Mediterranean cities build a united front against the climate crisis

euronews (in English)

The European COMPOSE project brings together cross-disciplinary expertise and proven best practices to support decision-makers in small and medium-sized cities as they tackle the climate crisis and transition to renewable energy.

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00:00Rithymno, in Crete, is home to about 50,000 residents year-round, but like many Mediterranean

00:12cities, it faces mounting pressure from the climate crisis. From rapid urbanization to

00:18waste and energy management, local authorities must now strike a balance between economic

00:23growth and more sustainable ways of living. According to the mayor, tapping into solar

00:29energy is a key step towards that goal.

00:32We are the first area of Crete, which had a fuel system for electric cars, and, of course,

00:40we have 11 fuel systems, and at the next time, we think we will counterbalance it.

00:52Rithymno is a participant in Compose, an initiative led by an international team of experts, such

00:58as Stavroula from the Technical University of Crete. The project's goal is to increase

01:03the share of renewable energy in local strategies to combat the climate crisis.

01:08Compose built a step-by-step methodology like a practical guidance for the local authorities

01:16to enable them to build their capacity to design more efficiently and more effectively their

01:22energy plans. Launched between 2016 and 2019 across 11 Mediterranean countries, the project

01:30had a total budget of 2.5 million euros, of which 74.67% came from the European cohesion policy.

01:40To build on the lessons of Compose, Stavroula and the sustainable energy team of the Technical University

01:46of Crete created an online toolbox that continues to help municipalities to this day, with practical tools

01:53for planning and monitoring. The idea is to help decision makers to understand how to assess the

02:01solutions that are presented by different technology providers and how to go to a holistic approach.

02:09This approach was tested in Anorkia, a mountain village in central Crete. Compose researchers

02:16found that traditional fireplaces had negative impacts on both health and the environment. Working with

02:21local authorities, they developed a plan to replace them with cleaner and more sustainable heating systems.

02:42In just a decade, the number of modern fireplaces in Anorkia rose from 10% of households

02:48to 50%, leading to cleaner air and reducing the number of trees cut down for firewood.

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