A lot of heating and energy is lost in houses with bad insulation or inefficient.  Community projects are in general more accessible for households that are financially strong. Underprivileged households are often misinformed and, as a consequence, show low interest in participating in any program related to energy-saving.

Objectives and target audience

By signing the Kyoto Protocol, the City of Antwerp has committed to achieve 7.5% reduction of energy consumption by 2012.  One action taken to achieve this goal is the development of awareness campaigns and financial incentives targeted to specific social groups.

The main objective of the bonus system is to improve insulation and support energy saving measures targeted to households with a low cadastral income.
The City of Antwerp in collaboration with vzw Recyclant developed an energy saving bonus system targeted to households with a low cadastral income (max € 745)
This bonus is used for:

• Super insulated window panes (€ 20/m²; with U max 1,3 W/m²K)
• Roof insulation (€ 5/m², with minimal R value of 3m²K/w)

Financial Resources and Partners involved

The financial support for this project has increased each year:

• 2005: € 90 000;
• 2006: € 100 000;
• 2007: € 250 000;
• 2008: € 260 000.

Finance-support partners: vzw Recyclant (municipal non profit organisation) and City of Antwerp.

Awareness-support partners: Housing information centres and ecological information centre.  They promoted the campaign city wide and specifically to the target group.  The Housing information centres also helped citizens to fill in the application forms for the premiums.

Process

On May 2005 the City Council approved the new energy premium system for energy saving measures.  It was targeted to house owners with low cadastral income to encourage them to invest in roof insulation and super insulated window panes.
Different information channels were/are used to reach this target group as for example:

• Environmental newspaper with energy tips and general information on environmental and energy campaigns (3 times/year);
• City information newspaper “De(n) Antwerpenaar” (2 times/month) (free for all citizens), approx. 450 000 prints;
• Information at the website of the City Environmental Department ;
• Distribution of information folders all over the city;
• Information points at the recycling parks of the city;
• Organisation of the Energy week Campaign for citizens of Antwerp: with information about actions and exhibitions concerning energy saving measures;
• Environmental phone for information on environment and energy;
• Press conference to launch the campaign.

Results

Table 1 shows the number and the amount of premiums delivered from 2005 until 2007.  There was a 3fold increase (2007) in amount of premiums delivered for roof and window insulation since 2005.

Table1: Premiums for roof insulation and window insulation (owners)
2005    2006    2007
Total number of premiums    163    395    565
Total amount of premiums (in €)     30 316    75 591    119 205
Average amount of premium (in €)     186    192    211
Total surface covered for roof insulation (in m²)     929    3 834    5 763
Total surface covered for super insulation of the windows (in m²)     1 396    3 426    5 168

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

The city wanted to make special efforts towards citizens with low income to promote energy saving measures.
Due to the combination of federal tax reduction, other premiums from the energy network distributors and the city premium system, the pay back period for the investments made by the house owners was very small and therefore this bonus system was very successful.
This principal of “product and target group” adjusted premiums can be used by any other municipality or organisation.

Today, the Brussels-Capital Region offers employment to about 680,000 people. More than half of these workers live outside the Region and 57% of them travel to work by car (most of them alone!). Improving mobility is essential to maintaining the economic appeal of Brussels.

Objectives and target audience

The WMP obligation aims to involve around 300 to 350 sites and 300.000 workers (44% of total employment in Brussels region).
In terms of CO2 emissions, it has been estimated that this obligation could bring a reduction of about 21,000 tons of CO2 in 2010, which is equivalent to 2.5% of the 2005 total regional transport emissions.

The target audience are the companies employing more than 200 people.

Financial Resources and Partners involved

Total expenses, from 2004 to the end of 2007, for the implementation of the WMP obligation can be estimated at about 1 million Euros, mainly for staff costs, developing software, map and awareness tools, and subsidies to STIB (regional public transport), Taxistop (carpooling) and Cambio (carsharing). Since 2008, the annual budget is around €250 k.
The cost per non-emitted ton of CO2 during the Kyoto period is about €23.80 (Implementation costs as annual budget included). The cost of a ton of CO2 on the European market is presently around 27€ (June 2008) and 2010 forecasts estimate it to rise to €30 per ton. Therefore, this measure is economically efficient.
In addition to the two regional administrations, the partners involved are the regional public transport, the carpooling and carsharing organisms and of course the companies and enterprises which have to develop a WMP.

Process

Brussels Environment and Brussels Mobility work together in the Follow-up Cell on MWPs. The task of this Cell is to support the implementation and evaluation of the WMP’s obligation. These administrations guide businesses through joint advice on individual WMP.
The development of a WMP is a long-term process, characterised by the progressive implementation of concrete measures. The plan is designed based on two initial phases, followed by an annual update.
The first stage of the WMP consists of making the mobility diagnosis of the company and establishing a draft action plan with a first selection of foreseeable measures.
The second phase is the presentation of action plans: describing all the means used to improve mobility and air quality.

Results

The obligation of a Workplace Mobility Plan covers now about 250 sites and 220.000 workers (32% of the number of employments).
The analysis of WMPs – phase 1 allows the Region to have a clear picture of the regional workplace mobility and the factors which encourage or discourage a green mobility.
Companies voluntarily engage themselves to promote modal shift from cars to other modes of transport by 5% within 1 year after the WMP is started. Thanks to the WMP approach and the work of the Follow-up Cell (advice and recommendations), companies commit to implement several measures concerning sustainable mobility as for example: realisation of a multi-modal accessibility data-sheet, creation of a car-sharing database or enrolment to Taxistop, installation or improvement of bicycle parking, designation of a mobility coordinator, booking of parking spaces for car-sharing users…
Numerous on-line-tools (questionnaires, geographical tools…) are in continuous development to facilitate the preparation and the implementation of WMPs.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

Success factors:-

• The individualised advice and recommendations from the Follow-up Cell encourage enterprises to take efficient and concrete measures to foster sustainable mobility;
• Tools developed: online forms, map tools, best examples, practical leaflets, websites;
• Problems encountered;
• Sometimes it is difficult to involve all companies affected by this obligation;
• The Follow-up Cell gives advice and recommendations to the companies once phase 1 (diagnostic) is finished. The deadline for giving those recommendations is 3 months after the submission of the report. At the beginning of 2005, nearly 200 MWP-phase 1 reports arrived were submitted at the same time,  it was impossible to respond on time to all of them, due to the lack of human resources in the Cell and given the willingness to provide individualised good quality advice to each company.

Small daily gestures such as lowering down the temperature of the heating or turning off the lights help to reduce energy consumption. However, certain investments can have a major impact on the reduction of the energy bill while initial costs are reimbursed quite quickly.

Objectives and target audience

Incentives are open for every household or society who owns a building from Brussels Capital Region. The main objective is to improve the energy efficiency of the residential buildings and to contribute to the commitment of Brussels to reach its regional Kyoto Protocol target.

Financial Resources and Partners involved

This Programme is an initiative of the regional Minister of Environment and Energy. It is managed by Brussels Environment – IBGE, the Brussels-Capital‘s regional administration for Environment and Energy.
The Programme is 100% funded by the Brussels Capital Region.

Process

Each year, a list of the premiums and incentives for energy saving addressed to households is updated. the Brussels-Capital Region proposes incentives for insulation (roof, wall, window, and solar protection), the purchase of less energy consuming electric household appliances (Fridge A++…) or heating installations (condensation boiler, regulation systems…), the installation of solar systems (photovoltaic, water solar boiler) and for individual household energy audit.
During the year, an information campaign on the possibilities offered is carried out by means of a publicity campaign, a booklet, updated information on the Official Website of the Administration of Environment and Energy and during any event, action or project linked to energy efficiency or sustainable development in the City.
The procedure for applying for one of these incentives is divided in the following phases:-

1. To do an investment with the acquisition of a new appliance or the realisation of works at home in order to implement one of the measures suggested.
2. To prepare the request form for the incentive.
3. To send the request to Brussels-Environment-IBGE
4. Payment of the incentive or request for complementary information in case of form incomplete.

Results

Not yet available

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

Not yet available

Our comfort strongly depends on energy. Heating, light bulbs, electronic appliances use a lot of energy which has a direct impact on the environment as well as our energy bill.
Reducing consumption through the Energy Challenge aims to save money but also raise environmental awareness of Brussels’ citizens.

Objectives and target audience

The programme “Energy Challenge for Household”, called “Défi Energie” in French, aims to change behaviour in energy consumption of a large number of individual households (renters as owners) through individual public engagement.
The objectives are:

• A reduction of greenhouse gases emission (involvement in the regional/national Kyoto target) via energy savings (quantitative objective of 1 ton CO2 per household without financial investments)
• A behavioural change of citizens towards energy use at home and in their mobility choices.  The individual target is 1 ton CO2 per household through behavioural change mainly in heating and electrical consumptions as well as through greener mobility.

Financial Resources and Partners involved

The sensitization Programme “Energy Challenge” is an initiative of the regional Minister of Environment and Energy.  It is managed by Brussels Environment – IBGE, the Brussels-Capital‘s regional administration for environment and energy.  The field activities are conducted by two NGOs, the Réseau Eco-consommation and Négawatt, and the sociological follow-up by Sonecom.
The Programme is 100% funded by the Brussels Capital Region through Brussels Environment – IBGE.
The Programme is supported by medias (Vlan, BelRTL, La Dernière Heure, Tu bâtis-Je rénove) for the promotion and media follow-up.
The total budget from June 2005 to June 2008 is 575.000€ (75.000€ in 2005 and 250.000€ in 2006 and 2008), the Brussels Environment – IBGE ‘s human resources are not included.

Process

The first edition, from September 2005 to June 2006, was a testing phase implemented in 200 households. Based on this pilot experience, it was possible to estimate the achievable individual target of 1 ton CO2 per household; this target could be reached through behavioural change mainly in heating and electrical consumptions as well as through a greener mobility without any financial investments.
The second edition was conducted during the winter 2006-07 with 1400 participants (including the 1st group) and a third one started in Autumn 2007.
The Energy Challenge is based on existing tools (telephone advice services, leaflets, individual audits, website…) and new activities (meetings/conferences for households involved in the action, on-line tools to follow individual consumptions, animations, etc.). Individuals can choose among a list of identified precise actions he/she was committed to sign for.
In winter 2007-08, Brussels Environment has developed a methodology on how to extend the number of households engaged in the energy challenge not only through individual commitment but also through existing associations (women associations, associations of parents, sports clubs, etc.).  This implied to recruit and train “energy relays” for each target group in order to become facilitators in their group and to develop new awareness and pedagogical support.
So far (June 2008), 2078 households have taken part in the Energy Challenge.

Results

In the 1st edition, 200 households were involved in the project; they reduced their energy consumption without loosing comfort by 13%, corresponding to a financial savings of 335€ per household per year.  In the 2nd edition, the 1400 households involved reached a 20% reduction, so as 400€ savings per household per year.
In Autumn 2008 it will start the 3rd edition of the Energy Challenge for households; this time, households will be able to monthly monitor their energy consumptions through a website and will be able to compare their records to other citizens taking part in the initiative.
By taking part in the Challenge, each inhabitant of Brussels can contribute to the effort of the Brussels Region to decrease its greenhouse gases emissions and fulfil the objectives of the Kyoto protocol.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

Waiting for the final report.