Presentation of the 6 new territories

We would like to welcome the 6 new territories to the LIFE_LETsGO4Climate project “Osons la transition” (Let’s dare to make the transition!), which aims to encourage the emergence of collective, citizen-based actions around the energy transition!

The department of Indre (36) is joining the project with three territories: the Communauté de communes Ecueillé-Valençay, the Communauté de communes Champagne-Boischauts and the Communauté d’Agglomération de Châteauroux Métropole.

We are also welcoming back territories from the 37, 45 and 41 départements: La Communauté de communes Touraine-Est Vallées (37), Le Pays Beauce Gâtinais en Pithiverais (45) and Le Pays Vendômois (41).

Find out more about our 6 future partner areas in the project, with trials starting in January 2023:

La Communauté de communes Touraine-Est Vallées,is located in the Indre-et-Loire department (37), was created on 1 January 2017 and is chaired by Vincent MORETTE. It is the result of the merger of the Communauté de Communes du Vouvrillon -CCV- and the Communauté de Communes de l’Est Tourangeau -CCET- under the initiative of the NOTRE law promulgated on 07 August 2015. Its territory covers more than 210 km², with around 40,000 inhabitants spread over 10 communes. Touraine-Est Vallées has had a Territorial Climate Air Energy Plan (PCAET) since 2019. This plan was quickly supplemented by an Agricultural and Food Project (PAAT) and a Master Plan for Cycle Routes. Since the beginning of 2022, it has been working on its Intercommunal Local Planning Scheme (PLUi). This PLUi takes account of the region’s major environmental challenges.

La Communauté de communes Ecueillé-Valençay, is located in the Indre department (36). It was created on 1 January 2014. It is the result of the merger of two communities of communes and now comprises 18 communes: the 9 communes of the former Communauté de Communes du Pays d’Ecueillé and the 10 communes of the former Communauté de Communes du Pays de Valençay. Since 1 January 2019, the communes of Villentrois and Faverolles-en-Berry have also merged. The territory covers 540 km² and has a population of around 11,500. The CCEV is involved in the areas delegated to it by the communes, in particular renewable energy, the environment and biodiversity. In 2020, an environment and biodiversity committee was set up to look at climate change, its impact and the local authority’s ability to respond to future challenges.

Le Pays Vendômois , which is located in the Loir-et-Cher department (41). The Pays Vendômois is a joint association set up in 1996, made up of 100 municipalities grouped into 3 EPCIs and the Loir-et-Cher departmental council. The purpose of the Pays Vendômois joint association is to: 

• to draw up and implement a joint policy for the overall, sustainable development and planning of the area; 
• to co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate local planning and development programmes carried out at the level of the joint association in application of departmental, regional, State and European planning and development procedures; 
• to make project engineering available to the local authorities in the joint association, so that best practice in local development can be disseminated throughout the area.

la Communauté de communes Champagne-Boischauts,is located in the Indre department (36), It was created on 1 January 2017, following the merger of the Champagne Berrichonne and Vatan District Communities of Communes. It now comprises 30 communes organised around 4 urban centres: Ambrault, Neuvy-Pailloux, Pruniers and Vatan. It covers 710.7 km² and has a population of around 9,870. In 2021, the Communauté de Communes has undertaken to draw up a Contrat de Relance et de Transition Ecologique (CRTE) (Contract for Recovery and Ecological Transition) to consolidate the actions undertaken in the area to promote ecological transition, and the town of Vatan has been selected for the Petites villes de demain (Small Towns of Tomorrow) programme.

Le Pays Beauce Gâtinais en Pithiverais which is located in the Loiret (45), groups together 78 communes and 63,450 inhabitants. The PETR Beauce Gâtinais en Pithiverais is an area made up of 3 Communities of Communes, bringing together 78 communes and a total population of around 63,450. Several current initiatives are linked to the energy transition. At the level of the PETR, these include the Territorial Climate Air Energy Plan, the development of a future LEADER programme focusing in part on issues linked to the energy transition, the implementation of a Territorial Water and Climate Contract, a Contract for Recovery and Ecological Transition and a COT EnR with ADEME Centre-Val de Loire. The PETR is also considering the development of a straw industry. Work is also underway to develop a wood industry. 

At a more local level, the communities of communes are committed to their regional projects and are developing climate-air-energy policy priorities.

La Communauté d’Agglomération de Châteauroux Métropole which is located in the Indre department (36), and has 14 communes and around 73,000 inhabitants.

Located in the centre of the Indre département, the Châteauroux Métropole Communauté d’Agglomération covers an area of 54,316 hectares and in 2013 had a population of 74,738, almost 33% of the département’s inhabitants. In May 2018, Châteauroux Métropole launched its PCAET (territorial climate-air-energy plan) project, which will be approved by the Community Council on 10 November 2021, with the following key objectives:

• A reduction in overall energy consumption of 25% by 2030, then 50% by 2050.
• Renewable energy production of 31% of total production by 2030, with a final target of 100% by 2050.
• A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 25% by 2030, and 85% by 2050.

This experiment will take place in 5 stages:

1. Carry out an energy-climate analysis for each territory

The aim of this analysis is to provide a better understanding of local energy issues and to highlight the initiatives that already exist in their area.

2. Enabling local players to receive training in energy transition and collective intelligence co-construction. (March 2023)

Training sessions will be organised in each region. Participants will learn about the concept of energy transition.

3. Enabling citizens to become active players in the energy transition (September 2023)

That’s the heart of the approach! In each region, 100 selected volunteer citizens will be invited to take part in an experiment, which will run from September 2023 to January 2024.
The trial will involve 100 citizens coming together 4 times in friendly workshops to work out solutions together. They will then form citizens’ panels.

The aim is to equip participants with a better understanding of the energy that surrounds them, and to support them in carrying out collective projects that they themselves have devised and led. It’s about creating an energy community that brings together citizens with a local authority, for example, or with a locally-based company.

There is a wide range of possibilities: production of local renewable energy from solar panels, a wood-fired boiler or even a methanisation unit, promotion of cycling or car-sharing, thinking about housing or food, actions to promote zero waste or reuse, etc.

At the end of the workshops, participants can receive guidance and support from the project’s partners (Centre-Val de Loire Region, the area hosting the workshops, Énergie Partagée Association, etc.).

4. Raising awareness of the need for individual energy efficiency to promote sustainable lifestyles.

The LIFE LETsGO4Climate project aims to develop two awareness-raising tools: “Carbon Conversations” and “Challenges“.

Carbon Conversations ? This is an original approach to helping people adopt lifestyles that emit less greenhouse gas. They take the form of participatory workshops, led by two certified facilitators. Each session alternates between technical information, discussions and games in a small group.

The LIFE LETsGO4Climate project will enable volunteers in each region to train to become Carbon Conversation leaders.

5. Supporting citizens’ collectives in carrying out their projects

To ensure the success of future renewable energy production or energy efficiency projects, we offer indoor meetings with the groups, as well as training and feedback via videoconferencing. Find out more about the 2023 programme : Frise programme accompagnement