Coordination Capacities for Sustainable Energy
The project is completed. The project wanted to increase the political and personal readiness of targeted regions for the adoption and implementation of a new regional sustainable energy policy.
Coal Phase-out Energy Policy Energy Transition and Climate-Neutral Buildings
Project info
Slovakia
10/19 - 03/22
Local governments, Regional governments, Educational institutions, Non-governmental organisations
71,794.00 €
Contact info
Helena Zamkovská
- Friends Of the Earth-CEPA
- Energiaklub Climate Policy Institute and Applied Communications Association (Energiaklub)
Background
The absence of consistent regional energy planning and no regional coordination capacities resulted in inefficient use of public funds and in weak transposition of EU climate and energy targets to the local level in Slovakia. A further result was the lack of inspiring and replicable examples of good local energy practice.
In 2018, pilot SEC were set up in three marginalized districts of Slovakia as a result of new state policies aimed at combatting regional disparities. SEC’s mission is to introduce low-carbon energy policy on the district level. The transforming coal region of Upper Nitra seeked to build a similar coordination infrastructure.
Since the SEC were completely new structures, they missed sufficient capacities, methodologies, knowledge, and political support. This project aimed to bridge this gap through a combination of measures, including trainings, awareness raising activities, and site visits.
The project held positive environmental, economical, and social impacts for the targeted area. Furthermore, it contributed to the mainstreaming of ambitious regional sustainable energy policy in Slovakia, to a faster transposition of the EU climate and energy targets to the regional level.
Project
The project targeted four areas: three marginalized districts of Slovakia, in which pilot Sustainable Energy Centres (SEC) were set up, and Upper Nitra, a coal region in transition.
Group of participants gathering in countryside; photo: Friends of the Earth-CEPA Archive
It followed a three-fold objective: first to motivate key regional stakeholders to promote sustainable energy policy and to give a strong mandate to SEC, supported by introducing good energy practice examples from other countries to local stakeholders. Second, to prepare basic planning and implementation capacities related to a new sustainable energy policy by providing SECs personnel with diverse training and study tours. Third, to increase the potential for growing regional demand for a new sustainable energy policy by working with schools and training teachers on how to speak about climate change, its meaning, and its consequences to the students’ lives.
Students looking at photographs; photo: Friends of the Earth-CEPA Archive
The project raised awareness for sustainable energy policy in the general public through public exhibitions and lectures that emphasize the link between climate change and the energy sector.
Results
- Online excursions convey good energy practice: The project prepared a series of 12 online excursions to places of good energy practice, in which a total of 267 people took part. All excursions are available on the project's YouTube channel and significantly increase the reach of knowledge exchange. This makes successful practical examples accessible, comprehensible and permanently usable.
- Exhibition on climate justice reaches over 21,000 visitors: An exhibition on climate justice was shown at six locations - four secondary schools, a museum and a library - and was seen by a total of 21,463 visitors. It comprises 44 large-format photos with descriptions that visualise the global causes and consequences of climate change. The exhibition significantly increased public awareness of climate justice. In addition, an online film was created and streamed publicly, which further increased the impact of the exhibition.
- Practical climate change training for teachers: Five online training courses were organised for teachers and youth workers in the target regions, covering topics such as climate science, climate forecasts, climate justice and historical crisis management. A total of 132 participants received practice-orientated knowledge that can be applied directly in the classroom and in youth work. The project thus strengthens the educational competence for climate issues and promotes their integration in schools and youth centres.
- Capacity building for energy centres in the Czech Republic: As part of the project, a study trip was carried out for employees of the Sustainable Energy Centres (SEC), which covered key topics such as energy planning, intelligent buildings and energy education. In addition, English-language materials were produced and 10 SEC coordination meetings were organised at which employees discussed the progress of their low-carbon strategies under the guidance of the project team. This strengthens their technical expertise and supports the systematic further development of regional climate strategies.
Last update: January 2026