From Tirana to Pula, four cities are inviting citizens to rediscover, protect and reimagine the green spaces that make urban life healthier, safer and more connected.

Years to Grow, One Day to Lose

The loss of urban green space is one of the most visible environmental challenges facing cities in the Western Balkans and South East Europe. Rapid construction keeps replacing parks, tree lines and open land with concrete. As a result, cities are hotter in summer and more exposed to flooding. They also have less clean air, less biodiversity and fewer places where people can meet. The „Green Spaces, Safe Places“ campaign runs from 5 to 9 October 2026 as a joint response. It brings together partners of the Climate Bridges Network under one shared message: „Green space is not empty space. It’s where community breathes.“

For Climate Bridges, green spaces are much more than decoration. That is why the campaign goes beyond tree planting. It links greenery to health, safety and community life. It also invites people to take visible action in their own neighbourhoods.

Four Cities, One Region, One Goal

Each participating city is hosting activities built around its own green-space challenges, while staying connected to the regional campaign. Events take place in Tirana (Albania), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Skopje (North Macedonia) and Pula (Croatia).

In Sarajevo, CENER 21 is running a week-long programme. From 5 to 9 October, citizens are mapping and photographing neglected green spaces through the online action „Green Spaces Out of Focus – Spot. Photograph. Map.“ On 7 October, the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences hosts a Green House Party. On 8 October, an urban gardening exhibition with the City of Sarajevo is followed by the „Sarajevo Hidden Gems“ walk. The week ends on 9 October with a workshop on urban gardening and crop rotation at OPZ Sinergija Plus in Pazarić.

In Tirana, about 20 students will lead the conversation on the loss of green areas in their city. On 9 October, they will join the Urban Research Institute at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Tirana for a discussion and a short lecture on invasive species. On a walk through the city, they will photograph neglected corners and share ideas on how to transform them. Using tools such as AI, URI will turn these ideas into before/after visuals. These will help raise awareness and will be shared with decision-makers, so the students‘ ideas can guide future improvements when conditions allow.

In Skopje, around 20 pupils will paint pots and plant greenery on 9 October. The event is organised by the Center for Climate Change, the Municipality of Karposh and Primary School „Lazo Trpovski„. A questionnaire will collect residents‘ views on local green spaces for the Municipality, and three trees will be donated for planting in a public space.

In Pula, Zelena Istra will turn Valerijin park below the Arena into an open-air forum on 9 October. A citizens‘ „Vision Board“ will collect ideas for recommendations to the City. The day also includes the panel „Green Cities – Safe Cities“ and the photo exhibition „The Living World of Pragrande„. Local civic initiatives will have stands, and there will be workshops for children.

Each city tailors its events to local needs, but together they give the region one strong voice for greener, safer and more resilient cities.

The Climate Bridges partners have been supporting the campaign with a joint social media series. The posts started with the problem. Trees that take years to grow can be lost in a single day. Many cities are green on paper but grey where it matters. And green space is not shared equally between neighbourhoods. The series then explained why this matters, from protection against heatwaves and sudden floods to health, safety and quality of life. It also introduced the 3-30-300 rule: three trees visible from every home, 30% tree canopy in every neighbourhood and a quality green space within 300 metres. Most cities in the region still fall short of this standard. Finally, it pointed to solutions already growing across the region. These include community gardens on empty plots, rain gardens that soak up storm water, green roofs and tree-lined streets. They are small changes with real impact.

Small Changes, Real Impact

„Green Spaces, Safe Places“ builds on last year’s „Breathe Clean“ campaign. „Breathe Clean“ taught us that awareness alone is not enough: our events reached many people, but the conversation often ended when the event did. The new campaign took shape at the Climate Bridges meeting in Sarajevo in December 2025 and was then developed jointly by the partners.

This year, the campaign takes a different approach. Each city starts from places people know: a neglected corner, a park under threat, a schoolyard without shade. Instead of only informing citizens, we invite them to map, photograph, plant and propose solutions. Every event now leaves something behind: a visible result for the public and concrete input for local authorities.

The campaign also brings together issues that are often treated separately: urban heat, flooding, air pollution, biodiversity loss and the shrinking of public space. All of them depend on how cities plan and protect their green areas. Because it starts from local places, the approach is easy to adapt, and other cities and regions can use it in their own context.

Let’s Protect It Together

The work does not end on 9 October. The maps, recommendations, survey findings and visuals from each city will be shared with local authorities. They will be a starting point for further dialogue. The partners will also keep sharing campaign materials and supporting local initiatives across the region.

In the end, the campaign will be measured by one thing: whether the voices collected this week help protect and create green spaces in our cities.

Get Involved: Learn more about the Climate Bridges Network and discover how you can get involved by exploring the network platform. For the latest updates and event agendas, visit our news section, or write to us at netw...@....com

The Climate Bridges Network continues to foster transnational climate action through enhanced cooperation among its members, working toward climate neutrality goals while strengthening democratic governance in the region.

Learn more about membership opportunities and how to get involved by visiting our website: https://climate-bridges.com/

This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). The German Federal Government additionally contributes to the project through the Support for Climate Dialogue within the Framework of the Regional Climate Partnership with the Western Balkans, commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

This summer was like no other. Across Europe, temperatures soared above 40°C, wildfires devastated forests, and energy crises prevailed. This has been a wake-up call for European citizens, putting them face-to-face with what a warmer world would look like. Achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and keeping global warming below 2°C requires action from governments, the EU, businesses and other stakeholders. Peatland rewetting has great potential to support the achievement of this target, but financing this restoration is a significant barrier to progress. The recent adoption of the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation represents an opportunity to overcome this financial barrier, opening the door for peatlands to become key climate change solutions.

The past decade has seen an increase in international commitments addressing climate change. Following the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2016, the international community agreed to keep the increase in the global average temperature below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels¹. In addition, EU Member States are required to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050 under the EU Climate Law². While these pledges are a step in the right direction, they must be backed by real, on the ground action. To meet climate neutrality by 2050, EU Member States must significantly reduce GHG emissions and, to address unavoidable emissions, increase carbon removals.

When thinking of climate change solutions, ‘peatland’ is not a term that comes to mind for many

Yet these highly diverse ecosystems are a key, often overlooked, solution for climate mitigation. Peatlands are ecosystems with a unique soil known as peat³. Peat is formed when waterlogged conditions create a highly anoxic (oxygen depleted) environment in the soil, preventing the microbial decomposition of dead plants and subsequent release of carbon dioxide. Instead, plant material accumulates to form peat soil, resulting in the storage of organic carbon within peatlands. This storage is far from insignificant. Despite only covering 3% of Earth’s land surface, peatlands store twice as much carbon as forests³. Not only are they considered the most effective long-term terrestrial carbon sinks on the planet, but intact peatlands provide numerous ecosystem services, including water storage and filtration, as well as being important habitats for endemic and endangered species³.

To provide their critical functions, peatlands must be wet. When they are drained for peat extraction, forestry, or agricultural use, oxygen enters the soil and microbes decompose plant material. This decomposition releases previously stored carbon into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, turning peatlands from carbon sinks into sources. In the EU, for instance, 50% of peatlands have been drained, accounting for 7% of EU GHG emissions^3,4.

The state of European peatlands is alarming, but action can be taken. Through rewetting, emissions from drained peatlands can be substantially reduced, helping to achieve EU climate targets. In addition to reducing emissions, rewetting peatlands has clear benefits for sustainability including enhanced biodiversity, decreased flood risk, and the production of innovative products through the cultivation of water-tolerant crops, known as paludiculture³. Considering these numerous benefits, the EU has begun to pay attention to peatland rewetting. Notably, since 2024, EU Member States are obliged to restore and rewet drained peatlands under the Nature Restoration Regulation⁵. However, financing this restoration has been a significant barrier to progress so far.

The recent adoption of the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation represents an opportunity to overcome this financial obstacle. The CRCF Regulation is the first EU-wide voluntary framework for the certification of carbon removal, carbon farming, and carbon storage activities⁶. The certification essentially serves as an EU ‘stamp of approval’ for these activities. By setting clear standards for certification, the Regulation aims to build trust and stimulate investment in carbon removal technologies and carbon farming practices, whilst also addressing greenwashing.

The CRCF Regulation covers three types of activity: permanent carbon removals, carbon farming, and carbon storage within products. Peatland rewetting falls within carbon farming, which broadly refers to practices that enhance carbon sequestration in terrestrial or coastal environments or reduce GHG emissions from soil⁶.  Under the Regulation, both full and partial rewetting of peatlands are eligible for certification. Certification also covers three other carbon farming activities: agriculture and agroforestry on mineral soils, soil-carbon enhancement on mineral soil, as well as afforestation.

To become certified, carbon farming activities must meet certain quality criteria. These criteria are specified in the Carbon Farming Delegated Act, which complements the CRCF Regulation. The so-called ‘QU.A.L.ITY’ criteria are focused on the QUantification, Additionality, Liability, and SustainabilITY of an activity.

1.  Quantification: The netcarbon removal or soil emission reduction benefit of an activity must be quantified in an accurate and robust way. To quantify the net removal or reduction, operators must measure the baseline (carbon removals or soil emissions in the absence of the activity), the total carbon removal or emission reduction of the activity, and any emissions associated with the activity, such as fuel combustion emissions from field operations. To gain certification, an activity must have a net carbon removal or soil emission reduction benefit. For peatland rewetting activities, proxy-based (e.g. vegetation type, water table depth) models is the only viable quantification approach.

2.  Additionality: The activity must demonstrate additionality. That is, an activity should not: a) already occur due to a legal requirement, or b) be financially viable without certification.

3.   Liability: Liability mechanisms address the risk that certified emission reductions are subsequently reversed (e.g. early termination of the activity), particularly where credits are issued upfront based on expected future reductions. However, under the CRCF, carbon-farming units are only issued after the associated emission reductions have been monitored and verified, eliminating the risk of crediting reductions that have not occurred. Moreover, emission reductions from carbon farming activities under the CRCF are not meant to last after the activity period has ended (temporary emission reductions), and are considered released back into the atmosphere at the end of the activity period.Therefore, there is no risk of reversal of certified emission reductions from peatland rewetting under the CRCF, with the consequence that no liability mechanism is needed. 

4.  Sustainability: The activity must not cause any significant harm to the environment and is able to generate sustainability co-benefits. Peatland rewetting strongly aligns with this criterion, providing many co-benefits including habitat restoration, biomass for paludiculture, and flood mitigation.

Overall, these criteria are meant to ensure the environmental integrity and quality of carbon farming activities.

Once the Delegated Acts have been finalised and published, farmers or landowners will be able to apply for certification. To gain certification, operators must first submit an application to a certification scheme, which verifies that the activity complies with the requirements set out in the CRCF Regulation and accompanying Delegated Acts. Following a successful application, operators are then required to submit an activity plan to an independent certification body for third-party auditing. If this is approved, operators can start their activity, but only after five years (re-certification audit) can they receive CRCF units, which correspond to one metric tonne of CO₂ equivalent. CRCF units can then be sold on the voluntary carbon market, allowing farmers and landowners to access results-based payments for their activities.

While the CRCF Regulation represents an important step towards facilitating the financing of carbon farming, certain aspects of its design may limit its suitability for peatland rewetting when compared with established peatland carbon schemes such as MoorFutures. Indeed, since emission reductions from peatland rewetting and other carbon farming activities are considered fully reversed at the end of the activity period, those emission reductions are only delayed in time or temporary, with the consequence that companies can only buy those credits for contribution claims, and not to compensate their unavoidable emissions. This might significantly reduce the attractiveness of such credits, and thus the price of the credits in the voluntary market. In addition, for activities requiring substantial upfront investment, such as peatland rewetting, the fact that CRCF units can only be issued after the associated emission reductions have been verified (ex-post issuance) may represent a significant financial barrier to undertaking such activities. If left unresolved, these concerns may affect the number of operators applying for certification as well as buyers of credits and, therefore, the overall success of the certification framework.

After being overlooked for too long, peatlands are entering the spotlight as important climate change solutions. The CRCF Regulation represents an exciting opportunity to finance peatland rewetting, as well as other carbon removal and carbon farming activities, helping the EU move towards net zero goals. However, many questions remain about the impact of the Regulation, including how many operators will participate, what the monitoring costs will be, and how many buyers will be interested in investing in CRCF credits.

Author: Bethany Thomas (CEEweb) Edited by: Hugo Hénaff (Michael Succow Foundation) and Eliza Óhegyi (CEEweb)

References

1.      United Nations. Paris Agreement. Adopted 12 December 2015, entered into force 4 November 2016. United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 3156, p. 79, Registration No. 54113.

2.      Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’) [2021] OJ L 243/1.

3.      UNEP. (2022). Global Peatlands Assessment – The State of the World’s Peatlands: Evidence for action toward the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of peatlands. Main Report. Global Peatlands Initiative. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi. https://doi.org/10.59117/20.500.11822/41222

4.      van Giersbergen, Q., Barthelmes, A., Couwenberg, J., Lång, K., Martin, N., Tegetmeyer, C., Fritz, C., & Tanneberger, F. (2025). Identifying hotspots of greenhouse gas emissions from drained peatlands in the European Union. Nat Commun 16, 10825. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65841-6

5.      Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2024 on nature restoration and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869 [2024] OJ L, 2024/1991.

6.      Regulation (EU) 2024/3012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 establishing a Union certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products [2024] OJ L, 2024/3012.

Peatlands cover only a small part of Bulgaria’s territory, yet they are extremely important for water, biodiversity and climate. At the same time, much remains unknown – particularly about peat-forming wetlands and peat soils. Where are they located? What condition are they in? Which of them have the potential to be restored? These are just some of the questions we still need to answer.

Systematically mapping these areas is a major challenge – but one worth taking on.

This was one of the key messages to emerge from the National Roundtable on the Conservation and Restoration of Peatlands and Peat-forming Wetlands in Bulgaria, held on 24 September at the Ministry of Environment and Water.

The roundtable brought together two complementary strands of the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation’s work on peatlands. The project “Chairite Lakes – Biodiversity Capsules in the Rhodopes”, supported by DEVIN EAD, has enabled us to build three years of practical experience – from scientific research and monitoring of a specific peatland complex to the first restoration measures. The “Peatland Futures” project, supported by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI), allows us to take this conversation to the national level while drawing on the experience of international organisations with long-standing expertise in peatland conservation and restoration. Through the partnership, we are also following how countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Slovenia and Slovakia, are addressing data gaps and developing national approaches to peatland conservation and restoration.

In this way, the practical experience gained at Chairite connects with a much broader question: how can Bulgaria improve its knowledge of its peatlands and peat-forming wetlands and develop a coherent approach to their conservation and restoration?

The meeting was opened by Kostadin Geshev, Deputy Minister of Environment and Water, who pointed out that Bulgarian peatlands occur outside the ecological optimum of these habitat types in Europe, making them particularly vulnerable and limiting their capacity for natural recovery. Although Bulgaria has not experienced peat extraction on a large scale, some of these ecosystems have been altered or destroyed through drainage, reservoir construction and other human activities. He therefore stressed the need to improve knowledge of their distribution and condition and to plan realistic restoration measures.

Spas Uzunov from BBF placed peatlands at the intersection of several major issues – nature conservation, water, climate change, land use and the future financing of restoration. Bulgaria already has scientific research, mapping and monitoring, as well as practical experience from sites such as Vitosha and the Chairite Lakes. However, a comprehensive picture is still missing, particularly when it comes to historically drained wetlands, peat-forming wetlands and peat soils.

Assoc. Prof. Rayna Natcheva from the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBER-BAS) demonstrated the significance of these knowledge gaps. She presented the available scientific knowledge on the distribution of peat-forming wetlands in Bulgaria and outlined the need for a national inventory that would provide a more precise picture of their distribution, condition and threats. Other necessary steps include more systematic monitoring and an assessment of the restoration potential of degraded, drained or historically altered areas. For some lowland peat-accumulating habitats, for example, their current distribution and extent, present condition and restoration prospects remain unknown.

What does peatland restoration look like in practice?

Following the overview of the scientific knowledge, the discussion moved to two places where restoration is already taking place on the ground.

Rumyana Ivanova from BBF and Petya Manastirska from DEVIN EAD presented three years of work at the Chairite Lakes – from studying the hydrology, biodiversity and condition of the peat islands to the first restoration measures and long-term monitoring. Measures implemented so far include controlling woody vegetation on the peat island and removing part of the encroaching bulrush vegetation. An important next objective is to expand the Chairite Lakes Protected Area to include Golemiya Gyol and the largest floating peat island in the complex, which currently remain outside its boundaries.

An even longer history of practical restoration was presented by Desislava Gyurova from Vitosha Nature Park. At the Konarnika and Chuypetlovo peatlands, restoration has focused primarily on hydrology and vegetation. At Konarnika, a ditch was created to improve the water balance, competing vegetation is regularly removed, and the establishment of planted peat moss fragments is monitored. At Chuypetlovo, a system was built to provide a continuous supply of water to the heavily drained peatland. The experience from Vitosha demonstrates an important lesson: peatland restoration is not a one-off intervention, but a long-term process requiring maintenance, monitoring and adaptation.

Where should we focus our efforts?

If we cannot restore everything at once, the next question is where restoration efforts could have the greatest impact.

Stanimira Ivanova from the University of Forestry presented the Wetland4Change approach to prioritising wetlands based on their capacity for carbon uptake and storage and flood regulation. The aim is to use scientific evidence to direct limited restoration resources towards places where intervention could have the greatest effect. Data from Choklyovo Blato show that even different areas within the same wetland can have different carbon balances depending on their hydrology and vegetation. Restoration decisions therefore need to take into account the specific condition and functioning of a site, rather than its area alone.

Closely linked to the question of data is another challenge: how can we create economic incentives for landowners and land users to restore degraded or drained peatlands? Hugo Henaff from the Michael Succow Foundation, a BBF partner in the Peatland Futures project, presented the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Framework (CRCF). Under certain conditions, the framework can also cover activities involving raising water levels and rewetting peatlands.

Before such mechanisms can be applied, however, we need to know where these areas are, how they are used, how deep the peat is and to what extent they have been drained. Information on drained peat soils, including those under agricultural use, remains a major knowledge gap in Bulgaria.

From data to national policy

The final presentation brought the discussion back to national policy. Experts from the Ministry of Environment and Water presented the place of peatland habitats within Bulgaria’s National Nature Restoration Plan. Data reported under the Habitats Directive indicate an unfavourable-inadequate conservation status for the habitat types discussed, while knowledge gaps remain for some of the reported areas and also need to be addressed.
During the discussion that followed, representatives of the Ministry noted that Bulgaria still lacks sufficient information on drained peat soils under agricultural use on which to base specific restoration targets. If such data are collected, they could also inform the further development of the National Nature Restoration Plan.

The discussion therefore naturally moved to another question: how can we protect areas that we still do not know well enough? Toma Belev pointed out that peatlands do not exist as a separate category of permanent land use in Bulgaria and proposed that, when future amendments to the Biological Diversity Act are considered, peatlands could be discussed as a distinct object of protection.

Representatives of the Ministry noted that peatlands fall within the broader concept of wetlands and already benefit from certain forms of protection, while also stressing that any future legislative change would need a reliable scientific basis – where exactly these areas are located, what their boundaries and extent are, and what condition they are in. A national inventory therefore emerged not only as a scientific task, but also as an important basis for more effective protection.

Participants also noted that Bulgaria is not starting from scratch. Historical data and previous wetland inventories can provide a starting point for future work. At the same time, some of the available information is not sufficiently detailed to determine the precise location and boundaries of individual peatlands.

The discussion also highlighted the need to involve the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in the next steps. Some areas with restoration potential are agricultural land or pastures, while drained peat soils under agricultural use represent one of the most significant data gaps. Decisions about their future therefore cannot be made solely within the framework of nature conservation policy.

The next step: A national peatland working group

At the end of the meeting, the Ministry of Environment and Water confirmed its readiness to continue the process and to initiate the establishment of a national working group on peatlands. Such a group could bring together scientists, institutions, conservation organisations, landowners and land users, and businesses to work on the issues identified during the roundtable – from common terminology and the systematisation of existing knowledge to a national inventory, legal protection, restoration priorities and potential financing mechanisms.

The Ministry also expressed its readiness for the work carried out under the Chairite Lakes project and the partnership between BBF and DEVIN EAD to be presented in the National Nature Restoration Plan as a good-practice example of how scientific expertise, practical conservation and business support can work together.

The roundtable showed that Bulgaria is not starting from scratch – we already have scientific knowledge, practical experience and growing opportunities for restoration. The next task is to bring the different pieces of this picture together: to understand where Bulgaria’s peatlands and peat-forming wetlands are, what condition they are in, and where conservation and restoration are most urgently needed.

Insights into the Polish PPA market

Participants learned about the Polish PPA market at the Green Energy for Business – RE-Source Poland Hub Central Conference. At the Polish-Croatian Round Table, they then discussed how PPA models can be applied at the local level.

A particular focus was the example of the City of Łódź. The presentation covered why the city decided to purchase electricity through a PPA, how the contract was prepared and how its key elements were defined. The discussion also addressed the differences between the Croatian and Polish PPA markets, as well as the regulatory and administrative challenges both countries face.

Meeting at the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia

During the visit, the delegation also met at the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in the Republic of Poland. The meeting presented OIEH’s activities, the Renewables for All project, and renewable energy projects in Croatian local and regional government areas. Participants discussed the importance of the energy sector for both countries and opportunities for further cooperation and stakeholder networking. Alongside the delegation, the meeting was attended by Ambassador Tomislav Vidošević and First Secretaries Marijan Barić and Lucio Borčić.

Memorandum of Cooperation signed

The most significant outcome of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum on the Exchange of Experience between OIEH and RE-Source Poland Hub, confirming continued cooperation and networking between Croatian and Polish stakeholders.

Łódź at the Green Energy Fair

Representatives of the City of Łódź and RE-Source Poland will attend the Green Energy Fair on 28th and 29th of October, in Zagreb, and present their PPA model in detail to representatives of Croatian municipalities.

Peatlands are important natural carbon sinks. Their protection and restoration therefore make a key contribution to climate action. In addition to knowledge transfer, the project team focused on the impacts of hydropower plants on peatlands and other ecosystems. It emphasised the necessity to improve the legal and regulatory framework conditions in order to make climate action more effective.

Another focus of the conference was the economic potential of natural ecosystems and the funding channels for their conservation and restoration. In five panel discussions, participants discussed the development of the carbon market as well as models and mechanisms for assessment and use of natural values. The European regulatory framework and the opportunities offered by nature-based solutions for long-term financing arrangements for ecosystem protection and restoration were also central topics.

The conference concluded with a call to continue cooperation between institutions, experts, civil society and other stakeholders in the protection and restoration of the Dinaric Karst Peatlands. Emphasis was also placed on the further development of legal, financial and institutional framework conditions that recognise and save the natural and climatic value of these ecosystems in the long term.

Over 50% of city residents consider housing an immediate and urgent problem, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey. Nearly nine in ten respondents living in cities (88%) think their city could benefit from renovating existing housing to reduce energy bills.

Concrete action is clearly needed to reaffirm housing as a right. On 9 September, the European Commission presented a proposal for a new regulation, the Affordable Housing Act, which provides a common framework for identifying areas under housing stress and helping local authorities implement justified and proportionate measures to preserve housing for long-term residential use. The regulation is accompanied by recommendations encouraging municipalities to develop a Housing Acceleration Plan to promote inclusive and accessible neighbourhoods, with a particular focus on affordable housing options, especially for young people. Last but not least, it promotes the use of vacant and underused housing and land. Reactivating empty buildings is precisely the ultimate goal of the EUKI project Transforming Invisible Buildings.

Developing a methodology to map vacant buildings

Launched in February 2026, this EUKI project seeks to identify and map vacant buildings in cities, thereby addressing the lack of a standard methodology. This is a challenging exercise requiring access to diverse geospatial data and other forms of sensitive and personal information. The project is currently identifying local experts and will use this methodology to map the existing stock of vacant buildings by April 2027, not only in the pilot capitals of Athens, Zagreb and Ljubljana, but across Europe.

Right to Housing – sign the new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)

The homes of tomorrow are already built. Let’s use what we have and house Europe!

It is absurd to have over 47 million vacant buildings while people struggle to afford a decent place to call home. The buildings already exist. What is missing are the rules needed to make the most of them.

Managed by HouseEurope! and supported by around 60 entities – including associations (project’s partners Energy Cities and Habitat for Humanity are among them), local authorities and institutions from across Europe – the European Citizens’ Initiative Right to Housing! Now and Forever aims to collect 1.2 million signatures from at least seven EU countries. This would oblige the Commission either to propose new legislation or explain why it will not act.

What are the initiative’s demands?

USE

1. Regulate short-term rentals and vacancy.
2. Convert empty buildings, such as vacant homes and offices, into housing.
3. Create incentives and fast-track permits to make renovation the first choice.

INVEST

1. Ensure public money serves people, not speculation.
2. Reform fiscal rules so governments can invest more in housing.
3. Create an EU housing fund.

PROTECT

1. Set enforceable standards to keep housing affordable and sustainable.
2. Keep people in their homes during EU-funded renovations.
3. Establish an EU Housing Agency to ensure transparent governance.

The signature collection has began on 14 September and will run for one year. If the threshold is reached, democracy will win, and people’s fundamental rights will have a new opportunity to be realised.

Sign today and help spread the word!

For coal-dependent municipalities such as Breza and Obiliq, access to appropriate financing is essential for translating local climate, energy and sustainable development priorities into concrete action. The training therefore focused on the practical skills needed to develop stronger project proposals, structure project ideas and identify relevant funding opportunities. By strengthening these capacities, the activity aimed to help local authorities move from strategic priorities and identified challenges towards more concrete and finance-ready interventions.

From Local Challenges to Fundable Projects

The two-day training brought together six municipal representatives, three from each pilot municipality. Through practical exercises and expert guidance, participants worked on key elements of successful project development, including defining clear objectives, developing measurable indicators, identifying risks and ensuring that proposed interventions are aligned with the requirements of potential funding programmes.

The training encouraged participants to apply the methods directly to their own local contexts rather than focusing only on theoretical concepts. This practical approach helped them explore how existing challenges and transition priorities could be developed into more structured project concepts with a stronger basis for future financing.

The joint format also created an opportunity for participants from the two coal-dependent municipalities to exchange experiences and discuss common challenges. The peer-to-peer exchange provided an additional perspective on local priorities and encouraged participants to consider different approaches to addressing similar challenges.

“The training was highly productive and extremely useful in helping us understand the core principles of project management. The concepts were presented clearly, and the overall experience was a true pleasure and honour for us.”

Edona Idrizaj, Municipality of Obiliq

A Practical Tool for Continued Learning

To support continued learning beyond the training, participants were introduced to the Guide to Available EU and International Funding Sources, developed within EUKI project Green Horizons – Enabling Just Transition.

The Guide provides practical information on relevant funding programmes, institutions and contact points, serving as a reference for local authorities when exploring potential financing opportunities. It is intended to support municipalities in navigating the funding landscape and identifying programmes that may be relevant to their future project ideas.

Participants welcomed the Guide and highlighted its practical value. The Municipality of Breza described it as concise, clear and well structured, providing useful information and practical guidance for exploring available funding opportunities.

“We believe that the knowledge and experience gained will be valuable in our future work and that activities of this kind contribute to strengthening our joint capacities and future cooperation.”

Amela Omerhodžić, Municipality of Breza

Connecting Local Priorities with International Support

The training programme also included a study visit to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 9 July. During the visit, municipal representatives presented some of their local priorities and discussed the challenges they face in translating strategic objectives into concrete projects that can attract external financing.

The exchange provided an opportunity to discuss the role of international cooperation and technical support in advancing the transition of coal-dependent communities. It also highlighted the importance of strengthening local institutional capacities so that municipalities are better equipped to identify opportunities, develop quality proposals and engage with potential funding partners.

Strengthening Capacity for the Next Steps

The immediate impact of the training was reflected in the participants’ self-assessment results. Five out of six participants (83.3%) reported a significant improvement in their knowledge following the training, exceeding the project target of 75%. The result indicates a strong immediate contribution of the activity to strengthening municipal knowledge and confidence in climate finance and project development.

The training and the funding Guide provide an important foundation for the next stage of cooperation with the pilot municipalities. Building on the knowledge gained, the municipalities will move towards developing concrete project ideas linked to their local transition priorities. They will also receive individual expert support to further strengthen their project logic, align proposals with donor requirements and explore suitable funding opportunities.

Through this continued support, EUKI project Green Horizons – Enabling Just Transition aims to help translate strengthened municipal capacities into practical project concepts that can contribute to a fair and sustainable transition in coal-dependent communities.

One of the first tasks of the project partners (BSERC, Bulgaria; REGEA, Croatia; CRES, Greece) was to conduct an in-depth review and analysis of the framework conditions in the heating and cooling (H&C) sector. The results of this study are presented in a report titled “Review of the current heating and cooling framework in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Greece.”

The report analyses the heating and cooling sector in three pilot municipalities: Pernik (Bulgaria), Rijeka (Croatia), and Veria (Greece). Each pilot case reflects the broader national context and challenges related to H&C planning, energy efficiency, and renewable energy integration.

Comparative analysis reveals shared challenges across the three countries, including low building renovation rates, limited data infrastructure, insufficient municipal planning capacity, and reliance on fossil fuels. While Croatia excels in strategic planning and Bulgaria in air-quality-driven action, Greece leads in solar thermal adoption. Yet, all three countries need stronger coordination, financing instruments, and capacity building to meet EU targets.

District heating systems, where present, are outdated and fossil-fuel reliant. Transitioning to modern, low-temperature systems integrated with renewables is not yet mainstream. Consumer-level challenges include affordability, lack of information, and limited financial incentives for non-poor households. One-stop shops, tax incentives, and regulatory sandboxes are largely missing.

The report identifies multiple gaps, including incomplete EU legislation transpositions, limited financial accessibility, lack of comprehensive national H&C strategies, and underdeveloped integration of H&C into urban planning. Although there are pilot programs and funding streams, they often operate in isolation and fail to build systemic change.

In conclusion, the report calls for comprehensive national strategies, improved data systems, targeted financial tools for all income levels, and local capacity building. Accelerated adoption of renewable technologies, modernization of district heating, and inclusive planning are crucial to achieving a sustainable, efficient, and equitable H&C sector in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Greece.

Cities that Listen to their Citizens can Implement Change more Effectively

The aim of the event was to exchange knowledge, experience and examples of good practice on how to plan and implement sustainable and climate-resilient solutions in the fields of mobility and public space. Particular emphasis was placed on citizen participation, as meaningful change happens when the voice of the community is heard, understood and taken into account.

The programme was opened by Varaždin Mayor Neven Bosilj, who presented the city’s ongoing sustainable urban mobility projects. Varaždin was not only the host city, but the example of a city approaching mobility and public space through the implementation of real projects and measures.

From Political Courage to Community Engagement

Panel discussion, “Political Courage” explored the importance of determination, long-term vision and willingness to engage in dialogue in achieving sustainable urban transformation. The panel was introduced by Vita Kontić-Bezjak from the City of Ljubljana, who highlighted examples of successful change, but also the processes in which, despite significant efforts in communication and citizen engagement, the outcomes differed from what had initially been planned.

The second panel, “Citizens: The Key to Positive Transformation”, was introduced by Petra Grgasović from Erkon. She emphasised that citizens are not inherently uninterested in participation. They become actively involved when they recognise that an issue affects their everyday lives, identity and sense of belonging to the community.

From Digital Tools to Solutions on the Ground

The first day concluded with a tour of sustainable mobility good practices in Varaždin. Participants saw how ideas related to sustainable mobility, safer movement and higher-quality public space are translated into concrete solutions in the urban environment – from planning to the everyday use of city streets.

Urban Mobility Academy for Climate-Resilient Cities

The second day of the programme focus was on behavioural change, communication, stakeholder cooperation, the use of digital tools and the development of communication plans for climate-resilient transport and spatial solutions.

The day began with a dynamic Fireside Chat that highlighted the importance of efficiency, fairness and sustainability in urban transformation. The need for early public involvement, the use of trusted local „heroes“ and clear communication in building citizens’ support were also stressed.

One of the folowing presentation teached us that people do not choose how they travel solely on the basis of available infrastructure. Their choices are also shaped by habits, emotions, social norms and perceptions of safety.

„Encouraging more sustainable mobility requires an understanding of citizens’ everyday needs and the gradual introduction of change through clear communication and the creation of high-quality alternatives.“

Lidija Pavić-Rogošić, ODRAZ

Digital Tools and Data for Better Planning

A workshop on multilevel communication as a key to creating synergies for successful project implementation was led by Mila Pantelić from GIZ. Participants were then introduced to tools that connect professional data, local knowledge and users’ experience of public space: Copernicus data,the Citizen Dialogue Kit, and City Layers.

A particularly valuable part of the programme was fieldwork using the City Layers digital tool. Through a web application, participants marked potentially dangerous locations, places they liked and areas they believed should be improved in Varaždin city center.

„This approach demonstrated how planning can become simpler, more engaging and more inclusive. Digital tools can help ensure that citizens’ voices are incorporated earlier in the planning process and enable professionals and decision-makers to gain a better understanding of how public spaces are actually used.“

Lovro Končar Gamulin, City Layers

Sustainable Mobility Starts With People

The event in Varaždin confirmed that sustainable mobility is not only a transport issue. It is also about quality of life, safety, accessibility, trust, communication and the way cities plan their future:

• involve citizens early and meaningfully
• explain changes in clear and accessible language
• connect technical solutions with real everyday needs
• cities should create conditions in which public transport, walking and cycling become more natural, faster and more attractive choices.

The regional event “From Planning to Practice: Mobility, Public Spaces and Citizens’ Voices” demonstrated the importance of cooperation between cities, experts, civil society organisations and citizens. It is through this kind of cooperation that plans can be transformed into practice – greener streets, safer mobility, higher-quality public spaces and cities that are more resilient to climate change.

The main objective of the CLIMove Summer School was to educate participants on planning and implementing measures aimed at sustainable mobility in cities, with an emphasis on transport and spatial planning and participatory processes in urban planning. Over several intensive days, participants, with the support of mentors, combined thematic lectures, practical workshops, fieldwork, discussions with users and team development of solutions.

Šibenik served as a real learning space – a kind of outdoor classroom where ideas were immediately connected to a concrete urban context.

The first day began with introductory thematic presentations that opened up key issues related to sustainable mobility, public space, urban development and citizen involvement in planning. The participants then brainstormed in teams to envision the city of the future after which they learned about the design thinking approach and methods focused on understanding user needs through an interactive workshop. The teams then defined the areas of work, methodology and participatory methods they would use during the field research.

The second day was dedicated to communication skills and fieldwork. The workshop on public speaking, pitching and presentation skills helped participants to structure their messages more clearly, adapt them to different audiences and present their ideas more confidently. A study tour and observing different forms of movement and spatial relationships in the city and its surroundings followed.

Next two days of the summer school was dedicated to analyzing the collected data and intensive teamwork to prepare solutions and final presentations. With the support of the mentors, the participants systematized field observations, interviews, and notes, and identified key needs and problems. The emphasis was on ensuring that the solutions were clearly argued, understandable and linked to the findings of the field research.

The fifth and final day at the public event “Coastal Cities Mobility Renaissance – Insights from Young Professionals: Case Study Šibenik”, teams of young experts presented their solutions to City representatives and interested citizens:

1. Enhancing Climate Resilience of Šibenik

2. Inclusive Public Space: Rethinking the Riva, Šibenik

3. Urban Link: Šibenik’s Multimodal Hub

4. YoUlica: Living street – street as a place for all

5. Ctrl + S treets: Living street – street as a place for all

The Value of Learning by Doing

The CLIMove Summer School demonstrated the value of non-formal education based on working on real challenges and direct contact with the space and its users.

Over the course of several days, participants not only gained new knowledge about sustainable mobility and urban planning, but also developed skills in collaboration, communication, critical thinking and co-creation of solutions.

Such an approach is especially important for future professionals who will face increasingly complex challenges of cities, climate change and mobility in their work, which require cooperation between different disciplines, sectors and stakeholders.