 member states: Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.
- More than 400 city experts, decision makers, and local stakeholders have been directly engaged in networking and peer-to-peer learning activities.
- 20 cities outside the project consortium were financially supported to participate in the networking and peer-to-peer learning activities: Bacau (RO), Belfast (UK), Bilbao (ES), Bratislava (SK), Brighton & Hove (UK), Budapest (HU), Bydgoszcz (PL), Gdynia (PL), Hamburg (DE), Iasi (RO), London borough of Haringey (UK), Skopje (FYROM), Sliven (BG), Rzeszów (PL), Tallinn (EE), Tartu (EE), Timisoara (RO), Tirana (ALB), Vilnius (LT) and Yerevan (AM).
II) Delivery of tested methods for networking and peer-to-peer learning activities:
- CASCADE organised six peer review visits, which involved in-depth assessments of sustainable energy projects in a transnational context.
- By means of six mentoring visits, four work-shadowing visits and 11 study visits, CASCADE offered tailored advice to 39 large European cities on how best to implement their energy policies.
III) Acceleration and improvement in the delivery of sustainable energy policies in medium to large European cities:
- CASCADE achieved a better understanding of key challenges related to the implementation of sustainable energy policies in three main areas: energy efficiency in buildings and districts, renewable energy and urban transport.
- The project fostered better and more innovative solutions that can support cities in reaching their sustainable energy targets, in particular their Covenant of Mayors commitments.
IV) Extending the scope of CASCADE and reaching national, regional and European level:
- The learning of CASCADE was widely shared with other cities through the organisation of 11 national technical seminars, as well as at various dissemination events at European and local level.
- CASCADE cities offered advice and support to 37 new cities in their region to help them improve their energy policies and projects.
- CASCADE cooperated with the Covenant of Mayors initiative to support cities in delivering their commitments.
V) Improved transnational cooperation:
- Creation of a network of 76 European cities working together to achieve Europe 2020 targets: 19 CASCADE cities, 20 cities invited to take part to project activities (new cities), 37 cities in the region or metropolitan area of CASCADE partner cities;
- Creation of a network of 376 city experts, decision makers and local stakeholders (219 city experts, 28 decision makers and 129 local stakeholders).
VI) Increased capacity, knowledge and skills of staff from local authorities to successfully design and implement municipal action plans/strategies for sustainable energy:
- 83% of the participants from CASCADE cities and 88% from the 20 new cities raised their awareness;
- 66% of the participants from CASCADE cities and 100% from new cities increased their knowledge;
- 58% of the participants from CASCADE cities and 92% from new cities transferred the new knowledge acquired though the project’s learning activities to their colleagues;
- 68% of the participants from CASCADE cities and 69% from new cities improved interdepartmental teamwork;
- 64% of the participants from CASCADE cities and 53% from new cities enriched cooperation with local stakeholders;
- 65% of the participants from CASCADE cities and 46% from new cities increased the number of contacts with their counterparts in other European cities.
VII) Acceleration and improvement in the delivery of sustainable energy policies in medium to large European cities:
- 47% of the participants from CASCADE cities and 69% from new cities improved their energy and climate mitigation policies;
- 61% of the participants from CASCADE cities and 69% from new cities enhanced their managerial structures;
- 47% of the participants from CASCADE cities improved existing projects and 50% launched new ones, and 42% of the participants from new cities improved existing projects or launched new ones.
- All the 76 European cities involved in the project have taken steps that bring them closer to achieving their 2020 energy targets.
VIII) Demonstrated local energy leadership at national, regiona and European level:
- Improved cooperation on energy and climate mitigation issues between the 19 CASCADE partner cities and 37 neighbouring cities.
- CASCADE methodology, lessons and experiences were shared with more than 640 city officials across Europe, through 11 national technical seminars