Solutions Gateway Glossary
This webpage contains the definitions of terms which can be found in Solutions and Solutions Packages as the field names and section headers.
Terms used in the Solution Packages
| Package | A Solutions Package is a group of complementary Solutions under one particular theme which can be clustered to generate synergies and increase the impacts of the intervention. |
| Description | This field indicates the scope of the Package, referring briefly to the different Solutions included, and the elements that bring them together. |
| Motivation/ relevance | Describes the urban challenges, city needs or problems that give relevance to this Package and justify its creation. |
| Main impacts | Lists the main long-term benefits of this Package, which often are indirect and strategic in nature, including economic, social, environmental, and climate related. |
| Benefits | Lists the main benefits and co-benefits of this Package that are a direct, and usually immediate, result of the implementation of this Package, including economic, social, environmental, and climate related. |
| Solution | A Solution is a cluster of actions, or a process, aligned with Local Government roles and sphere of influence that can be implemented to deliver climate change mitigation results and enhance local sustainable development. A Solution does not focus exclusively on technology; it is an integrated approach that can include several enabling and multiplying actions to maximize effectiveness and results, including policy setting, regulation, governance, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, awareness raising, etc. |
| Brief description | Indicates the scope of this Solution, the Local Government's main roles in its implementation, and the essential delivery process. |
| Low hanging fruit | A Solution is classified as Low hanging fruit if it does not require financing, or if the budget value is low enough to generally enable its inclusion in the Local Government's own budget without requiring external funding or if funding is easy to obtain and the measure is easy to implement. |
| Support | This section gives guidance on how to learn more about the themes of the Package, and provides information that may be of help for the implementation, namely linking to experts, case studies and other resources. |
| Experts | Link to the Pool of Experts, where you can find Experts who can provide support regarding the implementation of this Package of Solutions. |
| Case studies | Case studies illustrate the implementation of one or several Solutions that integrate this Package in cities. |
| Other resources | Links to other tools, glossaries, documents, websites, etc., which may be of help in the use of this Package. |
| References | Sources of information quoted in this Package or consulted during its development. |
Terms used in Solutions
| Solution | A Solution is a process or cluster of actions aligned with Local Government roles and sphere of influence that can be implemented to deliver climate change mitigation results and enhance local sustainable development. A Solution does not focus exclusively on technology; it is an integrated approach that can include several enabling and multiplying actions to maximize effectiveness and results, including policy setting, regulation, governance, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, awareness raising, etc. |
| Brief description | Indicates the scope of this Solution, the Local Government's main roles for its implementation, and the essential delivery steps. |
| Motivation/ relevance | Describes the urban challenges, city needs or problems that give relevance to this Solution and justify its creation. |
| Main impacts | Main long-term benefits from this Solution which are strategic in nature, and eventually indirect. These can include economic, social, environmental and climate impacts. |
| Benefits | Main benefits and co-benefits of this Solution, including economic, social, environmental and climate related. By comparison with the field "Main impacts", the benefits and co-benefits listed here are typically more immediate and direct. |
| Suggested indicators for monitoring | Examples of key indicators that enable cities who implement this Solution to monitor and confirm its results. |
| Main Local Government roles | List the main roles which the Local Government plays in the implementation of this Solution. |
| Integrated Solution Overview | This section gives an overview of the main Local Government actions which constitute this Solution, including required, enabler, and multiplying actions. |
| Enabler actions | List of the main Local Government actions which facilitate the implementation of this Solution, but which are not strictly necessary. |
| Required actions | List of the main Local Government actions which are necessary for the implementation of this Solution. |
| Multiplier actions | List of the main Local Government actions which increase the impact of this Solution, namely through the generation of synergies. |
| Process phases | This section gives a brief "Step-by-step" description of the main process which the Local Government undertakes for the implementation of this Solution. Process phases vary from Solution to Solution. |
| Reality-check | This section enables the Local Government to quickly assess whether this Solution may be of interest to its jurisdiction. |
| In which situations is this Solution applicable? | Main criteria to assess whether this Solution might be applicable locally, from a technical/technological perspective point of view. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list, but it should help prevent "one size fits all" approaches. |
| Required pre-conditions | Main non-technological pre-existing conditions which are essential to enable the implementation of this Solution. |
| Success factors | Main conditions that can be created to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of this Solution. |
| Follow-up needed/ recommended | List actions that, although not strictly needed, might contribute to extend the results of the Solution in time, and to demonstrate the positive management results of the Solution. |
| Barriers | Common existing obstacles to the implementation of this Solution, including political, regulatory, market-based, etc. |
| Risks | Main risks or possible negative side-effects of this Solution. |
| Enabler actions | This section provides a description of the main Local Government actions which facilitate the implementation of this Solution. These actions mostly target the internal stakeholders (City Council Staff) and other key professional groups for delivery, and may include policy setting, regulation approval, governance structures, capacity building, awareness raising, and stakeholder engagement. |
| Required actions | This section provides a description of the main Local Government's actions which are necessary for the delivery of mitigation and development results under this Solution, in alignment with Local Government's roles. |
| Policy | This field includes actions such as policies, strategies, and plans that bind the local government and other public entities. Examples include Low Emissions Development Strategies, plan for integrated management of water resources, policy on green procurement, etc. |
| Regulatory | This field includes actions such as municipal regulations and bylaws that bind the citizens or other groups and stakeholders within the local community (scope is limited by the jurisdiction of the Local Government). Examples include: Municipal building code requires new buildings to use renewable energies, Municipal energy label for buildings, Municipal regulations on waste management, etc. |
| Governance | This field includes actions related to organizational aspects and processes. It includes institutional structures, procedures, procurements, partnerships, etc. |
| Capacity building | This field includes actions related to professional training for Local Government staff and other relevant professional groups. Examples include training Local Government's staff to conduct internal energy audits, training of professionally active architects and civil engineers on new building regulations, training and certification of installers of solar panels, etc. |
| Stakeholder engagement | Active engagement of citizens and other stakeholders. Note: to avoid overlapping with awareness raising, this field contains actions focused on "key actors" in the implementation of the Solution. Examples of actions include public hearings, bilateral meetings with "multiplier" organizations, giving an active role to a specific stakeholder group (e.g.: data collection/disclosure, reporting, engage in service-providing, engage in pilot-testing for demonstration purposes, etc.), etc. |
| Technical and technological | Includes all technical and technological measures within this Solution, be they taken by the Local Government or induced by its actions. Typically, these are the actions that directly deliver mitigation results under this Solution. It includes tangible measures, from project design to construction, installation, operation and maintenance of materials, equipment, and facilities - such as replacement of electric boilers by biomass boilers in public buildings, installation of solar panels, electric vehicle fleet and charging stations, etc. It also includes intangible measures such as studies and operational changes of municipal facilities and infrastructure. Examples include: Energy audit of local government buildings and facilities. Replacement of electric boilers by biomass boilers in public buildings. Installation of solar panels. Electric vehicles fleet and charging stations. Energy management system (ISO 50001). Preventive maintenance plan. Establishing operational procedures aligned with EU's reference document on Best Available Techniques for Waste Incineration. |
| Financial options | This field includes information on the financial models usually implemented with this Solution, which may combine several mechanisms. It also covers critical aspects to securing funding, which may include a procurement process and a Public-Private Partnership. Examples include rates and fees, bank loans, concession, energy performance contracts, etc. |
| Awareness raising | Communication actions to raise awareness for the general public and other "target groups". Examples include: Communication campaigns, Events or initiatives such as "walk to work week" or the "European Mobility Week," etc. |
| Climate Mitigation Potential | This section provides a description of the mitigation potential of this Solution. This mitigation potential may result directly from actions taken by Local Government, or be induced by its actions. |
| National-subnational integration | This section shows how national-subnational cooperation and coordination can facilitate the implementation of this solution, indicating the benefits that such integration can bring to the different levels of government, including local, regional and national. |
| Benefits to Local Government | Benefits which the Local Government can derive from the integration its action with the action of higher levels of government, including national, for the implementation of this Solution. |
| Benefits to other levels of government | Benefits which higher levels of government can derive from integrating their action with the action of Local Governments for the implementation of this Solution. |
| Support | This section shows gives guidance on how to learn more about the Solution's theme, and provides information that may be of help for the implementation, namely linking to experts, case studies and other resources. |
| Experts | Visit the Pool of Experts webpage to learn more about how Experts can support you in the implementation of this Solution. |
| Case studies | Selected case studies which illustrate the implementation of this Solution in cities. |
| Other resources | Links to other tools, glossaries, documents, websites, etc., to learn more about the Solution's theme and which may be of help for the implementation of this Solution. |
| Finance tool | Links to the Solutions Gateway's Finance Tool, which provides support on the choice of finance model for the implementation of this Solution. Visit the Finance Tool webpage to learn more. |
| References | Sources of information quoted in this Solution or consulted during its development. |
