Clean energy transition: Capacity building & innovative finance
SUMMARY:
This closing session of the Sustainable Places conference, “Clean Energy Transition: Capacity Building & Innovative Finance,” brought together leading experts and initiatives to highlight the pivotal role of finance, capacity building, and innovative tools in accelerating Europe’s energy transition by bringing value chains together to get projects done.
The session was organized by R2M Solution and the European Mortgage Foundation – European Covered Bond Council (EMF-ECBC), with contributions from projects co-financed within the LIFE Clean Energy Transition Programme, which supports the delivery of EU policies in the field of sustainable energy (Green Deal, Energy Union, Decarbonization Strategy 2050). These projects included Step-WISE, Scaling Super-Heero, DeliverEEM, Plan4CET, and OwnYourSecap.
The session opened with an inspirational keynote by Cristiana Fragola, Head of ESG & Sustainability Solutions at CBRE, and featured three blocks:
- Clean Energy Transition Planning
- Innovative Finance Top Down: Energy Efficiency Mortgages Initiative
- Innovative Financing Bottom Up: Crowdlending via Super-Heero
The session was sponsored by IES and Harley Dikkinson. Targeting local and regional authorities, municipal planners, and asset managers for both tertiary and residential buildings, the session covered:
- The role of ESG in delivering the energy transition
- Clean Energy Transition Planning (SECAPs), resources and best practices
- Capacity building approaches to strengthen skills and empower stakeholders
- Tools and technologies that support CET planning and decarbonization pathways
- Innovative finance instruments for sustainable energy and building renovation
- Case studies demonstrating replicability of successful models across regions
AGENDA:
| Time | Speaker | Role / Organisation | Title / Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session Opening | |||
| 14:00–14:05 | Thomas Messervey | CEO, R2M Solution | Session Opening |
| 14:05–14:20 | Cristiana Fragola | Head of ESG & Sustainability Solutions, CBRE Italy | The role of ESG in delivering the energy transition and how to support planners and decision makers in getting plans and projects done |
| Block I: Clean Energy Transition Planning | |||
| 14:20–14:30 | Emanuele Cosenza | Project Developer, Sogesca | Clean Energy Transition Planning (SECAP / PAESC): Tools, resources, best practices and case studies. OwnYourSecap & Scaling Super Heero Projects |
| 14:30–14:40 | Giulia Barbano | R&D Operations Mgr, IES | Capacity Building and the use of Digital Tools for Clean Energy Transition Planning STEP-WISE Project |
| 14:40–14:50 | Davide Quaggiotto | Project Mgr, R2M Solution | Step-WISE Capacity Building Program. Overview and invitation to municipalities for participation. |
| 14:50–15:00 | Sara Picone | Project Mgr, AESS Modena | Improving CET Planning at the regional level – pilot activities in Parma (PLAN4CET Project) |
| Block II: Innovative Finance – Energy Efficient Mortgages Initiative | |||
| 15:00–15:15 | Jennifer Johnson | Deputy Secretary General, EMF-ECBC | The mission of the EEMI & Building the Italian Ecosystem & Customer Behavioral Research (DeliverEEM Project) |
| 15:15–15:25 | Giuseppe Gastone | Head, Digital Retail Lending Transformation, Banca Sella | Piloting experiences of implementing EEMI in Italy |
| 15:25–15:35 | Rubens Bernascone | Real Estate Business Developer, Harley Dikkinson | One Stop Shops for building trust – the Agora Approach |
| 15:35–15:45 | Gianluca Natalini | Business Consultant, CRIF | Derisking instruments for banks |
| Block I & II Q&A / Break for Discussion | |||
| Block III: Innovative Financing — Crowdlending and Scaling Super-Heero | |||
| 16:00–16:10 | Thomas Messervey | CEO, R2M Solution | Building brand loyalty and delivering social impact via crowdlending (Scaling Super-Heero Project) |
| 16:10–16:20 | Zeno Gorini | Business Dev. Manager, Ener2Crowd | Crowdlending goes mainstream. Citizen financing the energy transition and demo signup campaign. |
| 16:20–16:30 | Dino Vincoletto | CEO, Expofin | Innovative Technologies, Scuola Solesino and Super-Heero in a public-private approach. |
| 16:30–16:40 | Antonio Costabile | Communication, Life Terra | Mission: 500 million new trees for Europe planted together in community / corporate events. |
| 16:40–16:50 | Stefano Neva | Project Developer, ICOPOWER | Taking control of your electricity flows for EE: voltage regulation, power quality and monitoring. |
| 16:50–17:00 | Mauro Tofetti | CEO, Greentime Hub | The added value of Super-Heero and its contribution to a mindful energy transition |
| 17:00–17:30 — Q&A and Panel Discussion | |||