The Regional Operational Programme of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace 2021-2027 constitutes the primary regional development plan, mobilising ~€640M to fund actions that will promote innovation and facilitate the sustainable and inclusive development of the region. In this context, the Programme has set 5 overarching policy priorities, each of which includes several specific objectives and a number of actions per objective. The policy priorities are the following:
1. Promoting entrepreneurship and innovation
2. Sustainable management of resources and infrastructure
3. Improvement of region’s connectivity
4A. Strengthening social cohesion
4B. Social inclusion and fighting poverty
5. Integrated spatial development in the region
Priority 2 is the most relevant for the project. In particular, Green4HEAT will address the following specific objectives under priority 2
- RSO2.1 “Promoting measures to increase energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions”, which includes provisions for the integration of RES and energy efficient technologies (such as heat pumps) in the regional heating and cooling systems.
- RSO2.2 “Promoting renewable energy sources based on renewable energy directive (EU) 2018/2001”, which foresees actions for the utilisation of RES, and particularly the regional geothermal potential, for the production of heat that will be utilized in district heating and in the agriculture and food industry.

The overall objective of the Climate Plan 2030 is to support and accelerate the transition of the Province of Antwerp to a climate neutral and climate safe area. To this end, the Plan has identified a set of actions and an implementation timeline, revised annually, that will allow the realization of its overall strategic and operational objectives. In particular, the Plan has the following strategic priorities:
1. The organization is climate neutral and climate safe
2. Climate awareness is growing among citizens
3. We strengthen open space as a climate buffer
4. The town and village centers are climate neutral and climate safe
5. The energy is to a maximal extent locally produced and renewable
6. Mobility is healthy and with less CO2 emissions
7. The economy is climate-neutral and climate safe

Green4HEAT will address the following priorities:
Objective 4, which includes the Action:
- “Examining the possibilities of creating a regulation on housing quality and energy”, which would make mandatory the development of a heat network for every densification project
Objective 5, which includes the following Actions:
- “Organize cooperation on (renewable) energy on industrial estates”, which includes cooperation on the development of heat networks operating with RES and waste heat
- “Use an energy broker to facilitate local heat projects”, which includes the sub-action “Set up at least 3 heat network per year”.

The Vidzeme Development Programme 2022-2027 defines the medium-term development priorities of the region, and sets policy objectives and actions to support the implementation of the overarching Sustainable Development Strategy of Vidzeme for 2015-2030. In particular, the Vidzeme Development Programme a) sets the development priorities of Vidzeme, including actions to achieve them and indicators to evaluate progress, b) lists available and potential funding sources, and c) describes the programme implementation and monitoring mechanism, as well as monitoring indicators.

In this context, the Development Programme has set 4 primary policy objectives:
1. Preserve and wisely manage natural ecosystems and resources
2. Improve people's quality of life
3. Promote the development and growth of the national economy by transforming management
models
4. Promote cooperation and strong organizations

Green4HEAT addresses:
a) Primary objective 3, which includes the following specific objective:
- SO4 “Efficient and Clean Energy”, which includes developing energy efficient infrastructure and promoting energy efficiency,

b) Primary objective 4, which includes the following specific objective:
- SO2 “Climate neutrality and adaptation”, which includes the sub-priorities a) Promoting climate neutrality in decisions and actions, and b) Promoting reduced GHG emissions

The European Funds for Western Pomerania 2021- 2027 is a regional strategic document, which aims to promote territorial growth and development in alignment with the vision and objectives of the Strategy for the Development of West Pomerania until 2030, which constitutes the overarching strategic document in the region. To that end, the PI will mobilise approximately €1.75B to implement measures in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship, green growth, mobility and regional connectivity, social inclusion and civil participation.
Green4HEAT will address the policy priority 2 of the PI, i.e., “Green Western Pomerania” and particularly the following specific objectives:
RSO2.1 “Supporting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions”, which foresees actions and interventions to:
a) increase the energy efficiency of public and residential buildings’ heating and cooling through their connection to heat networks and the uptake of heat pumps
b) the expansion and modernization of the regional heat networks and the adoption and integration of heat storage technologies.
RSO2.2 “Supporting renewable energy in line with Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on renewable energy”, which foresees actions for the establishment of RES-based heat production and the use of heat pump technologies.

The Environmental and Energy-Efficiency Operational Programme Plus (EEEOPP) for Hungary 2021-2027 addresses current global issues such as climate change, the overuse of natural resources, biodiversity loss and sustainability gaps. With approximately ~ €3.5B available funding, the EEOPP is the primary national source of funding to support the realisation of Cohesion Policy objective 2 (i.e., A greener Europe).

In particular, EEEOPP has the following priorities:

1. Water management and disaster risk reduction
2. Circular economic systems and sustainability
3. Environmental and nature protection
4. Renewable energy economy
5. Just Transition Fund
Particularly relevant for Green4HEAT is priority (4), which emphasizes the importance of increasing the share of RES in the energy mix (including the heating and cooling sector), upgrading the energy efficiency of the building stock and improving the efficiency of the district heating networks.
In particular, priority 4 has the following objectives that will be addressed by the project:
4.1 Promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which includes as sub objectives:
- Promoting of energy efficiency measures (SMEs, residential buildings, public buildings, other systems)
- Improving the efficiency of district heating and cooling systems
4.2 Promoting the use of renewable energy, which includes the following sub-objective
- Promoting renewable energies in electricity production and in heating and cooling

The “Renewable Thermal Strategy 2016-2030” is the overarching strategic planning document pertaining to the heating and cooling sector of Castilla y León. Its overarching goal is to lower the carbon footprint of heating and cooling by promoting the use of renewable energy sources (primarily biomass, solar energy and geothermal energy) for heat production in the region.

In this context, the strategy sets a number of objectives and quantified targets, to be implemented by 2030, regarding the energy mix used for heat production. Green4HEAT will address the following objectives of the strategy:

1. Increase the heat production in district heating networks from 22,340 MWh/year (2020) to 70,965 MWh/year (203
2. Increase the use of geothermal energy in heat production to 73,823 MWh/year by 2030
3. Increase the use of solar energy in heat production to 40,243 MWh/year by 2030
4. Reduce the consumption of natural gas in heat production by 22% between 2020 and 2030
5. Reduce the consumption of diesel in heat production by 40% between 2020 and 2030
6. Reduce the consumption of liquid petroleum gas in heat production by 42% between 2020 and 2030

The Law on the Heat Economy provides the overall framework for the development of the heating sector in Lithuania. It has the following goals:
- Ensure the reliable supply of heat at minimum cost
- Increase the efficiency of the heating sector and minimize its environmental impact
- Increase the use of RES and biofuels in heat production
- Ensure fair competition and protect consumer rights
Green4HEAT will specifically address the following measures introduced by the Law:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
Article 7 foresees the preparation of national development programmes by the Ministry of Energy, which will contribute to the goals of the 2021-2030 National Progress Plan. The programmes are expected to, inter alia, design actions for the modernisation of the heating sector and the increased use of waste heat and RES by district heating networks.
HEAT ECONOMY SPECIAL PLANS
Articles 8 and 8-1 foresee that municipalities will design long-term heating plans, aligned with the objectives and targets of the Law. In preparing the plans, the municipalities will follow the Rules for the Preparation of Special Plans for the Heat Economy, co-developed by the Ministry of Energy, and be directly supported by the Ministry of Energy.
HEAT ECONOMY INVESTMENT PLANS
Article 8-2 foresees that heat suppliers (including municipal companies) will develop 10-year investment plans in alignment with the municipal Special Plans.

The local Energy Concept is a comprehensive local policy document that analyses the energy use and supply in Zalec and proposes solutions to increase the energy efficiency and reduce the GHG emissions of the municipality, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of Zalec. The present Energy Concept has a 10 year duration, ending at the end of 2024. Zalec will subsequently develop a new Energy Concept that will be operational from 2025, which will incorporate new developments in the territorial state-of-play.

In this context, the (present) Energy Concept has set the following objectives:
1. Reduction of total energy consumption in public buildings by 22% by 2024
2. Reduction of total household energy consumption by 22% by 2024
3. Reduction of total energy consumption in industry by 22% by 2024
4. Ensure a 50% share of RES in the final energy use by 2024
5. Reduction of electricity consumption for public lighting
6. Reduction of emission by 12% by 2024
7. Ensure a 10% share of renewable energy sources in transport and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in transport by 2024
8. Increasing the use of local renewable energy sources.
Green4HEAT will address:
Objectives 2, Measure A.1 on setting a framework to promote the replacement of the existing heating systems and energy sources with environmentally friendly sources and heating systems (incl. district heating)
Objective 4, Measure A.3 on promoting the use of geothermal energy sources in the municipality