cose-questionnaire-beckerich-20-12-10

							  Communities of/for a Sustainable Europe (CoSE)
           international network of villages and neighbourhoods for bottom-up approach

An initiative of the Community of Ashton Hayes (village in Cheshire-West, United Kingdom), the Community
of Beckerich (small town in Luxemburg), the Community of De Stoere Houtman (neighbourhood in Arnhem,
the Netherlands), the Community of Jabuka (village of Pančevo, Serbia), the Community of Nebusice (village
                  near Prague, Czech Republic) and a Community in the City of Reda (Poland)

   De Stoere Houtman De Houtmanstraat 18 6826PJ Arnhem Netherlands +31.26.3629962 jaaphuurman@hotmail.com




Questionnaire ( for the community-management ):
BECKERICH (L), Mayor Camille Gira, 20 December, 2010



   1. Demographics and developments

   a. How many people live in the community? 2.300

   b. Ages , skills, professions, famous persons? Rather young population; 2/3 working in service
      jobs; migrants from surrounding countries and Portugal

   c. What type of community is it? (Rural/urban, young/old, rent/private stock,
      rich/average/poor, etc.) rural; most private houses; no social housing; about 20% rental
      stock; many houses 150 years old; average income

   d. Which projects/actions have already been realised? Biogas installation by farmers; 130
      buildings connected to district heating and wooden chips heating by community



   2. Ambitions

   a. What are the ambitions of the community? Please specify

               Long term: energy-autonomy; self-sufficiency regarding electricity (although
                connected to the big national grid) and heat
               Midterm: self-sufficiency of households
               Short term: reducing CO2-emissions; green-electric cars; car sharing and
                development of 30-40 low energy, social houses

   b. Are these ambitions individual or collective? collective

   c. Are there any plans for:
    behaviour-change for saving energy there are electricity saving campaigns and there will
      be such campaigns for heating + campaigns to use green electricity
    do you know the program of Eco-Teams-of-Private-Households (for saving energy and
     separating waste and consuming differently) or would you like assistance on this: we are
     very much interested in this program
     programmes for isolation and ventilation of built environment: since 2005 there is a local
     subsidy for isolation
     production of green energy: besides the biogas-installation, solar cell voltage panels on
     public buildings and supermarket and social institutions; in near future also on private
     buildings, like farms
     clean (public and private) transport/mobility? The region of 10 municipalities have a one-
     hour-connection with the capital

d. Have you already executed any of these plans? If so, which? already answered

e. Do you have interest in organising one or more feasibility studies on these subjects? If so,
   which? And if so, do you have any co-financing for those studies? feasibility studies for new
   energy concepts; these will be co-financed by national government



3. Built environment

a. How many houses are there in the community? 700 households; 600 houses

b. Type of houses (apartment, row, detached, semi-detached, etc) about 50 apartments;
   others most detached

c. Other (public) buildings? 4 public buildings + supermarket + autism social institution (all
   with solar cells)

d. Kind of roofs? not flat

e. Ages of the houses? About half elder than 150 years

f.   Type of heating (typical/average)? Most fuel; 130 buildings connected to district heat

g. How are the houses typically insulated (not insulated, single/double glazing, wall insulation,
   roof insulation, floor insulation, other (please specify), etc.) most houses not well insulated;
   few have wall insulation; but most have double glazing however

h. Are there plans for new houses and/or other new buildings? What kind of? There are plans
   for 6 passive houses and for 30-40 low-energy, social houses

i.   Is there a system of Energy Subsidies? There is indeed a state – and a municipal energy
     subsidy system and the challenge for the future is not to have the money flowing outside
     the region, but to use the subsidy more for the reduction of energy use (for example by
     insulation)
4. Future Projects

a. Which projects/actions are planned on the short term? Expend district heating system;
   solar cells on private houses; green electric cars

b. Which projects/actions are planned on the midterm/long term? Regional Money System (to
   keep money and jobs in region) on its way, now that supermarket is willing to participate
   and National Bank does tolerate is; it is a EU- Leader-Project in co-operation with German
   town Chiemgau; + finding solutions for insulation of rental stock by loans of bank and
   municipal security (within a European co-operation, called Sustainable Energy
   Management Systems – SEMS)

c. Why have you chosen these specific projects? Because of regional potentials, like
   agriculture

d. Who were involved with these decisions? Community + households (to be connected to
   district heating) + farmers (for the bio-gas-installation)

e. What are the benefits of the project? Reduction of CO2-emissions; keeping money and jobs
   in Beckerich

f. Who initiated / initiates the projects? (residents and/or house-owners? municipality?)
   mainly the municipality

g. Who have played/will play a role in realising the projects? (Community members, local
   administration, third parties, etc.) yes all, including an energy engineering consultancy
   company

h. How have the projects been funded? How will they be funded? 1/3 by state-subsidy + bank
   loans + selling electricity (€ 0,11 per Kwh, like in Germany) + selling the heat

i. How did / do you gain the knowledge needed for the project(s)? the existing engineering
   company nearby; know-how of the local politicians (some are for example architects);
   and visits to Denmark and Austria to learn from experiences

j. Do you now have all the knowledge you need? more or less! If not, what would you still
   need to know? Most important is to learn which contracts and legal constructions can be
   used for the insulation of the rental stock

k. Which problems have you encountered so far? How have they been solved? In the
   beginning the national government and especially the Ministry of Inner Affairs was not
   interested; but now they are co-operative

l. If you were to go through the whole process again, what would you change, and why? No
    ideas of doing it a different way

m. What are the success and fail factors of the projects? Success factor is high (90%)
   acceptance of public and fail factor is insulation of houses
n. Has there been an evaluation yet? If so, what are the main outcomes? Evaluation is on its
   way



5. Local opportunities for sustainability

a. Do you have an inventory of the local opportunities such as:

           industry with unused rest heat: we have no industry, but we know what farmers
            deliver
           Total surface of roofs that can be used for solar energy: an inventory is on its way
           Running water: no water-falls
           Etc. : wind and wood from forrest

b. What business activities are there in the area (agriculture, industry, cattle breeding, other):
   besides agriculture, there is a mineral water plant + a very co-operative supermarket

c. Is there contact with companies in the area? Yes!

d. Sewage systems ? Much wind ? Agriculture around? Self-cultivation of food ? There is a
   small regional water cleaning installation and it might be an idea to see, if it is possible to
   win energy from that

e. Is there a motivated community? “we hope so!”



6. Social capital

a. Is there a community organisation? If yes, what are its activities, and how are these
   organised? Besides the council with 9 members, there are 10 consultative commissions /
   working groups with 70 civilians more (for example for culture, for education, for youth,
   for ecology, for jumelage-with-Hungarian-village) and about 30 sport- and culture
   associations

b. Has there been made a SWOT-analysis (Strong-Weak-Opportunities-Threats) and/or ABCD-
   inventory (Assets Based Community Development *‘assets = capacities, hobbies, benefits for
   the community] )? Not systematically Can we help you with this? Help is welcome!

c. Inside the community: What are the strong (S of SWOT) points of the community? Strong is
   the participation, for example about 300 people involved in the organisation of our
   International-1st-of-May-Run What are the weak (W of SWOT) of the community? Not
   many newcomers

d. Outside the community: What are the threats (T of SWOT) for the community? ??!! What
   are the opportunities (O of SWOT) for the community? Especially the co-operation with the
   9 other municipalties in the region, on public transport, on elder people centre and also on
   energy saving campaigns
e. Has a DIA-method (Dreams Inspire Action-Plans) been operationalized? Not yet! Can we
   help you with this? Help is welcome!

f.   How many members of the community have been/will be involved in the projects? +/- 150

g. How many people are volunteering in other activities? +/- 300 What kind of activities ? Like
   already described



7. Organisation

a. How is the community organised? Informally? Formally? Legally? Formally and with working
   groups, like the one on ecology

b.   If as a legal body: as a NGO? Profit-making or non-profit-making? By municipal
     management

c. Do you need assistance with this? No!



8. Communication

a. Have there been meetings for the whole community? In 1995 there was one, when we
   started the Ecology Initiative and there will be a community-meeting again, when we are
   ready with the new plans

b. Is there a news letter? Yes, a monthly

c. Is there a web site? If yes, is it for internal or external use? Especially for external, public-
   relations use

d. How many people have computer and internet ? 90% computers and 80% internet Are
   there public places or shops with computers and internet ? Internet is free to use in
   municipal hall

e. Has there been any coverage in (local) media? Very many articles in national and
   international (Belgian and Portugese) newspapers and tv-programmes



9. Local network

a. Are you in contact with the municipality? With officer(s) and/or authorities? Obvious!

b. Are you in contact with the regional government? With officer(s) and/or authorities? See 6-
   d-Opportunities: the ten municipalities also employ together an energy consultant

c. Are you in contact with the national government? With officer(s) and/or authorities?
   Obvious (also because Mr Camille Gyra is also Member of the National Parliament)
d. Are you in contact with international bodies? With officer(s) and/or authorities? In the
   board of the City Network for Climate Alliance (with 1600 members) and co-initiator of the
   Covenant of Mayors on Sustainability

e. Do they support your ambitions/ will they support your ambitions? If yes, how? Obvious!

f.   Are you in contact with any NGO’s? There is also new body of 26 municipalities in
     Luxembourg on Sustainability

g. Do they support your ambitions? If yes, how? Obvious!



10. CoSE network

a. What could your community offer to other communities? Experiences, examples of
   concrete projects and initiatives and participation in CoSE

b. What would your community need from other communities? New ideas!

c. Are you in contact with other communities? If yes, where and how? See 4-b: SEMS

d. Do you know any other communities who may be interested in joining the CoSE network?
   By SEMS and by the group of 26 municipalities in Luxembourg (see 9-f)

e. Do you know any (local) NGO’s which may be interested in joining the CoSE network? “I
   think it might be important for CoSE to bring this network in touch with the Covenant of
   Mayors”



11. Other

a. Is there any other information you would like to share? “The bottom-up-approach of CoSE
   is essential for the local, national and international development towards sustainability”
   Therefor Mr Camille Gyra is willing to consider to take responsibility in the CoSE-network.
   We made appointments for the April and September gatherings of CoSE

b. What do you think about this questionnaire? Inspiring for mutual exchanges

                            Beckerich, 21-12-10, JH (with corrections: Arnhem, 03-01-11, JH)