last week, Bienne renewed its certification “Cité de l’énergie”. This label is awarded to the municipalities that commit to the protection of the climate. Already 475 Swiss towns and villages are part of the ranking. To be stamped, you must respond to specifications of around fifty measures.
Even if it is called “Energy of energy“, The areas of action of the label go beyond the simple production of green current. They also concern the corporate policy of the municipality – for example encouraging employees and employees to come to work by bicycle -, the fight against heat islands or taking into account the ecological aspect during tenders.
Each municipality is evaluated according to its potential. A city or a village which has many buildings classified as heritage will find it difficult to fulfill the energy efficiency criteria, for example. Less weight may be given to this objective compared to others.
In order to obtain the basic label, a municipality must make half of the fifty measures in the catalog. The “Gold” level requires 75% success. Among the labeled municipalities, 108 of them have already reached this golden level, with, at the top of the ranking, Zurich and Lausanne, which achieved more than 90% of the objectives.
Revaluation every four years
An audit is carried out every four years with labeled municipalities in order to reassess their level. The city of Bienne has just renewed its “Gold” certification, the highest level. Of the 475 towns and villages that participate in the “Cité de l’Énergie” label, Bienne is 16th in the ranking.
For Lena Frank, a municipal councilor in charge of public works, it is a real added value for the municipalities. “The label shows where we are in comparison with the other municipalities. We of course wanted to improve so that we can keep this label, in order to ultimately reach our goal of carbon neutrality in 2050.”
A paid labeling
But the city of Bienne could quite follow the label’s recommendations without obtaining a certification. And thus save money, because the labeling is not free.
“It would still be a shame if we didn’t have it,” replied Lena Frank. “The label itself does not cost much, but it brings us a lot in terms of follow-up, that we should buy it elsewhere if we didn’t have it. Which could even cost more.” A city like Bienne has around 10,000 francs per year of investments in the “Cité de l’énergie” label.
Some municipalities prefer to do without
Unlike Bienne, it also happens that municipalities throw in the towel. This is the case of Romont. The executive of the Friborg commune decided last year, preferring to devote the budget of the label to the development of a climate plan.
“It is not at all a renunciation, quite the contrary,” defends the trustee of Romont Jean-Claude Cornu. “We are praised the qualities of a label. But I am not convinced that for companies or residents who want to set up in Romont, he is the decisive boost.”
Subject Radio: Célica Bertholet
Adaptation Web: Julien Furrer
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