BetterLIFE kicks off: Fossil-free heating and cooling for five European pilot cities

How can municipalities make their heating and cooling supply fossil-free? It takes concrete plans, sound financing and close cooperation with local stakeholders.

With the kick-off meeting on 15 and 16 October in Maribor, Slovenia, BetterLIFE has officially started. It is one of the new projects at IREES, funded by the LIFE Programme of the European Commission. Over the next three years, the project will support five European pilot cities in making their heating and cooling supply climate-friendly.

IREES leads Work Package 4 on co-creation, which focuses on implementing municipal plans together with local stakeholders from public administration, business and civil society. In addition, we contribute to gas decommissioning plans for the gradual phase-out of gas infrastructure and support the pilot city of Gabrovo in Bulgaria.

The experience gained in the pilot cities is intended to help other municipalities plan their transition away from fossil fuels in concrete terms.