City Energy Resilience FrameworkÂ
The City Energy Resilience Framework (CERF) guides cities in applying a resilience lens to their power system and working toward their overall energy transition and urban resilience goals.
It incorporates key elements at the nexus of electricity infrastructure resilience, clean energy transition, equitable access to public services, effective emergency management and efficient recovery from shocks and stresses. The CERF is an engagement tool to enable city governments to bring together stakeholders from various sectors to assess the gaps and challenges, and the goals and opportunities, for a more resilient energy system based on local policies, plans and initiatives. It aims to spark conversations, guided by examples from around the globe, about driving the uptake of energy solutions that have multiple benefits, which enhance the ability of urban communities to adapt, survive and thrive in the face of shocks and stresses.
To look at a city’s energy resilience, the CERF uses 4 dimensions, 12 levers and 48 goals.
PEOPLE: Endusers and Stakeholders
1. Empowered Consumers
Effective communication channels, education and awareness-building for inclusive decision-making, program/project design and implementation.Â
2. Engaged Stakeholders
Coordination and collaboration among stakeholders across the energy system, including different levels of government, for decision-making, resource mobilization and innovation.Â
3. Sustained Human Capacity
Policies, plans and platforms for education and capacity-building that elevate historically underrepresented groups and ensure adequate human capacity for the effective management and operation of energy infrastructure.
GOVERNANCE: Leadership and Strategy
4. Transparent & Enabling Regulations
Transparent regulatory processes that safeguard the public interest and enforce guidelines aligned with the city’s strategic vision.
5. Coordinated & Committed Leadership
Political will and governance that consider voices from across systems and communities.
6. Integrated System Planning
Integrated and adaptive system planning that considers new technologies, evolving best practices, and emerging shocks and stresses across interdependent urban systems.Â
RESOURCES: Infrastructure and Natural Resources
7. Responsible Natural Resource Use
Concerted effort to drive energy transition and foster low-carbon economies that exist within the planetary boundaries.
8. Risk-Informed Infrastructure Management
Infrastructure design, plans and procedures, which are informed by prevalent shocks and stresses, for timely, collaborative and efficient infrastructure management, as well as response and recovery from shocks and stresses.
9. Effective Supply Chain Management
Coordination between institutions and stakeholders for information-sharing and cooperation, to reduce the impact of shocks and stresses on the urban energy system and its interdependencies.
SYSTEMS: Operations and Management
10. Inclusive Service Provision
Infrastructure planning and service delivery for universal access and socially responsible response and recovery from shocks and stresses
11. Sustainable Finance
Data-informed financial frameworks and investment approaches that consider changing economic conditions, technologies and risks.
12. Adaptive System Operations
Strategies and procedures for system operation that are informed by latest climate and disaster risk data and in line with long-term energy and urban resilience goals.
The CERF represents a significant step forward in addressing the complex challenges of energy system resilience in cities. It is important to note that it is an evolving tool that will continuously improve through an iterative process. Feedback from cities using the tool will be incorporated to refine, enhance and expand the Framework, ensuring that it remains relevant, valuable and responsive to the changing needs of cities.Â
City Energy Resilience Framework (beta)
The City Energy Resilience Framework guides cities in applying a resilience lens to their power system and working toward their overall energy transition and urban resilience goals.
City Energy Resilience Framework Discussion Guide (beta)
The City Energy Resilience Framework Discussion Guide is an engagement tool designed to help cities drive and facilitate a discussion on the resilience of their power system. The Discussion Guide follows the structure of the CERF and is intended to enable cities to evaluate progress towards meeting their CERF goals.
The CERF was developed as part of the Urban Power program and supported by the S&P Global Foundation.
News and Resources
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