As part of its climate action strategy, the Municipality of Loulé is developing the Sustainable Heating and Cooling Local Plan (PLSAA) for Loulé. This municipal planning instrument's main objective is to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote more sustainable solutions for heating and cooling homes, public facilities, businesses, and companies.
In practice, this is a strategy that will allow the Municipality to identify the energy needs of its territory and define measures to provide greater thermal comfort to the population, reducing energy costs and promoting the fight against energy poverty.
In this context, the Municipality of Loulé hosted a series of working sessions integrated into the European project Plan4COLD, coordinated by ADENE – Energy Agency, an initiative that supports southern European municipalities in defining Sustainable Local Heating and Cooling Plans.
In the first internal monitoring meeting for the development of Loulé's PLSAA, promoted by ADENE, the main municipal instruments related to climate action, the baseline data needed for the plan's elaboration, the territory's challenges and priorities, as well as funding and cooperation opportunities for implementing sustainable measures in the heating and cooling sector were analyzed.
This session also allowed for the identification of relevant information sources to characterize the territory, assess vulnerabilities associated with heat and energy poverty, and establish the next steps for building the plan, reinforcing the Municipality of Loulé's commitment to energy efficiency, climate action, and improving the population's thermal comfort.
This was followed by the first meeting of the Loulé Local Practice Community, which brought together representatives from local entities for a participatory reflection on the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition in the heating and cooling sector.
The contributions collected help enrich the PLSAA development process, ensuring that the needs, perspectives, and knowledge of the various local stakeholders are integrated into the definition of measures adapted to the reality of the municipality. This participatory approach aligns with the European project's objectives and the local climate action policy.
