The Synergise+ tool is a practical and innovative Excel-based system developed to assist decision-makers in prioritising actions from sustainable energy and climate action plans. It was developed as part of our EU-funded Prospect+ project.
Download the Synergise+ tool here.
Its primary objective is to help local governments and communities align their strategies with climate resilience goals, fostering informed, data-driven decisions. By enabling cities to conduct qualitative analysis of their climate mitigation and adaptation actions, the tool simplifies the process of reviewing and evaluating initiatives using information that municipalities already possess. It offers clear visual feedback on how various initiatives align with the city’s values, financial constraints, and sustainability priorities. Stakeholder engagement is a key feature, ensuring that diverse perspectives are factored into planning.
This tool is designed for flexibility, supporting various phases of decision making, ranging from planning to implementation, particularly for cities with limited financial resources. Although initially created for Covenant of Mayors Signatories, the tool is also useful for other entities, such as energy agencies or enterprises, working on local sustainable initiatives.
Key features
One of the core strengths of the Synergise+ tool is its ability to help decision makers identify which projects should be implemented first. This process is based on criteria like environmental impact, cost-efficiency, and alignment with local values. By providing users with a clear ranking of actions, the tool assists in determining which initiatives can be pursued within current budgets and which may require additional resources or planning.
The tool includes a scorecard overview, which summarises the results in a straightforward format, highlighting areas where the city’s sustainable energy and climate action plan excels and those where improvements are needed. Key indicators, such as environmental impact and technical feasibility, are used to assess the actions. Stakeholders from different sectors or departments can be involved in the decision-making process, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive approach to planning.
The visual feedback provided by the Synergise+ scorecard is designed to make interpretation simple. Colour-coded sections quickly point out where the city is doing well and which areas need further attention. For example, actions with strong environmental impact might be highlighted in green, while areas that face challenges in terms of technical feasibility may be flagged for improvement.
How to Use Synergise+
Before using the tool, cities should prepare their sustainability plans, as well as a list of stakeholders who will be involved in the decision-making process. These stakeholders should ideally represent a range of sectors or departments, ensuring a broad and inclusive approach to decision making. While the number of stakeholders involved can vary, it is recommended to have one representative per department or sector to provide balanced input. Once prepared, users can open the Excel tool and follow the instructions provided to input data, analyse results, and review the tool’s recommendations.
The tool offers flexibility in terms of stakeholder input, allowing users to involve as many participants as necessary. Stakeholders contribute to a collective understanding of the city’s climate actions and priorities, fostering collaboration and ensuring that all relevant voices are heard during the decision-making process.
The details
A crucial part of Synergise+ is its capacity to analyse and rank different actions based on a broad range of criteria. This ranking helps cities determine which actions should be prioritised, taking into account not only available resources but also long-term sustainability. Cities can gain a better understanding of the overall effectiveness and cost-efficiency of each action, allowing them to focus on initiatives that will yield the most significant benefits. Furthermore, the tool provides insight into which criteria – whether environmental impact, return on investment, or technical feasibility – play the most significant role in determining the best actions to implement.
In addition to helping with planning, this tool can guide cities through the implementation phase. By examining the relative cost of actions and identifying those that can be funded within the current budget, cities can make more effective and responsible financial decisions. The tool also calculates potential financial savings resulting from these actions, helping decision-makers appreciate the long-term cost benefits of investing in specific climate actions.
Synergise+ can also be used for monitoring and improvement of plans. Through the tool’s feedback system, users can evaluate the ‘health’ of their planned actions, checking how well they align with the city’s values and sustainability goals. It also flags actions that may have negative impacts within the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities, encouraging cities to reconsider or refine these actions to ensure they contribute positively to overall climate objectives.
While this tool is primarily aimed at cities, towns, and regions working on local sustainable development, it can be customised to fit the needs of different users. Users can modify the tool to align with their particular project base, actions, and priorities.
Visual feedback and scorecard
The tool’s scorecard provides a concise, at-a-glance summary of how well the city’s sustainable energy and climate action plan is performing. The scorecard is designed to be visually intuitive, allowing users to quickly spot areas where the plan is succeeding and where there may be room for improvement.
This feedback helps decision makers identify the strengths and weaknesses of their current strategies, enabling them to make necessary adjustments before finalising their plans. For example, a positive environmental impact might indicate that the city’s actions are aligned with sustainability goals, while challenges in economic viability might suggest that additional resources are needed to fully implement the chosen actions.
Ready to go? Then download the Synergise+ tool here.
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