The Capacity Building Programme focuses on holistic energy planning for the clean energy transition and is aimed at policymakers, public officers and spatial planners in small and medium-sized cities and towns.

The programme pursues the following objectives:

• Strengthening local expertise in integrated spatial and energy planning
• Providing local authorities in SMCTs with the skills and tools necessary to develop, implement and monitor sustainable strategies and plans for clean energy transition

Spatial planning plays a pivotal role in shaping energy demand, improving energy efficiency, and unlocking the potential of renewable energy sources. A cornerstone of the capacity building programme is the concept of integrated spatial and energy planning which incorporates the spatial dimensions of energy demand and energy supply into formalized planning processes in a comprehensive and systematic manner. In addition, the programme also introduces participants to the fundamentals of energy systems analysis. This includes a wide range of topics, such as: resources, conversion technologies, sector-specific energy consumption, energy services, cost structures, financial considerations and environmental impacts, energy policies and regulations, demand-supply analysis, flexibilization need, interaction of urban energy systems within the national system, spatio-temporal considerations, and the concept of energy communities.

By focusing on these key areas, the programme empowers local authorities to take a leading role in driving the clean energy transition while fostering citizen engagement and sustainable urban development.