Minutes for the Board Meeting for UBC Energy Commission
February 12th 2007
Opening and welcome
Co-Chairman, Stefan Windh,welcomed all participants to Stockholm and hereby was the meeting opened.
Mr. Windh continued by saying; - We have now put up great goals and expectation for the Commission. Now we have to look realistic on what the Energy Commission can accomplish. It is still very important that we go together and work for the energy situation in the Baltic Sea Region.
Regarding the pending chairman position: We hope to have a mixture in the board with representation from Poland or Germany. A discussion will be held during the next meeting regarding nominees and candidates.
Appointing chairman for the meeting
The meeting appoints Stefan Windh for chairman for the meeting.
Appointing secretary for the meeting
Head of Secretariat, Sofie Gunnarsson was appointed secretary.
Action plan 2007 for the Energy Commission
Aims and goals
Discussion:
Jan Westerberg proposed that we discuss the aims and goals for theCommission. Stefan Windh pointed out the three focus areas mentioned at the Energy Forum in Oskarshamn.
All board members got to express how they thought we should work in the Commission and what the role of the Commission should be.
We need concrete goals, which make it possible for us to measure the use of energy? For example: How do we plan a city – from an energy perspective?
Conclusions
§ Work with other organisations is important!
§ Working with the other UBC Commissions! Great input!
§ Boil down the EU-level and national level energy issues to a local level!
§ The carbon dioxide problem is very complex but yet important!
§ Practical use from experience exchanges in projects within the Energy Commission is very important.
§ The nuclear issue – not on the top of the agenda and it’s hard for us as an Energy Commission to give opinions and recommendations; that is not our role.
Though nuclear power is not the focus for the local level. We need the information for background knowledge but the nuclear power it self is not the focus for the Energy Commission.
§ Promote municipalities to use great examples to get more energy efficient!
§ We need to know what the future is going to look like! What is an environmental car?
Focus Areas
From a broad perspective we need to break it down to a local level.
A few focus areas where we can have great impact!
To look at the energy system issue rather than individual sources, and introduce this to the municipalities.
§ Reduction of greenhouse gases
§ Energy efficiency programs
§ Higher self sufficiency and local energy production
§ (Dematerialisation of public sector)
Utilisation and funding
We have 650 000 SEK from the municipality of Oskarshamn for the secretariat.
We will receive 8000 EUR from the UBC Secretariat in Gdansk.
We have started cooperation with SIDA, the Swedish International Development Agency, The Baltic Sea Unit. We have more or less been promised funding for the initial phase of the UBC Energy cooperation. The secretariat will take the responsibility for the application.
We also have funding from the Swedish Energy Agency until April 31st for the work of the competence board.
Other possible ways of funding;
§ National governmental funding?
§ UN?
§ Local energy agencies
§ In regards to private funding it is very important to stay natural. Suggestion to look at the other commissions how they work with the private funding. Maybe make a policy for the private funding.
Sofie will look into this.
§ Intelligent Energy
§ FP7 Framework programme – Energy Research
Project applications EU and other possible contributors
Industrial energy savings programme example from Oskarshamn.
Project in Örebro with bio fuel plant. The municipality buys biogas cars to set a good example and to make citizens, companies, public transport and taxi drivers to follow. Project together with the Royal Technical University in cooperation with “Svensk Biogas”.
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By integration of the local energy systems with other structures in the society the perspectives are to:
· Increase the power output from combined heat and power plants and in this way be able to face the new environmental and energy situation for Europe.
· Reduce the consumption of fuels for the integrated activities
· Find new applications for moderately heated spill water.
About the projects
Sofie will send out information from Gunnar Hovsenius and Björn Karlsson. Bengt Karlsson will make sure the contacts are made between Kotka and Gunnar Hovsenius as soon as possible. We have got a positive reply from the city of Kotka already.
Contact information – How do we get the information out to the right people in the municipalities?
Pekka Sivhonen states that “Union of municipalities in Finland” is a good way get hold of contact information in Finland.
Reports
Sofie hands out a short report over the activities in the Commission so far. In the future a newsletter will be sent out to the board members frequently.
Sofie also asks for bulletin texts for the board members to contribute in the next issue of the Bulletin for the Energy commission and the Commission on Environment.
All board members will get a copy of the environmental bulletin and a link to the website.
Affiliation to the Energie Cités network
The Energie Cités network has the southern European as target area. Our network is more focused on the Nordic perspective that gives us a great opportunity to cooperate.
When Stefan Windh had a meeting with the Energie Cités he was offered a joint membership for the whole of the UBC to affiliate as a subgroup.
The proposal is that the Board of the UBC Energy Commission proposes the UBC Executive board to apply for the Energie Cités network.
The secretariat will see to that this letter is sent out as soon as possible.
Invitations
The secretariat will forward invitations received by the Energy Commission. This information will be distributed in the monthly e-newsletter.
Future electronic collaboration platform
Website will be up and running shortly.
More information about the web services will be sent out to the board continually.
Meeting plan for the UBC Energy Board 2007
1st of June 2007 in Mariehamn.
27th-28th of September 2007 in Pärnu
Closing session
Stefan Windh expressed his thanks to the board members for a good meeting and closed the meeting of the UBC Energy Commission Board.
Jan Westerberg welcomed us to the next meeting in Mariehamn. | 
