How can local energy communities promote sustainable development in European cities?

TLDR

In the face of planetary environmental and social emergencies, sustainable development must be pursued through local action, with Local Energy Communities positioned as key drivers of energy decentralisation and social innovation in line with the SDGs. The study aims to identify the characteristics that enable a Local Energy Community to act as a driver of local sustainable development and social innovation. The research focuses on the actions undertaken by Local Energy Communities in energy and other domains, examining how these activities contribute to sustainable development. The study finds that Local Energy Communities vary from energy‑only to integrative actors, with the latter implementing SDG‑aligned actions that promote local sustainable development, highlighting key characteristics for effective operation and confirming their high potential as drivers of local sustainable development.

Abstract

In the context of the current planetary environmental and social emergency, it is essential to seek strategies for sustainable development. In line with the Social Development Goals (SDG), these strategies must facilitate action from an energy perspective and give citizens a central role. Given that global challenges must be addressed through local action, the transition towards energy decentralisation through Local Energy Communities (LEC) is of central importance. The general objective of this research is to identify characteristics that are key in order for a LEC to act as a driver of local sustainable development and social innovation. This paper has deepened knowledge around these structures in order to identify the keys to their effective operation. Attention is also focused on actions carried out by these communities in the field of energy and beyond. This research corroborates that while some of them only engage with energy, others are more integrative. These latter implement a number of different actions – in line with SDGs— that promote local sustainable development. This study concludes that LECs are high-potential structures that can act as drivers of local sustainable development.