ECOsmart supports climate and energy model regions in the design and implementation. The aim of the Climate and Energy Fund's Climate and Energy Model Regions program is to help regions to move towards to a sustainable energy supply and a high degree of independence from fossil fuels. Regional resources should be used optimally, energy needs should be met as best as possible from renewable energy sources and measures should be taken to increase energy efficiency and raise awareness.

The following objectives are pursued at local and regional levels:

• Recognition and use of regional potentials for the substitution of fossil energy carriers by renewable energy sources in the area of heat, electricity and traffic.
• Survey of potentials for increasing energy efficiency and exploiting these potentials within the area of influence of the Region
• Information and awareness raising among decision-makers of municipalities, businesses and households in order to save energy, increase energy efficiency and use renewable energies.
• Promoting projects in the field of sustainable mobility
• Contributing to sustainable economic development in the regions by reducing the dependence on imported fossil fuels
• Consolidation of suitable structures for regional climate protection
• Know-how deepening in the regions for implementation Projects
• Identification of the implementation potential
• Adaptation to climate Change

The program was launched in 2009. In the meantime, numerous climate and energy model regions (KEM) and several million inhabitants throughout Austria are working towards the common goal. Key elements in each KEM are the work of the Model Region Manager (MRM), who acts as the focal point and coordinator of KEM activities, as well as the broad awareness-raising activities that are being undertaken. The basis for the work is always a comprehensive concept, which identifies the potential of the regions, develops and anchors region-specific objectives and a vision, and defines an action plan, which serves as a roadmap for the achievement of the goals. The experience of recent years of cooperation with the climate and energy model regions shows that the targeted transformation processes and the long-term establishment of energy issues in the regions need several years of active work. To achieve the common goals of the Climate and Energy Fund and the KEM, long-term cooperation with the regions is therefore sought and supported. A continuous increase in the quality of energy policy work in the climate and energy model regions and the long-term safeguarding of local success should be provided for by the introduction of quality management in the regions (KEM-QM).