Challenging the community in two neighborhoods to save on energy

Climate Challenge in Echt-Susteren

The municipality of the towns of Echt and Susteren in the Netherlands has ambitious plans for sustainability. In anticipation of the countrywide implementation of the Heat Transition program, the municipality selected two neighborhoods as potential starting locations based on a survey and the plans that the municipality captured in their ‘Heat Transition Vision”—an energy transition requirement for all Dutch municipalities.

To involve the communities, the municipality brought Stantec on board to organize a Climate Challenge for the two neighborhoods. Our Dutch Energy Transition team jumped at the opportunity to raise interest in the community through the competition, which consisted of a start-up session, weekly knowledge sessions, newsletters with information, and saving opportunities and challenges, as well as a weekly blog and a phone line where participants can connect directly with the team.

The Climate Competition centered around the topics most relevant for the community. As most people by now are aware, change in behavior and small changes in your daily use of energy benefit the climate, but they also benefit your wallet. For the two communities in Echt and Susteren, the Climate Challenge resulted in several thousands of euros in energy cost savings and thousands of kilograms of CO2 savings per year. A great result, which, together with an excited neighborhood team, gives the municipality the opportunity to truly hit the ground running with the energy transition.