Committee of the Regions president and newly elected MEP Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso kicks off our cover story feature on EU sustainable energy week, saying that the "seismic shift towards a resource efficient economy must be driven through our cities". For the Spanish deputy, a commitment to investing in new sustainable technologies at the local level could restore Europe's "competitive edge". Valcárcel Siso points to the importance of EU funding, writing that it "offers local and regional governments the much needed stimulus to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in our cities". Head of the commission's sustainable energy policy unit Marie Donnelly says, "Europe has high ambitions to build a competitive and secure energy system that ensures affordable energy for all consumers." Donnelly also calls for the EU to prioritise buildings and industry in its energy efficiency "ambition".