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.

A shared foundation: one presentation, three countries

The starting point for school activities in all three countries is a PowerPoint presentation developed by Giacche Verdi Bronte (GV) and shared with the partner organisations in English. Eco Logic in North Macedonia and Argonauta in Croatia adapted the materials to their local contexts. In every classroom – whether in Sicily, Skopje or along the Dalmatian coast – the same core content is delivered: What is biochar? How is Terra Preta made? What role does healthy soil play in addressing climate change?

Two visits per class: learning indoors and outdoors with the help of young volunteers

The educational concept in all three countries includes two visits per class: first an indoor session, then a hands-on outdoor activity. Each partner organization hosts young international volunteers who are actively involved in the educational work – preparing lessons, conducting experiments and accompanying the children in the schoolyard. Their closeness to childhood enables a more direct and joyful approach to the subject matter; the children participate with great enthusiasm throughout.

Sicily (Giacche Verdi Bronte): Five stations in the schoolyard

Giacche Verdi had reached 3,770 pupils and 197 teachers across 26 schools in 12 municipalities around Mount Etna, including classes from Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, who had travelled to Bronte as part of school twinning schemes and were taught in English.

The outdoor sessions were organized around five stations: a biodiversity lab with planting activities and insect hotels, a biochar lab with water filtration experiments, a planting lab featuring vegetables, herbs, and native trees, a pyrolysis demonstration using the portable Kon-Tiki device, and a pH testing lab on soil acidity.

North Macedonia (Eco Logic): Green roofs as learning spaces

Eco Logic reached 1,100 pupils and 89 teachers across 10 schools in Skopje. Two primary schools now feature educational green roof models incorporating biochar and Terra Preta, serving as permanent outdoor learning spaces. In further schools, children planted hedges, herb beds and nursery plants using Terra Preta. For a joint Citizen Science activity, plant pots were filled with various growing media (with and without biochar) and planted for observation through the children.

Croatia (Argonauta): First planting activities underway

Argonauta has launched activities in 2 schools in Tisno and Vodice and plans to significantly expand them in autumn 2026. The children planted oak seedlings and a lavender hedge with Terra Preta in the school garden. Also here, first citizen science activities have begun.

The impact of the project in schools

Feedback from all three countries shows that the hands-on experiments are well received by the children and spark their interest in topics such as soil health, climate protection and sustainable gardening. As many pupils in Sicily come from farming families, the knowledge they have gained can also be applied directly to their everyday lives at home.

The aim was to encourage participants to change their planning approach – moving away from a sectoral and reactive approach towards an integrated and systematic one. In addition, the organisers sought to explore innovative ways of financing measures and projects that contribute to climate neutrality.

An integrated approach to spatial and transport planning assumes that the way we plan ambition, but it is systemically planned and built today through concrete spatial decisions. Green financing and budgeting enable the implementation of such solutions by aligning budgets with climate goals and using available funding sources, which is especially important in the context of the new financial framework of the European Union.

“Climate resilience is not a future that is being awaited, but a present that is being strategically planned and actively built, it is not a luxurious ambition, but a necessary responsibility for current and future generations.”

Gordana Lalić, CEO of the Municipal company for the construction of Croatian city Poreč-Parenzo

Day 1: Integrated Transport – Spatial Plannings

Participants analysed three possible locations and assessed their suitability regarding the availability of facilities and transport connections.

In the second part of the workshop, participants took on the roles of different stakeholders (residents, visitors, employees, tenants) and defined their needs, daily movement patterns and obstacles. Based on this, concrete measures were proposed in the planning and construction phase, as well as long-term solutions for spatial development.

It was concluded that solutions should be based on:

• Enhancing accessibility through wider sidewalks, tactile surfaces, ramps and safe pedestrian infrastructure;
• Introducing lower speed zones (e.g. 30 km/h) and noise reduction measures;
• Development of green infrastructure and urban equipment (trees, shading, benches, public taps) to reduce heat islands and increase comfort;
• Improving safety through public lighting and sound signalling;
• Strengthening connectivity of all forms of transport (walking, cycling, public transport);
• Parking management (capacity analysis, usage regulation) and ensuring public transport (e.g. minibus lines).

It was emphasized that changes are possible through small but strategic interventions in existing infrastructure, but they require clear priorities and consistency in decision-making. Also, to encourage changes in habits, it is necessary to prioritize the provision of quality pedestrian and cycling infrastructure over car infrastructure, and in order for the entire planning process to function, it is necessary to develop and interdisciplinary approach.

Day 2: Green and Innovative Financing

The second day of the workshop was dedicated to the financial framework for achieving climate neutrality, with an emphasis on available sources of financing and their possibilities for application at the local level.

Participants discussed on the topic of innovative financing models for climate neutrality projects. The participants analyzed different sources of financing and developed proposals for possible ways of financing in the local context with a focus on projects that support the goal of climate neutrality of cities.

It was emphasized that traditional financing models are not sufficient to close the financial construction of the green transition and that a shift towards blended and innovative approaches is necessary.
The need for cities to take on the role of catalysts that connect public, private and civic sources of financing was highlighted, using instruments such as green bonds, Energy Service Company (ESCO) models, participatory budgeting and blended finance.

Combining different sources and strengthening local capacities was highlighted as a key direction to bridge the financial gap and enable long-term, sustainable implementation of the climate transition.

Conclusion

The discussions showed that key challenges remain sectoral planning, car dominance, reactive action and lack of interdisciplinary capacity, with weak links between planning and financing. The need for an integrated approach linking spatial and transport planning with climate objectives and budgets, strengthening accessibility, managing transport demand and implementing climate validation was highlighted as a direction for action. Innovative financing models, combining sources of funding and strengthening local capacity are essential for a successful transition, with a shift to a strategic, long-term approach that puts community needs and quality of life at the centre.

The workshop was organised by ODRAZ in cooperation with the City of Poreč and Net Zero Cities initiative. The workshop was attended by more than 40 participants, including representatives of ministries, cities and municipalities, representatives of public transport and the civil sector, and experts working on climate neutrality and EU programs.

More about the workshop is available HERE.