Low-Carbon Economy Regions
Sustainable European Regions Network (SERN) is a network with the goal of implementing and putting into practice sustainable development policies and strategies. One of the means in achieving this objective is to develop and implement larger projects in the participating regions. If enough SERN members prioritise a given project idea, a full proposal - as in this case - will be developed. SERN focuses its work on three overall themes: Sustainable Economy, Sustainable Territorial Development, and Governance for Sustainability.
The project addresses the EU sustainable development strategy set up in the Gothenburg Agenda making environmental considerations and climate change an integral part in achieving the overall goals of the renewed Lisbon strategy. The project focuses on the area of “Energy and sustainable transport” within the Interreg IVc “Priority 2” targets “Environment and Risk Prevention”.

The project runs for four years and starts as soon as funding is secured.
The project’s activities are designed to improve the effectiveness of regional development policies through interregional cooperation and thereby contribute to economic and environmental modernisation as well as increased competitiveness in Europe. 
The six project partners are dispersed throughout the European territory and face through their spatial location and different socio-economic characteristics a wide range of development threats and opportunities:
Southern Denmark (DK): a regional authority in southern Denmark (Lead)
Västra Götaland (S): A regional authority in the west-central part of Sweden
Asturias (E): a regional government in the northern part of Spain
Emilia Romagna (I): an administrative region in the northern part of Italy
Business Support Centre Gorenjska (SL): A non-profit limited company established by municipalities, chambers of craft, chamber of commerce and Republic of Slovenia
Province of Zeeland (NL): A province in the south-western part of the Netherlands
The activities in the project include networking and experience exchange (joint annual conferences, workshops and site-visits) and sub-projects implemented by local, public organisations. This will allow for much needed intense intra- and inter-regional collaboration. Activities on both a strategic and a tactical level are thus ensured.
The regions will focus on 3 cross-cutting themes: “New Climate”, “New Energy”, and “New leadership”. The sub-projects, in which the municipalities play an important role, will deal with “Use of Renewables in Local Energy systems”, “Carbon Sinks & Carbon Capture”, “Procurement Practices”, “Low Carbon Territorial Planning”, and “Public as a Driver for Low Carbon Economy”. These sub-projects are linked to the mentioned cross-cutting themes.
The outcomes of the project include Best practice inventories, Thematic analyses, New methodologies and guidelines, Pilot actions, Action catalogues, Policy recommendations and Policy changes