Small towns in the Energy Transition Era: Local drivers for climate change adaptation?

The climate–energy–cities nexus represents one of the most significant concerns of the 21st century and is a central debate on the political and research agenda. Nevertheless, the need to adapt economic, social and environmental systems to the growing impacts of climate change requires a response that is both global and local.

Instead, rural regions and low-density territories paradoxically emerge as marginal spaces while they could play a key role in green-energy generation, which represents one of the main drivers of the energy transition.

The present chapter sets the theoretical background and practical context for understanding how small towns located in rural municipalities could play a key role in shaping sustainable energy future development at the local scale. The discussion on a case study that looks forward with a model for a Solar Municipality leads to exploring the opportunities, challenges and barriers of the local energy transition.

The challenge is thus to focus on local energy transition as not only a driver for sustainable development but also a compromise able to concentrate and valorize local efforts to provide global benefits then.