This is a public awareness campaign aimed at reducing CO2 emissions in stores by creating a "Green Business Network".
Businesses targeted by the campaign are all that are classified as retail trade, except pharmacies, maintenance and repair of vehicles, flea markets and roadside stands. Two types of businesses are considered:
- Retail trade of food, beverages and tobacco
- Retail trade of non-food products
The aim of the campaign is to promote respect for the environment through energy efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions and stimulating the supply / demand for efficient and environmentally friendly products.
In December 2013 there were 71 green businesses in the city and the network is expected to extend: in 2020 all retail businesses are expected to be green in the city of Soria. At least it is expected that not one single shop in Soria will exceed the average emissions of shops in the same sector. Thus reductions in energy consumption are expected to be of 25% in the first type of trades and 20% in the second one.
This measure is strengthened thanks to the Optimization Plan of Electrical Contracts in the Shops of Castilla and Leon. It is promoted by the Regional Authority for Energy (EREN) and in which the Federation of Business Organisations of Soria (FOES) participates. By applying this Plan the electricity bills for small businesses are expected to decrease by 20% at least.
The aim of this action is to replace the source of thermal energy for heating and hot water.
The action involves the construction of a distribution network or Heat Net. The heat, generated by the use of biomass in the power station, is transported to consumers in the form of hot water through the distribution network. This runs through the public land, and it consists of a jacketed piping layout: one of input and a return one. Once this water has radiated its heat, the cold water comes back through a pipe and is reheated starting a new cycle again and again. There is no contact between the water of the Net and the water used by the user: heat is transferred only.
Currently the buildings that will connect to this network will have installed diesel oil or gas boilers. Therefore, through this measure the consumption of fossil fuels is expected to be reduced dramaticaly and therefore contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
This activity includes both municipal, residential and tertiary / service sector buildings. In the case of residential buildings it is expected that several neighboring communities (about 3000 housing) will connect to to the Heat Net. Calculations have been made on the basis of available information of already connected communities and the forecasts provided by the energy service company.
This is a public awareness campaign aimed at reducing CO2 emissions in stores by creating a "Green Business Network".
Businesses targeted by the campaign are all that are classified as retail trade, except pharmacies, maintenance and repair of vehicles, flea markets and roadside stands. Two types of businesses are considered:
- Retail trade of food, beverages and tobacco
- Retail trade of non-food products
The aim of the campaign is to promote respect for the environment through energy efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions and stimulating the supply / demand for efficient and environmentally friendly products.
In December 2013 there were 71 green businesses in the city and the network is expected to extend: in 2020 all retail businesses are expected to be green in the city of Soria. At least it is expected that not one single shop in Soria will exceed the average emissions of shops in the same sector. Thus reductions in energy consumption are expected to be of 25% in the first type of trades and 20% in the second one.
This measure is strengthened thanks to the Optimization Plan of Electrical Contracts in the Shops of Castilla and Leon. It is promoted by the Regional Authority for Energy (EREN) and in which the Federation of Business Organisations of Soria (FOES) participates. By applying this Plan the electricity bills for small businesses are expected to decrease by 20% at least.
The city of Soria, with a total population of 39,075 inhabitants, has a surface area of 272 km2. It is located in highly valued natural and landscape enclave that is extended over 400,000 m2 of parks and urban gardens, besides the areas bordering the Castillo (Castle), the banks of River Duero, and the recreational area of Valonsadero, all of them within the municipality. The improvement actions carried out by the different Public Administrations (Soria‟s Council, Autonomous Government and Spanish Government) have given rise to a number of spaces, accessible not only for Soria‟s citizens, but also for tourists enriching the wide cultural offer of the city with outdoor activities.
Soria combines nature and culture, both at its urban area and the natural environment of its municipal district. Together with the imprints of the number of poets that found in Soria and on its environmental richness their source of inspiration, Soria hosts first-rank hallmarks and artistic heritage, and makes of its natural and ecologic setting its most emblematic symbol. Soria‟s Council, following the commitments subscribed to the Aalborg Charter, has been launching strategic action plans in order to promote Soria‟s environmental assets and fight climate change, supporting the endogenous resources of this area, deeply rooted in Soria‟s culture and to Soria‟s population.
In the context of the LIFE+ initiative, between 2008 and 2011 the city of Soria carried out a program that aimed at establishing sustainable urban spaces, which was based on reducing CO2 emissions («Soria Urban CO2Zero Corridor»).
This Project was the basis for the People CO2Zero initiative, focused on enrolling the civil society in managing the environment and in adopting instruments that helped companies and families in a more efficient management of resources.
The Project, supported by the institutionalization of the urban territory that contextualizes different environmental initiatives supported by local institutions, projected the first LIFE+ Project developed in Soria, and reinforced an essential work line for the consolidation of the concept “CO2Zero Urban Territory” with the commitment of the society and the social and economic agents, in the management of the urban environment, getting the implementation of procedures and monitoring indicators together with guidelines in collaboration with different associations. These were developed as systematized intervention procedures towards their implementation in other European contexts.
From 2010 to 2012, the city of Soria (40.000 inhab., located in the region of Castilla-León, Spain) managed the project LIFE+ named
“Soria, Urban Environmental Corridor CO2Zero”. Getting profit from important environmental, cultural and historic heritage, an axis linking the most meaningful milestones of this heritage was created. Along this axis, several activities were carried out focused on environmental enhancement, with the City Council as promoter of sustainable public policies, and citizens as main actors of
environmental development. The project provided studies and reports on the environmental quality of the corridor, including CO2 emissions. Demonstration actions were carried out (in fields such as selective waste management, promotion of cycling as transport alternative, low-water gardening, compost, and environmental awareness). Workshops and guidebooks allowed sharing different views about urban sustainability, as well as gaining value on this strategy in Soria.
The City Council signed an executive agreement for urban sustainability up to 2020, in every area (urban planning, mobility, green procurement…), and currently the Corridor is widely, positively valued among citizens, and it is also the base for a future development of Soria as an international reference of urban
innovative sustainability.
