The project transFORMAT-LINK: Supporting the energy governanceof the Austrian National Energy and Climate Plan at the municipal level

In terms of spatial planning, there is a disconnect between the national and local levels that hinders effective planning and reporting under the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), as the availability of renewable energy depends on the spatial conditions determined at the municipal level. This article outlines the potential of the transFORMAT-LINK research project to address the ‘strategic NECP control gap’ between the Austrian state, federal states and municipalities. The primary obstacles confronting municipalities are the challenges of accurately quantifying their own net NECP contribution to the environment and the environmental impact of future projects. We provide an approach how to determine renewable energy potentials, present them in a transparent way and track project implementation. This generates a collection of data relevant for the municipality and documents to approach these targets.