Climate Action Connecting Europe

We support the realisation of ideas to accelerate climate action in Europe.

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Report of the EUKICON24

Here you find the EUKICON24 page with summaries of the workshops, panels, discussions, documents, publications and videos resulting from the EUKI Academy Networking Conference 2024.

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About us

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) launched the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) in 2017 to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and advance cooperation on climate action in Europe. Since then, we have funded 232 cross-border climate projects and created an active network with 459 organisations in 31 European countries.

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New Projects

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Hungary Slovakia

Empowering Roma Communities in the Green Deal

Bulgaria Croatia Greece

CHAMP - Championing Municipal Heating and Cooling Planning

Estonia Germany Lithuania North Macedonia Serbia

EU-REPAIR

Upcoming Events

27. May 2025

Academy Event
Online

EUKI Consultation Hour: Narrative Reports

03.06.25 - 05.06.25

Academy Event
Brussels, BE

EUKI Academy Study Tour to Brussels 2025

09.09.25 - 11.09.25

Project Event
Bratislava, SK

Forum Carpaticum 2025: Building Sustainable Mountain Partnerships
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Media

Here you find news, publications and videos on European climate action

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13 May 2025

Regional Workshop: Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Buildings in Albania and Kosovo

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12 May 2025

CURE+ Training Materials Now Public: Advancing Circular Construction Knowledge

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06 May 2025

A Thrilling Study Tour on Renewable Energy Communities in Austria

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30 April 2025

Challenges to the Implementation of ETS2 and the Social Climate Fund

post

30 April 2025

New Manuals for Climate-Neutral Schools and Cities

news

29 April 2025

Report: EUKI Regional Networking Event Southeast Europe

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23 April 2025

Boost for Local Energy Management: MENERGERS Final Conference

Beitragsbild

publications

16 April 2025

Comparative Overview of EPC Frameworks in Kosovo, Albania

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EUKI in Numbers

Funded Projects
European Countries
Organisations

From the EUKI Projects

Agenda Setting for Climate Action

While many scientists struggle to present their research in a simple way, journalists are often lacking access to scientific expertise. The project “Science & Journalism for Climate Action” paired the two groups and initiated partnerships between 152 journalists and scientists in Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, and Hungary. What a match! More than 90 media channels in South-eastern Europe picked up their joint research and published 370 TV reports, newspaper stories and online articles on topics in the field of climate action. The project spurred the climate debate in the region and forged long-term cross-border collaboration between science and media.

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Schools as Catalysts for Climate-Neutral Cities

As part of the EUKI-funded project Visions2045 – Schools as Drivers for Climate Neutrality in Cities, 12 schools in Bulgaria, Poland, and Slovenia have developed plans with concrete steps to become active contributors to climate neutrality. These plans address key sources of emissions, such as heating and waste, and engage the entire school community. To support these and more schools, EUKI project Visions2045 published practical manuals offering step-by-step guidance to help schools and municipalities reduce emissions and promote sustainable practices. Available in five languages, the manuals empower schools to play an active role in municipal climate policy and inspire wider societal change.

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Citizens' Energy: A Successful Model from Greece

Within the framework of the EUCENA (European Citizen Energy Academy) project, two citizen energy projects were created that have contributed to combating energy poverty, promoting renewable energy, and strengthening local structures. CommonEn installed two solar systems in Ioannina (Greece) with a total capacity of almost 200 kWp, one of which was implemented after the project was completed. The project now has 63 members. It is supporting the municipality in establishing an office to combat energy poverty and in developing Greece's first urban agrivoltaic project. To date, investments totaling €159,000 have been triggered, producing 273,000 kWh of clean energy annually, resulting in a CO2 savings of 108 tons. Another milestone is the establishment of the Greek Association of Energy Communities, which now represents over 4,000 members from across the country. It emerged from networking events held within the framework of EUCENA. The online platform "Community Energy Agora" also remains active.

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Boosting Biodiversity in Wind Energy

The Wind4Bio project good practice report on protecting biodiversity highlights 14 successful approaches to enhancing biodiversity protection in wind farm projects. These include new technologies such as monitoring systems and bird/bat collision avoidance mechanisms, as well as procedures like systematic impact monitoring, casualty assessment, and regulatory frameworks that mandate proactive biodiversity risk mitigation. These insights, along with practices to avoid, were introduced to 58 participants - including 31 public representatives and other stakeholders from the private sector, NGOs and civil society - during three workshops that took place in Greece, Latvia and Poland. The workshops concluded with valuable insights, such as the need for enhanced and more direct communication channels, particularly one-on-one discussions between experts and local citizens that could positively influence the perspectives of communities regarding wind farms.

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Energy Scouts Drive Efficiency in North Macedonian Steelworks

Two Energy Scouts, Eleonora Jovanovska and Tijana Shaleva, achieved remarkable energy and CO2 reductions at MAKSTIL steelworks in Skopje, North Macedonia. Through their project, they identified the potential to optimise the electric arc furnace (EAF) by implementing an Eccentric Bottom Tapping (EBT) system. This system significantly reduced energy consumption, saving 12 GWh of electricity annually and cutting CO2 emissions by 6,700 tons. The changes will also save approximately 2 million euros per year in operational costs, with an investment payback period of just 2.58 years. The project earned Eleonora and Tijana recognition as "Best Energy Scouts of the Year" in North Macedonia. Their work not only demonstrated practical solutions but also highlighted the role of Energy Scouts in driving industrial sustainability and efficiency.

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Advancing Industrial Decarbonisation in Central and Eastern Europe

The “Sustainable Finance for Industry Decarbonisation” project achieved impactful results across the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. It produced four country-specific reports that identified policy and financial barriers, followed by individual roadmaps offering actionable strategies to decarbonise heavy-emitting industries such as steel, cement, and chemicals. Further project outcomes included engaging over 245 representatives from industry, finance, and policymaking—far exceeding the target of 150—through workshops, conferences, and roundtables. These efforts fostered cross-border networks, shared best practices, and enhanced access to sustainable finance resources...

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Advancing Industrial Decarbonisation in Central and Eastern Europe Part II

The roadmaps and studies gained significant visibility among stakeholders, particularly during the CEE Sustainable Finance Summit in Prague, positioning the project as a noteworthy contributor to sustainable finance discussions in the region. Through these efforts, the project not only provided vital knowledge and opportunities for cross-border collaboration but also created a lasting framework for sustainable industrial transformation in the region. By aligning private and public sectors with EU climate goals, the project has laid the foundation for a greener, more resilient industrial future in Central Europe. The project was successful because it not only provided theoretical strategies, but also offered practical solutions that were tailored to the specific needs of the countries and gained broad stakeholder support.

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HINGE Project Wins Award as Best Practice 2024

The HINGE Project was awarded the prestigious URBANISTICA 2024 Prize in the category of "Technological Innovations for Urban Management". It will receive the prize for its innovative contributions to sustainable urban mobility across Italy, emphasising integrated transportation solutions that address post- COVID-19 pandemic needs. The award is part of the annual Urbanpromo event organised by the National Institute of Urban Planning (INU) in Italy. Thus the project, which promotes decarbonization and improved public health, will receive national visibility and publication in the prestigious URBANISTICA magazine.

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Decarbonisation of Heat Supply in Polish Town of Hajnówka

The feasibility study Renewable Power-to-Heat in Hajnówka demonstrates that converting the coal-based district heating system of Hajnówka, Poland, to large heat pumps powered by renewable energy is technically feasible, economically viable, and environmentally beneficial. The switch would reduce CO2 emissions by 84%, cutting GHG emissions by 22-24 tonnes annually. Despite initial investment costs of around €25 million, the project promises stable heat prices and significant long-term savings. The success has inspired similar initiatives, including a follow-up project in Bitola, North Macedonia.

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Coalition for a Wind of Change

The Black Sea Renewable Energy Coalition (BRSEC) was launched in Sofia in June 2023 by over 60 representatives of national and international institutions, embassies, NGOs, businesses, and different media outlets. Its goal is to strengthen collaboration on the development of offshore renewable energy in the Black Sea by bringing together offshore wind farm developers, research institutions, renewable energy experts, grid operators, NGOS and national and EU institutions. The media coverage of the BRSEC’s launch reached more than 27.000 readers in Bulgaria.

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