The Smart Energy Regions (SmartER) COST Action TU1104 (COST, 2014) takes a regional perspective on energy and the low carbon agenda. It focuses on a systems approach, including low carbon energy supply, energy demand management and energy storage, and the associated distribution networks. It looks at links between technology and training, and to end user activities, covering the fields of ‘smart grids’ to ‘smart living’. As part of this COST Action members have investigated how different policies are being implemented to progress the low carbon agenda and how industry and broader stakeholder groups are involved in the process. This publication is supported by COST. Cost and value are also important factors that influence the take up of low carbon technologies and lifestyles. The regional approach covers the development of policy, planning and regulations, and how government incentives and industry responses can encourage the transformation of low carbon policy to practice, through innovation and competitiveness.