EUCF beneficiaries plan €31 billion in investments for local energy transition

An equally impressive €1.2 billion was reported as secured in the first round of completed monitoring reports submitted by beneficiaries. So far, out of 400 beneficiaries, 330 have finished developing their Investment Concepts with planned investment aims, and 140 have submitted monitoring reports.

This means that the current figure represents only a partial picture and is likely to increase as more beneficiaries enter and complete the monitoring phase. Compared with the initial funding provided to local authorities totalling around €25 million, the €1.2 billion secured already demonstrates a strong leverage effect.

The figures reflect the growing ambition of municipalities to turn climate and energy plans into bankable projects. The Investment Concepts cover a wide range of sectors, including building renovation, district heating, renewable energy production, smart grids, and sustainable urban mobility.

“The plans show that cities and local authorities are eager to move beyond strategy and planning and move forward with implementation,” says Elina Sergejeva, Project Coordinator for EUCF and continues: 

“With the right technical support and access to finance, local authorities can prepare investment-ready projects and with that, deliver large-scale, impactful actions that directly support Europe’s climate and energy objectives, and the local communities and their economies.”

From ideas to investment-ready projects

The European City Facility, supported by the European Commission’s European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) through both the Horizon 2020 and LIFE Programme, has funded more than 400 municipalities and local public entities in developing robust clean energy or energy efficiency Investment Concepts. 

Across the submitted Investment Concepts, beneficiaries report expected annual energy savings of more than 15,000 GWh, renewable energy production of nearly 12,000 GWh, and potential emissions reductions of around 11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year. These figures reflect the scale and diversity of local climate action supported by the EUCF, across sectors such as building renovation, district heating, renewable energy, smart grids, and sustainable urban mobility.

The individual Investment Concepts range from highly specific actions that have been successfully implemented with the support of EUCF, such as in Ravenna (Italy), which sought and secured €15 million in public grants, to large-scale renovation programmes, such as the partnership between a regional utility and a grouping of municipalities led by Schaerbeek (Belgium), with ambitions exceeding €1 billion, and everything in between.

The EUCF Impact Dashboard aggregates this information, offering an overview of both expected and monitored investments reported by beneficiaries.

Monitoring confirms growing implementation

The reported €1.2 billion in secured investments is based on monitoring reports submitted one year after the completion of Investment Concepts. It represents both funding sources from within, through other public funding and private financing. 

As many beneficiaries are still in earlier phases, this figure currently represents a slice of the overall portfolio, with the volume of reported investments expected to increase further.

“What we are seeing is a pipeline that is steadily maturing, and cities are moving from planning to delivery. The European support in this case is not helping cities create action from thin air, but rather helping them to mature actions from their climate and energy plans, benefiting the local economy and society at large,” explains Elina Sergejeva.

At the same time, challenges persist, and some EUCF beneficiaries also report no implementation one year later. Key constraints identified during the European City’s Facility capacity-building programme include shifting political priorities, financial constraints, limited capacity, and the challenge of connecting with available funding or finance.

Supporting Europe’s climate goals

Local authorities play a central role in achieving Europe’s climate and energy targets. Through initiatives such as the EUCF, municipalities gain access to tools and expertise that enable them to develop high-quality, investment-ready projects.

By strengthening local capacity and improving access to finance, the EUCF contributes to building a long-term pipeline of sustainable energy investments across Europe.

As more cities finalise their Investment Concepts and enter the monitoring phase, the Impact Dashboard will continue to provide insights into how local ambition is being translated into concrete action, with examples, best cases and experience presented by the European City Facility and its partners.