Monday, December 4, 2023
 
 

Romania’s Cluj capitalises on Smart City energy

The largest city of Transylvania implements sustainable transport, energy saving plans, Mayor Emil Boc tells New Europe

- Advertisement -

The largest city of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca, is trying to attract investors with the help of EU funds to become smarter, Emil Boc, the city’s mayor and former Romanian prime minister, told New Europe in Brussels.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference on building smart cities and regions earlier in February, Boc described the Romanian city’s plans for sustainable transport and energy saving. Their goal is “to work everyday” to fulfil European Union’s low carbon requirements by 2020, including green mobility and public transport but also the concept of “how do you manage your way of life, the quality of life,” he said.

“In terms of green mobility, we have the following concepts. First, electric buses, new trams, trolleys based on electricity, car-sharing process, encouraging electric cars in the city, putting them on specific lanes with the buses so they will have the possibility to go in the city on specific separate lanes for buses in order to encourage the electric transport,” Boc said, adding that they also plan, using local funds, to build infrastructure for electric cars in the city.

“Second, would be cycling and to have a bicycling programme, encouraging people to use bikes all over the city,” he said.

“Third, would be rehabilitation of old block of flats, old buildings with new technology of green. So use European money in order to have the former Communist blocks transformed in new green buildings,” the former Romanian premier said.

“Fourth, would be a local policy towards green policy. What I mean by local policy: We have 50 percent cut of taxes if you build up a green building so the incentive for investors to start from the beginning with green building in order to have less taxes,” Boc said.

He said that all four aforementioned projects have already started and are undergoing. “We want to increase the use of European money. This exercise might be the last chance for Romania to use European money,” the Cluj mayor said.

He boasted that his city is more advanced than other Romanian cities. “Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done, but it’s more advanced. In Romania, it is the national capital of IT and national capital of innovation and I would say the best smart city in Romania so far,” Boc said.

“It’s a national effort but it depends on each city the capacity and the possibilities. We do have the advantage to have the experts and talents. We have 100,000 students in the city. We have a labour force highly specialised in all domains but especially in IT. For us, it’s easy because we have experts, the capacity of the budget and the knowledge to bring money in the city. Not all the cities have the same capacity,” he said.

Boc said his smart city “mainly depends on local government to be able to attract different sources of investment. If you just rely on money from the government, it will never happen”. He said EU funds are the biggest investment in order to boost innovation green transport and rehabilitation of the buildings for his city. The European Committee of Regions is the mediator between the interest of the local government and Brussels policies, he said, adding, “People need solutions, not stories”.

follow on twitter @energyinsider

- Advertisement -

Subscribe to our newsletter

Co-founder / Director of Energy & Climate Policy and Security at NE Global Media

Latest

Don't miss

Africa will watch the DRC’s elections with bated interest

2023 and 2024 are going to be busy years...

Ukraine, Middle East will dominate Cameron’s UK foreign policy agenda

David Cameron, who was made Foreign Secretary in a...

What will it take to prevent a Gaza reconstruction fiasco?

Let us be unequivocal about the current war between...

Ukraine’s persecuted mayor

Lest it be forgotten, the major thematic issue in...

Cameron’s return as Foreign Secretary raises UK’s international profile

David Cameron, who was made foreign secretary in a surprise move by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during his cabinet reshuffle on November 13, brings...

Economy Minister says Kazakhstan to expand investment and diversify trade with Europe

Kazakhstan’s Minister of National Economy, Alibek Kuantyrov, spoke to NE Global in an exclusive interview about his country's relations with Europe, Astana's economic partners,...

New DFC commitments to maritime infrastructure projects

The US recently announced two major commitments to funding maritime infrastructure and related commercial projects, one in Sri Lanka and another in Greece through...

The EU Green Deal is a barrier to trade and global partnerships

There is an English saying that if you can’t see the wood for the trees, then you should step back and then you will...

IEA warns transitions bring new risks to energy security

Clean technology and critical mineral supply chains are highly geographically concentrated, the International Energy Agency warned in its World Energy Outlook for 2023 and...

Turkey’s role in the EU’s energy transition

The European Union is facing a unique opportunity in a world increasingly defined by geopolitical tensions, economic turbulences and the urgency of addressing climate...

After offshore gas pipe suspected sabotage, Finland switches to LNG

Finland has switched to liquified natural gas supplies to cover the country’s needs following a decision on October 8 to shut down the Balticconnector...

Ahead of COP28, global effort intensifies to scale up clean energy, reduce fossil fuel demand

Momentum behind efforts to build a broad coalition to keep the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C within reach increased at...