Local Leaders for the Next Generation

The countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), which were once part of the former Eastern bloc, are not yet fully exploiting their considerable potential in the field of renewable energy. For example, the EU provides them with extensive funding through its "Next Generation EU" recovery fund and the new EU budget to close the energy transition gap – provided that the region uses innovative investment models. However, these countries often perceive the social and economic impacts of ambitious climate and energy policies as negative. This may be partly due to the fact that the benefits of such measures are not made sufficiently visible. Accordingly, local authorities need support through guidance and training for the implementation of practical solutions and high-quality EU-funded project development. Moreover, already existing initiatives to promote energy transition in CEE need to be better integrated and their successes made more visible.

Advocating for just transition in central and eastern Europe, ©Bankwatch

The project aimed to accelerate the energy transition and decarbonisation in the Central and Eastern European countries Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, and Hungary by strategically utilising EU funds. The project team first analysed local needs, potentials, and benefits of climate investments and informed municipalities and authorities about best practice examples from the region as well as from Germany, which could serve as models. In addition to providing advice, the team worked with local authorities and encouraged them to take a leading role in the energy transition and jointly develop ways to achieve the goals of the EU Green Deal. In cooperation with governments, municipalities, and civil society, the project team trained local actors to become multipliers and female multipliers of the energy transition and developed high-quality solutions in the field of renewable energy with the help of EU funds. Through collaboration with European allies, such as with members of the European Parliament and the European Commission as well as with representatives of civil society, valuable synergy effects were thus created.

• Report on the energy transition with high political visibility: As part of the project, the report ‘Powering up Central and Eastern Europe – How the EU should step up’ was published shortly before the 2024 European Parliament elections. It highlights the progress made by Central and Eastern European countries in the energy transition and includes recommendations on how to accelerate the energy transition in the region. More than 2,500  policy makers, non-governmental organisations and just transition communities received the report directly, and more than 200,000 people were reached via social media. 
• Cross-border transfer of know-how: 350 local authorities from just transition regions acquired know-how on EU-funded energy transition projects through various project forums, shared best practices and were empowered to implement sustainable solutions and avoid inefficient approaches. The publication of a guide to EU funding was particularly effective, achieving a very high reach and impact with translations into seven languages (Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Polish and Slovak). 
• Political implementation of project results: More than 15 recommendations on new measures and improvements to existing measures developed as part of the project were incorporated by governments into their national REPowerEU chapters. In Poland, for example, funding for energy communities was almost doubled. In addition, funding for electricity grids and projects to build capacity and green skills was increased, while funding for investments in fossil gas was halved compared to the original draft. Advocacy work in the Czech Republic and Hungary led to fossil gas projects being completely removed from the REPowerEU plans. In Poland, investments in fossil fuels were reduced to one third of the originally planned amount. In Bulgaria, three proposals from the project partners, including the promotion of energy communities, were included in the final Territorial Just Transition Plan.