Effectiveness of the Implementation of Local Energy Plans

In the context of the European Green Deal and the EU’s multilevel energy and climate governance framework, local energy and climate plans have become key strategic instruments for steering cities toward carbon neutrality. These plans—such as Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SEAPs/SECAPs) and Climate Air Energy Territorial Plans (PCET/PCAETs)—seek to operationalize national and EU targets through local measures that integrate energy efficiency, spatial planning, and collaborative governance. Yet, despite growing political commitment, technological innovation, their implementation remains slow and uneven, and a persistent gap endures between strategic decision-making and operational execution. This research investigates the causes of this gap and the weak linkage between strategy and action in local energy plans. It explores why implementation progresses at a low pace, why projects face delays or failure, and why, in some cases, targets are unmet. Adopting a comparative approach, the study analyzes six cases—three in Italy and three in France—focusing on (SEAPs/SECAPs) and (PCET/PCAETs). Qualitative data from plans, monitoring reports, and interviews were systematically coded and analyzed using MAXQDA. The findings reveal that while municipalities define ambitious strategic goals, effectiveness is constrained by fragmented institutional capacity, financial uncertainty, and limited adaptive learning. Integrating perspectives from multi-level governance, socio-technical transitions, and organizational learning, the study shows that successful implementation occurs when governance coherence, technological innovation, and institutional learning are aligned. The multidimensional framework (D1–D8) developed here provides a replicable tool for assessing and improving the effectiveness of local plans, reframing local climate governance as a dynamic process of coordination, innovation, and continuous learning.