vision. network. impact.

eclareon is pleased to announce the release of Community Engagement and Fair Benefit Sharing of Renewable Energy Projects report, a study commissioned by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and finalised in late April 2025. Drawing on research from 11 on-the-ground wind and solar case studies within Europe, the report examines how early, accessible, and continuous dialogue with residents can accelerate the energy transition while ensuring local communities share fairly in its rewards. The report also provides a detailed overview of the community engagement and benefit-sharing schemes currently in place for renewable energy projects in five EU member states. eclareon in close cooperation with CAN Europe has identified 14 + 1 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that project developers, policy makers, and NGOs can now use to gauge the quality of community engagement, and the proportionality of benefits delivered. These metrics span financial compensation, ownership stakes, job creation, discounted electricity, biodiversity measures, and upgrades to public services—tools that convert potential conflict into lasting support for renewables. While some EU Member States already legislate community rights, practices remain patchy. The report therefore sets out clear guidelines, provides actionable recommendations and showcases best-in-class examples where robust engagement turned opposition into partnership. For more details, download the report and explore the KPI checklist and interactive case-study map on the website of CAN Europe.

eclareon is pleased to announce the completion of another EU-wide project on the authorisation of renewable energy projects. The project, commissioned by DG ENER, aimed to monitor the implementation of the EC Guidelines and Recommendation on accelerating permitting procedures for renewable energy. As complex national permitting procedures often delay project development, the initiative focused on evaluating the implementation of non-binding EU legislation and identifying key barriers and measures to speed up permitting procedures. Together with Viegand Maagøe (formerly COWI) and Prognos, eclareon spent the last 22 months analysing national administrative procedures in the EU-27 Member States and developing actionable recommendations to improve regulatory efficiency and support a faster transition to renewable energy. The assignment included three rounds of monitoring involving extensive desk research and deep-dive expert interviews, the organisation of a series of meetings of the Informal Expert Group on Accelerating Permitting, and a final stakeholder event. The initiative culminated in a comprehensive document providing guidance to stakeholders, mainly from the solar, onshore and offshore wind and battery storage industries. For more details, see the Final Report and the 2024 Recommendation and guidance on speeding up permit-granting for renewable energy and related infrastructure projects.

eclareon is pleased to announce the completion of the Act!onHeat project, an ambitious initiative to accelerate strategic planning for heating and cooling (H&C) across Europe. With H&C accounting for almost half of Europe's total energy demand and 75% still dependent on fossil fuels, Act!onHeat focused on identifying success factors for effective H&C plans, developing workflows using open source tools, and issuing 21 actionable recommendations for planning, implementation, financing and policy. As part of the project, eclareon led the development of financial pre-feasibility studies, evaluated the Act!onHeat support facility and provided best practice case studies. Together with our partners, we supported 120 municipalities in advancing their H&C strategies, facilitated 30 pre-feasibility studies and helped develop financing options for 15 emerging projects. The initiative culminated in a final conference - "Make your Digital Sprint in Heating and Cooling", held in Brussels in November 2024 - where experts, policy makers and practitioners gathered to share knowledge and network. For more details, please consult the Local Replication Roadmap and eclareon's insights from the financial studies. The Final Report of the project is accessible through the following link.