EUKI Events

CEE Sustainable Finance Summit

The 3rd edition of the hybrid CEE Summit 2023 returns to Prague and this time EUKI is an official partner. The CEE Sustainable Finance Summit is the largest specialised hybrid event focused on sustainability in finance and business in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. It aims to ignite discussions about what opportunities sustainable finance and a pivot to sustainability integration offer to the wider region. The Summit showcases best practices in business and finance, and offers access to a unique range of experts and professionals working on the EU Green Deal, Fit for 55 Package or Sustainable Finance Agenda.

Date: 15 – 19 May 2023

Agenda:

15 May – Sustainability in finance: Greening finance or financing green

16 May – Sustainability and banking: Banking on an economic transformation

17 May – Sustainability and energy: Powering sustainable economic growth

18 May – Sustainability and business: Sustainability for value creation

19 May – Sustainability and innovation: Solving the innovation puzzle

This is an invite-only event. If you’d like gain access for you or your team in person, please email partnerships∂ceesummit.org.

Panel discussions on Sustainability in Finance, Banking, Energy, Business and Innovation will be available on a live stream. Registrations for online streaming can be submitted here.

CONGREGATE Final Event

Energy-efficient renovation and encouraging “prosumer” behaviour through energy cooperatives are proven measures that support the sustainable energy transition. During the CONGREGATE’s project lifespan (Nov. 2020 – Mar. 2023) the project developed a communication strategy to support national building renovation strategies in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania, and organised local, regional, and national events to promote this strategy. The online event aims to present the project methodology and results with the aim for replication.

Date: 31 March 2023

Time: 14 – 15:30 CEST

Speakers:

Alice Corovessi, Managing Director, INZEB

Dragomir Tzanev, PhD, Executive Director, EnEffect

Todor Galev, Director of Research, Center for the Study of Democracy

Horia Petran, President at Cluster pRO-Nzeb

Bojan Milovanovic, Ass. Professor, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Civil Engineering

The working language will be English. There is no attendance cost for this workshop, but registration is required.

RENALDO Conference: Energy cooperatives as part of a sustainable energy transition in rural areas

The partners of EUKI project RENALDO as well as the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MRiRW), in cooperation with the National Agriculture Support Center Poland (KOWR), invite to this two-day conference in Warsaw. Participants will have the opportunity to find out more about the idea of energy cooperatives and their benefits, good practices from the RENALDO project and examples from other European countries. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will also present a support programme for energy cooperatives called “Energy for the Countryside”. Additionally, extensive knowledge about the establishment of energy cooperatives as well as the operation and selection of RES sources for energy cooperatives will be imparted.

Date: 1 & 2 March 2023

Agenda:

Day 1: Energy cooperatives and their benefits

Day 2: Establishing and operating energy cooperatives

See the full preliminary agenda here.

Participation in the conference is free of charge, but the number of seats in the in-person event is limited. To register, please complete this form by 24 February 2023. The conference will be broadcasted on the YouTube channel on both days.  A link to the streaming will be emailed to the participants one day before the conference starts.

School Agroecology: realities, challenges and perspectives

On the occassion of the World Environmental Education Day.

This meeting organised by EUKI project Bringing Climate Action to the Table will include a dialogue among experts on the approaches for school agroecology as an educational proposal – considering the main challenges regarding the transformation of the school food system – and commenting projects and experiences at educational centres.

Date: 26 January 2023

Time: 17:30 CET

Registration for this event is mandatory and can be formalised here.

Languages: Catalan, Spanish, and English (simultaneous interpretation).

EUKI Community Kick-off Event

Take the opportunity to get to know each other, present your new EUKI project and learn more about what it means to be part of the EUKI Community.

This event is aimed at EUKI project implementers and partners selected in the 6th EUKI Call for project ideas. New members of the EUKI Community have the chance to get to know each other, present their and learn about other EUKI projects. In addition, the event will provide a chance to meet other project representatives of new EUKI projects working in similar fields, to connect and to explore synergies. Furthermore, new projects will get the possibility to get to know the people in the EUKI secretariat and ask questions.

Date: 10 January 2023

Time: 10 – 11:45am CET

Speakers:

• Matthias Casper, Counsellor of European Climate Policy at German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, BMWK
• Ulrike Leis, Deputy Director EUKI
• Matthias Daun, EUKI Technical Team
• Benjamin Berger, EUKI Financial Team
• Elsa Benhoefer, EUKI Academy
• Oliver Hoelcke, EUKI Public Relations Team

Carbon Dioxide Removal Options in the National Long-term Strategies of EU Member States

Achieving climate neutrality in the EU requires emission removals, which are tightly linked to the land-use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector.

Emerging technologies are also being sought to remove emissions by other means, e.g., carbon-capture and storage (CCS), carbon-capture and utilization (CCU), direct air capture (DAC) and biotechnology and carbon capture (BECCS). But how much importance do EU Member States assign to the LULUCF sector and to what extent do they explore its contribution to reaching climate neutrality?

This webinar presents and discusses the findings of a report by SEI Tallinn. The analysis, conducted as part of the Climate Recon 2050 project, analyses the role of the LULUCF sector in Member States’ Long-Term Strategies (LTSs). Although the majority of LTSs published so far address the topic, the extent to which countries with significant potential in the sector explore its contribution to climate neutrality varies, even among Member States with significant needs for modernization of their existing legacy networks.

Date: Tuesday, 13 December 2022
Time: 10 – 11:30am CET

If you would like to join the conversation, kindly register at the following link to indicate your interest in participation: https://forms.ecologic.eu/cr2050-LULUCF

Charting a path towards climate neutrality in turbulent times

Register HERE for online or in-person participation!

The EU’s toolbox on climate action has been significantly expanded since the adoption of the Paris Agreement: targets have been increased and the climate neutrality goal is legally binding. New planning processes have been started and new institutions created. And with FitFor55 the core policies are being updated. Many Member States have enacted their own framework climate laws to establish clear procedures for managing their own policy-making and established dedicated independent scientific advisory councils. At EU level, a new European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change has been formed to provide additional and independent input to the institutions on the green transition.

However, first the economic impacts of the pandemic and now the energy crisis triggered by both the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a particularly hot summer in Europe are creating a difficult environment, with a complex mixture of supportive and blocking impulses. Does the EU have the means to stay the course towards climate neutrality in such turbulent times?

This event will discuss how stable long-term policy direction can be maintained despite uncertainties, and in this context will zoom into the role of long-term strategies and scientific climate advisory councils. To exchange views on these tools with each other and the audience, Climate Recon 2050 and ARIADNE have brought together several experienced practitioners.

• Ottmar Edenhofer, chair of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change and spokesperson of the ARIADNE project
• Vicky Pollard, acting Head of Unit, DG CLIMA, European Commission
• Marie Donnelly, chair of the Irish Climate Change Advisory Council
• Gwenaël Podesta, Ministry of Ecological Transition, France

Date: 30 November 2022

Time: 3:00 – 5:30 pm CET

Throughout the event, the audience in Brussels and online will be asked to provide their opinion with the use of online polling tools – and can engage equally through an electronic Q&A system.

If you would like to join the conversation, kindly register by 28th November at the following link to indicate your interest in participation: https://forms.ecologic.eu/cr2050-brussels

Please find the agenda here: agenda – tools for resilient EU climate policy

Getting to low-carbon District Heating

Visions for enabling low-carbon district heat networks in EU Member States’ Long-term Climate Strategies

Modern, low-carbon district heating networks are important vectors for the decarbonisation of the European residential heating sector. In the light of the recent Fit for 55 package and the RePowerEU plan, efficient district heating systems are increasingly in focus as solutions for decarbonisation. This webinar presents and discusses findings of a report “District heating in national long-term climate strategies” by Energy Policy Group.

Date: 3 November 2022

Time: 15:00-16:30 CET

The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion featuring industry representatives and sector experts:

• Morgan Henley, EU Heating Sector Decabonisation Campaigner at CEE Bankwatch Network
• Andreas Graf, Senior Associate and Project Lead EU Energy Policy at Agora Energiewende
• Claudiu Cretu, Director General at Termoenergetica

The webinar is part of the Climate Recon 2050 project. The project aims to create a space for experience sharing among representatives from different EU countries and provide opportunities for exchange, support and capacity building for EU Member States engaged in the complex process of planning how to reach deep greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2050.

Register here to attend the webinar.

Climate and environment-friendly food: Plant-based meat alternatives

It will not be possible to reach a climate-neutral society without changing the way we eat. Consuming more plant-based food and decreasing the amount of meat and dairy products in our diets are two of the most important ways in which individuals can lower our carbon footprint. This transition can be made easier by consuming plant-based alternatives to meat that are already available today.

Umanotera, The Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable Development invites you to an online event and round-table Climate and environment-friendly food: Plant-based meat alternatives.

Thursday, October 6 2022
10 AM to 11.30 AM CET

Invited speakers will discuss the necessity of addressing the topic of climate-friendly food and explain what plant-based meat alternatives are, which types are available on the market today and how they differ from each other. They will also discuss consumers’ motivation for purchasing plant-based meat alternatives and current market trends in this field.

Speakers:

• NIKA KREMIĆ, Slovene Consumers’ Association
• ŽIGA VRANIČAR, Narayan d.o.o.
• ANDREJA VEZOVNIK, PhD, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences
• NIKA TAVČAR, Umanotera

Roundtable moderator: MAJA PRIJATELJ VIDEMŠEK

Mandatory registration form can be found here.

The participation at the event is free of charge. The round table will be in Slovene but translation to English will be provided.

For additional information, contact Hana Turšič at hana∂umanotera.org or visit www.umanotera.org.

Climate crisis and rising food prices – How to solve two problems at the same time?

Our food system is unsustainable and susceptible to economic and climate shocks which we are already experiencing and which are expected to become even more dire in the future. Without substantial and efficient measures, rising food prices can become a constant, further worsened by the ongoing climate crisis.

Umanotera, The Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable Development invites you to an online round table “Climate crisis and rising food prices – How to solve two problems at the same time?”:

Monday, September 26 2022
11 AM to 12.40 PM CET
ZOOM

What are the key vulnerability factors and especially which are the changes at both the consumer and systemic level that are needed in order to ensure quality, safe and accessible food while reducing the impact on climate change?

This will be discussed by the following experts:

· Janez Potočnik, PhD (UNEP International Resource Panel)
· Matjaž Turinek, PhD (Organic farming Zlate misli)
· Breda Kutin (Slovene Consumers’ Association)
· Andreja Sušnik, PhD (Slovenian Environment Agency)
· Aleš Kuhar, PhD (Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana)
· Senka Šifkovič (Umanotera)

The round table will be moderated by Maja Prijatelj Videmšek.

Register here.

The participation at the event is free of charge. The round table will be in Slovene but translation to English will be provided.

For additional information, contact Nika Tavčar at nika∂umanotera.org or visit www.umanotera.org.

EUKI Conference 2022

Russia’s war in Ukraine and the varying dependencies on its fossil fuels amongst European countries once more sped up the urgency to transform our economies, cities, and ways of life towards a cleaner and greener future.

How can we make use of this dynamic? Which energy sources and technologies help secure energy independence in the short run, while boosting climate action in the long run? Which solutions do EUKI projects already provide, and what more is needed for a climate-neutral future?

At the EUKI Conference 2022 ‘EUKICON22 – Fostering the Green Transition’, representatives from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the EU Commission and over 250 EUKI project members will ponder on these questions.

Speakers

Dr. Simon Marr, Head of Division European Climate Policy, European Climate Initiative, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
Ulrike Leis, Deputy Director Project Finance Programme European Climate Initiative (EUKI)
Patrick Graichen/Sven Giegold, State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
Anelia Stefanova, Energy Transformation Area Leader, CEE Bankwatch
Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf, Senior Fellow & Head of the International and European Governance Program, Ecologic Institute
and many more!

Register here for online participation.

If you are interested in participating on site in Berlin, please send us an email.

Or join us on 20 September 2022 via our live stream and listen to an international high-level panel discussing Europe’s Green Transition: https://youtu.be/fuYLkV3BOZw.

WORKSHOP: Member States’ Perspective on the EU Hydrogen Accelerator

To tackle climate action and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, whilst achieving faster independence from fossil fuel imports, the EU must step up and speed up the energy transition. The RePowerEU Plan has set out several action points to do so.

Accelerating the development of the European hydrogen market plays a crucial role. Despite the blueprint outlined, there are still many challenges and concerns which need to be addressed.

In this online event, we will discuss the Hydrogen Accelerator Plan outlined by the European Commission in the RePowerEU Plan and cross-check whether it fits with member states’ perspectives and plans, by focussing on the consortium countries’ cases: Germany, Poland and Portugal.

This workshop is part of the EUKI-funded project Green(ing) H2 – Engaging civil society to make Europe’s hydrogen infrastructure green, fair and sustainable aiming to promote an intensive dialogue between different stakeholders in the EU in order to enhance their capacity to engage progressively in the hydrogen debate and actively promote the ramp-up of sustainable and fair hydrogen markets. It also intends to bring EU member states’ discussions closer together by sharing knowledge, exchanging priorities, and best practices concerning the deployment of a renewable hydrogen market and regulatory instruments.

Speakers

Henning Ehrenstein, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG Grow)
Esther Bollendorff, CAN-Europe
Jeanette Uhlig, German Energy Agency
Ewa Mazur, Polish Regional Pomeranian Chamber of Commerce
Sofia Simões, Portuguese National Laboratory of Energy and Geology

Please register to attend this online event.

More information can be found in the invitation.

Round Table “Local Planning for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation”

We are inviting you to a regional round table “Local Planning for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation“. The round table is organized as part of the Croation project “METAR to a better climate“ and with the support of the project “Climate Bridges” and Unify.

After four short presentations about climate networks in the Alps, developing and implementing SECAPs, local energy and climate planning as well as coastal planning in Croatia, a panel discussion about “Urban Planning – Perspectives and Challenges” will follow.

Participating organizations are:

Zelena Istra, Croatia

Urban Research Institute, Albania

CENER 21, Bosnia and Herzegovina

CIPRA International Lab, Austria

Réseau Action Climat, France (TBC) 

DOOR, Croatia

and PAC/PAP, Croatia

Date: 9 June 2022

Time: 4 pm – 7 pm

Location: Pula or online

For more information and the zoom link you can contact: paula.duske∂cipra.org

Environment-friendly and healthy food – how do we recognize it?

By adopting sustainable purchasing habits, consumers can make an important contribution to addressing climate crisis, while also taking care of their health. Eco-labels and certificates can help us with this. However, in the multitude of labels on food products, it is difficult to identify those that are trustworthy and that assure the selected products are truly environment and health-friendly. It is therefore important to learn about these issues and, as conscious consumers,make more sustainable decisions in all areas – including food.

Umanotera in collaboration with ZPS – Slovene Consumers’ Association
invites you to an online event

Environment-friendly and healthy food –
how do we recognize it?

TUESDAY, MAY 31 2022
10 AM – 11.15 AM ON ZOOM

Experts from The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), Umanotera – The Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable Development and ZPS – Slovene Consumers’ Association will be answering the following questions:
• What is environment-friendly and healthy food?
• How do we understand sustainable nutrition in Slovenia?
• What sustainability labels and certificates can be found on food?
• What labels can we trust as consumers?
• What percentage of food in stores is organic and how comprehensible is this offer?
• Where is organic food positioned in stores?
• How is the problem of misleading nutrition labeling being tackled at the EU level?

Due to its relevance, vast amount of information provided and useful practical tips, the event is aimed at anyone who wishes to better understand food labels and learn to recognise more sustainable products.

Mandatory registration here.

More information can be found in the invitation here.

The use of EU funds in Central and Eastern Europe: Valuable examples.

In the framework of the ongoing project “Towards a Climate-Neutral EU: Efficient Allocation of EU Funds” civil society organisations from 8 CEE countries are continuously monitoring the ways how EU funds are used.

In this webinar, partners will share what they have found and present interesting examples.

Webinar agenda:

1. Introduction – How can the use of EU funds contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation
2. Presentation of the Best Practice Database
3. Examples of EU funded projects from 8 CEE countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia
4. Next steps

If you are interested to learn more about EU funds expenditures in the CEE region, please register here.

The webinar will take place on 30 May from 12 to 2 pm CET.

How green will the EU funding be in Central and Eastern Europe?

In the framework of the project “Towards a climate-neutral EU: efficient allocation of EU funds” civil society organizations from 8 countries of CEE region assessed their national Partnership Agreements and Operational Programs.

In this webinar representatives of 8 national NGOs will share their comments on how “green” are national plans for EU money implementation in the upcoming 2021-2027 period.

Agenda of the webinar:

1. Introduction – what are the Partnership Agreement and Operational Programs and why are they important for climate?
2. Presentation of the assessments from 8 CEE countries :Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania
3. Conclusion – what are the common strengths and weaknesses in the CEE region?

If you are interested to join, please register here:https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IzbKKO9NRYGohkh0RN2Xtw?fbclid=IwAR1yJFuMiqeeDk4mi_cXzHe1EQyn0E_KQWPamCoFFGg3BKkgtexSf8lYnLw

The webinar will take place on 17 May from 1 to 3 pm CET.

ClimArchiNet: International Conference on Sustainable Architecture soon in Bratislava

We invite you on a discussion about sustainable architecture, its contemporary and future form.

On April 13th in Cultural and creative centre Nová Cvernovka in Bratislava, Slovakia

We are at the crossroads, facing challenges such as the climate crisis, the pandemic, the lack of affordable housing or social tensions. However, it seems that it does not make sense to continue on this path, but it is not possible to go back. The only option is to find a new way that will create new opportunities for our and future generations.
Can we take a critical look at the current situation and find the key to a better lifestyle that will not be a burden on the environment in which we live?
It is we who can change the current consumerist way of life, architects, engineers, developers, politicians, officials, residents, all of whom, by our decisions, create the future.

This year, the conference is different again, although it builds on previous years – on passive houses and buildings A0. This time we are not only going back to the roots and to the city…

We are going back to our values. ​​Inspired by the New European Bauhaus, which is committed to sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion. We will look for them together in both urban and rural environments.
Individual subject blocks will, besides key speakers, contain moderated panel discussions of the invited guests. Audience can join the discussion freely through the application sli.do.

We invite you to the IV. year of the conference A0. Again, it will be different, extraordinary, suited for architects, but also for those who are willing to listen and speak their mind.

PROGRAMME

9:00 – 9:30 Arrival and registration

09:30 – 09:45     OPENING SPEECH

Ľubica Šimkovicová, Passive House Institute Slovakia
Iľja Skoček, Slovak Chamber of Architects
Tomáš Vanický, Centrum pasívního domu

9:45 – 12:00        NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS

Architecture as a social mission. In times of global crises, Europe is looking for solid ground and its direction. The new European Bauhaus finds the values ​​of sustainability, inclusion and beauty all around us and has the ambition to change thinking and priorities.

Peter Beňuška (SK): Inspirational values ​​of the New European Bauhaus
David Juárez Latimer-Knowles, Straddle3 (ESP): Tactical housing for the compact city
Markus Zilker, Einszueins Architektur (AT): Discovering Vienna’s Co-housing model: Gleis 21
Alexandra Georgescu and Tomáš Kozelský, KOGAA studio (CZ): City re-use by KOGAA

Panel discussion, moderated by Ľubica Šimkovicová

12:00 – 13:00       LUNCH BREAK

13:00 – 14:30      CONTEMPORARY SLOVAK AND CZECH ARCHITECTURE IN THE SIGN OF THE RE-GENERATION

We are gradually coming to realize that there can be no sustainable and other architecture. There are just different ways to approach this topic. Intenionally or unawarely as a natural part of creation? Looking to the future or to the past? Where do the various aspects intersect and how does the current generation of active architects 40 +/- reflect them in their work?

Keynote speaker: Štěpán Valouch, ov-a (CZ): A couple of houses back in the game
Jana Štofan Styková (SK)
Martin Skoček (SK): House V – the process
Discussion: Štěpán Valouch, Jana Štofan Styková, Martin Skoček, Nora Vranová, Martin Kusý

14:30 – 15:00     COFFEE TIME

15:00 – 17:00     SUSTAINABLE DISTRICTS

Sustainable architecture on the scale of a district? Urban planning as a way to energy independence? Can be done. Under the leadership of quality architecture, sophisticated energy concepts and with regard to other pillars of sustainability, pilot districts are emerging in Europe such as ÉcoQuartier Clichy-Batignolles in Paris or Seestadt Aspern in Vienna. How is the cooperation between the city, developers and architects?

Catherine Centlivre, Paris & Métropole aménagement (FR): Eco-district Clichy-Batignolles : a benchmark for sustainable development
Jakob Dunkl and Carmen Hottinger, Querkraft Architekten (AT): Emotional sustainability and love in architecture
Filip Gulan and Samuel Csáder, Corwin (SK): Palma: From brownfield to sustainable district
Boris Meluš (SK) : Nová Cvernovka
Panel discussion 

17:00-17:30 DINNER

17:30 – 22:00    EVENING PARTY   

Programme change reserved.

REGISTRATION >> HERE

Conference website

In case of any question, please contact us: konferencia∂iepd.sk

Online Conference: Climate-Friendly School Catering

How is your food produced? How does it get to your plate? What is the future of food? Society is facing major challenges in nutrition. Producing the current global supply of food causes different new problems which in turn harm the climate. A growing population must be fed in a fair and sustainable manner. Join the conference of EUKI project CLIKIS Network and learn more about sustainable food production and systems.

During the first part of the conference, renowned speakers including Prof. Dr. Melanie Speck and Prof. Dr. Anet Režek Jambrak, will be discussing topics such as Sustainable food technology , The climate impact of food and Relations to climate protection.

We would also like to invite you to join us and exchange your experiences during our four workshops in the afternoon:  

• WS 1 Climate-friendly, plant-based products – What does the guest want?
• WS 2 Organization of canteen and kitchen – Waste reduction
• WS 3 Energy-saving kitchen technology and operation
• WS 4 Climate protection in industrial kitchens / Meeting of German KEECZ project

Click HERE for the conference agenda and register HERE.

Journalist Seminar in Lithuania

The seminar “Climate emergency calling – how to write to be heard?” invites journalists working in the regional media to acquire knowledge about climate change and use it in their work.

The participants in the seminar are going to listen to the seminar’s speaker, Silvestras Dikčius – an independent expert on climate change, a professional meteorologist, and a prominent collector of Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) who writes on climate change and environmental issues. 

The topics of the webinar are:

• Climate change;
• Global and European climate strategies;
• Lithuania’s situation about climate change.

Webinar. March 29, 11-12:30 p.m.

The program consists of two parts:

 1- Political strategies in Lithuania and the EU. 

 2- How to communicate about the climate museum?

 The session is part of the EUKI project “Climate Museum – See, Feel, Change.” The Climate Museum is Lithuania’s first mobile museum, with the goal of inspiring society, particularly the youth, to take action on climate policy and live and develop a climate-friendly lifestyle.

Mobility Eco Forum 2022

MOBILITY ECO FORUM 2022

Connecting Spain and Europe – The future of passenger rail in the climate transition

Europe and Spain need an attractive and connected rail system to reduce transport emissions, connect regions and citizens, and boost a green economy.

However, governments and rail operators mainly focus on domestic markets. They thus neglect cross-border connections, intermodality and night trains.

The Mobility Eco Forum 2022 is a Spanish hybrid event organized by ECODES and ecounion, as part of the Europe on Rail initiative.

The forum takes place in the Representative Office of the European Commission in Madrid on March 24 from 11 am to 1 pm. It aims to foster dialogue between key stakeholders in the rail sector, in order to identify barriers and opportunities to accelerate a rail renaissance for Spain and Europe.

The event will be held in Spanish.

Register here

3rd ClimArchiNet Workshop with Experts for architects and cities/municipalities

The „ClimArchiNet“ project continues with Workshop No. 3.
Focus is on architects and their approach to the design and construction of more sustainable and energy efficient buildings in the Czech Republic.

Date and Time: 25. February 2022, 10am-12 pm (CET)
Online event in Virtual CENTRE / Gather.town.

Please register here.

This event is free of charge and will be held in Czech language.

During the online panel discussion with the expert team we will look for a practical answers to these topics:

1. How best to get sustainability criteria into architectural competitions for the design/construction/renovation of buildings/quarters at optimal cost?
2.  How to innovate competitions with respect to TAXONOMY, ESG?
3. How to specify/innovate the procurement of different levels of investment and at what stage of the process to invite specialists in their field?
4. How and when is it worthwhile to use existing subsidy titles (increase motivation and awareness of architects and municipalities)?

The expert group of the project will share their recommendations from practice.
During the workshop we want to discuss 1-2 model examples from the practice of reconstruction/new building construction in the Czech Republic.

Together with guests from municipalities, who will share their practical experience in the preparation of architectural assignments or competitions, we will help to create a signpost for public procurers of sustainable architecture, which should serve for a good orientation in the whole process and steps when commissioning the construction of new or adapted buildings with sustainability parameters / energy efficient buildings, linked to modern energy.

Target groups: architects, municipalities and cities, civil engineers, energy experts
Meet the points published in DECLARATION OF SUSTAINABILITY. And JOIN US!

Organised by: Passive house centre Czech Republic
In cooperation with: iEPD (Passive Housing Institute Slovakia)
Supported by: the European Climate Initiative (EUKI)

Three4Climate Final Event: Think European – Act Local

Three4Climate connects six cities and six schools from Germany, Portugal, and Slovenia to jointly take action towards climate neutrality while the three countries hold the trio presidency of the Council of the EU in 2020 and 2021. The project provides a platform to municipal representatives, mayors, headmasters, teachers and students from Bielefeld and Radolfzell in Germany, Braga and Loulé in Portugal, and Maribor and Kranj in Slovenia to share insights and best practices on local climate action. It also provides the opportunity for local, national and European decision-makers to connect and to better understand each other’s interests and move towards potential solutions for a carbon-neutral future.

The final event will conclude the project by presenting project highlights, offering interesting insights from external speakers and discussing future possibilities for cross-border and multi-level cooperation in the field of local climate action.

The event can be accessed virtually (via Zoom) and is divided into three thematic blocks:

(Times are indicated as CET)

09:00-09:45: Opening

09:55-11:15: Session I: Co-designing climate-neutral cities

11:30-12:30: Session II: Establishing new alliances for collaborative climate action

The language of the event will be English. Please note that simultaneous translation to German, Portuguese and Slovenian will be provided.

The Event will be held in the format of an online Zoom meeting. To register please send an email to three4climate∂guidehouse.com no later than 12 November 2021. Once you have registered, you will receive further information including the log-in details.

Second Polish German Platform on E-mobility

Fit for 55 – Fit for EV-Cooperation Poland-Germany

Forum Energii, Agora Verkehrswende and Electric Vehicles ­Promotion Foundation invite to the second meeting of the Polish-German Platform on E-mobility.

This high-level forum is part of the EUKI project Int-E-Grid: Powering Electromobility in Poland and Germany. The second platform meeting as concluding event to the project, will be held on 27 October 2021 and bring together representatives from Poland, Germany and other European Countries to review the conducted studies and discuss the role of electric mobility for transport and transformation in the countries under the umbrella of the EU Green Deal and the Fit for 55- Package.

Wednesday, 27 October 2021; 10:30 – 16:00 via Zoom Platform

Agenda

10:30-10:35 Opening Platform Meeting and Introduction
Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera Forum Energii
Marcin Korolec, Electric Vehicles Promotion Foundation

10:35:10:45 Setting the stage – brief input presentation on Fit for 55
Christian Hochfeld, Agora Verkehrswende

10:45-11:00 Opening Session 1 – Keynote address
Minister of Climate and Environment, Poland (tbc)

11:00-11:10 Introduction of sessions and agenda
Forum Energii/Agora Verkehrswende

Session I

11:10-11:55 Urban Level – Good practices and solutions for local authorities in the context of electrification of urban transport
ICCT/Forum Energii/Agora Verkehrswende

11:10-11:30 Study Presentation by ICCT
11:30-11:40 Comment Poland/Germany
11:40-11:55 Discussion

Session II

14:00-14:05 Welcome Back
Forum Energii/Agora Verkehrswende

14:05-14:20 Opening Session 2 – Keynote address
Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

14:20-16:00 European Level – Eastern Europe Fit for 55

14:20-14:40 ELECTROMOBILE VISEGRAD – Study Presentation by Electric Vehicles Promotion Foundation + Comment by representative Visegrad

14:40 – 16:00 panel discussion (Moderation Christian Hochfeld)

Charging Infrastructure Development
Restructuring of Automobile Industry
Eastern Europe fit for 55? – Recommendations for Action

16:00-16:15 Wrap-up & Conclusion
Christian Hochfeld, Agora Verkehrswende

Please Register here 

HIGH LEVEL EVENT: Accelerating Climate Action in the EU and Member States through the Fit for 55 and National Plans

In July, the European Commission presented the “Fit for 55 package” which aims to revise the EU’s climate and energy legislation to implement its new 2030 climate target of net 55% emission reduction. Currently, Member States are developing their position on the package which needs a whole of government approach.

In an effort to help Member States in developing their positions, CAN Europe is organising an event to bring together high-level speakers to show how the Fit for 55 package can further increase the EU’s climate ambition and accelerate the energy transition.

In addition, this event will host the launch of Climate Analytics’ recent research on 1.5°C compatible emission reduction pathways for the EU and nine Member States. Their report illustrates how the 1.5°C target  is still within our reach. Panelists from Member States and civil society representatives will discuss how national plans, such as National Energy and Climate Plans and National Long Term Strategies, should be updated to pave the way for 1.5°C compatible policies for European countries.

FIRST PANEL: “Enhancing EU’s climate ambition through the Fit for 55 package” 
14 October 2021, 10.00 – 11.30 am CET

Keynote Speaker: Diederik Samsom, Head of Cabinet for First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans

Panelists:
Wendel Trio, CAN Europe
Ursula Woodburn, Corporate Leaders Group Europe
Monica Frassoni, European Alliance to Save Energy
Benjamin Denis, IndustriAll Europe
Marcin Kowalczyk, WWF Poland

SECOND PANEL: Pathways for Member States to turn the “Fit for 55” package into “Fit for 1.5”
14 October 2021, 13.00 – 14.30 CET

Keynote Speaker:
Michiel Schaeffer, Lead Science Advisor, Climate Analytics

Our keynote speaker, Michiel Schaeffer, from the research group Climate Analytics, will share the results of their most recent study on 1.5°C compatible pathways for the EU and nine Member States, illustrating that the 1.5°C target is still within reach.

Panelists: 
Miha MOVRIN, Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Slovenia (tbc)
Yolanda Garcia Mezquita, DG ENER 
David Howell, SEO Birdlife/ Spain
Katerina Davidova, Centre for Transport and Energy, Czechia

Please Register here

Free Training programme: Renovation and thermal modernisation of historic buildings

Croatia Green Building Council and the Sendzimir Foundation (Poland) are organizing a two-steps training programme (online course followed by the stationary training) as a part of the “Climate Mitigation in Heritage Buildings” project. The online training will take place between October 4th – November 7th, 2021. Stationary trainings will be organized in the late 2021 and early 2022 in Zagreb, Rijeka and Koprivnica (Croatia). Application deadline is 3rd October.

The training is intended for architects, conservators, engineers, contractors, project managers, members of city offices for cultural protection and energy, public administration bodies and students. Its goal is to raise the capacity of participants in the area of sustainable heritage buildings renovation. The course will be held via an interactive and engaging online platform enabling participants from diverse countries and institutions to network and exchange experience.
It consists of 3 modules, accompanied by live webinar that will bring together experts from Croatia and Poland. Each module will include reading material and an educational video, followed by the discussions within the forum sections.
In order to complete the on-line course and receive certificate, participant will have to complete appointed individual and group tasks verified by experienced tutors.
Apart from the webinar, which will be live, the rest of the training will take place individually at a time that suits the participants.
The platform will be accessed online after registration. Please enrol Language of the workshop: English (optional materials in Croatian).
Communication between participants on the platform forum will be carried out in English as the training is open to participants from all over the world. Optional materials will be in Croatian.

APPLY BY CLICKING HERE

More information about the education

For any additional questions send an email to:

Main contact: aleksandar.jelovac∂gbccroatia.org
Additional contacts: josipa.arapovic∂gbccroatia.org,
ana.senhold∂gbccroatia.org

Webseminar: “How to make national CAP Strategic Plans to deliver climate ambition in Central Eastern Europe?”

Climate Action Network Europe is kindly inviting you to a webseminar “How to make national CAP Strategic Plans to deliver climate ambition in Central Eastern Europe?” that will take place on Wednesday, 1 September 2021, at 9:30-11:00am CET.

European decision makers finalised negotiations on the post-2022 CAP reform. While the post-2022 CAP has shortcomings in terms of accelerating emissions reductions in the agriculture sector, Member States can still increase the climate ambition of the post-2022 CAP through well designed national strategic plans.

Member States are currently drafting their national CAP Strategic Plans that should be finalised and delivered to the European Commission by the end of 2021. The CAP Strategic Plans should become a tool to effectively steer the agriculture sector in the direction of the Green Deal’s objectives. To do that, Member States should mainstream sustainable farming practices in their CAP Strategic Plans and increase climate, nature and animal friendly farming practices through effective support.

Given the crucial importance of CAP Strategic Plans to increase climate ambition in the agriculture sector, in this webseminar we will discuss how these plans can be steered towards climate friendly policies and what their co-benefits can be for the rural areas in Central and Eastern Europe. The webseminar will also try to answer questions on how to boost broader societal dialogue about the role of agriculture in climate neutral just and fair economies.

Agenda:

9:30 Welcome

9:35 Ricard Ramon I Sumoy, Deputy Head of Unit – Policy Perspectives, DG Agriculture and Rural Development

9:50 Célia Nyssens, European Environmental Bureau

10:00 National inputs on CAP Strategy Plans:

– Prof. Zbigniew Karaczun, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Polish Climate Coalition
– Uroš Brankovič, Center for Sustainable Rural Development Kranj, Slovenia

10:20 Q & A, discussion

10:30 Breakout groups to discuss joint challenges in the process of drafting the national CAP Strategy Plans

10:50 Summary

Facilitation: Tobias Reichert, Germanwatch

Click here to register for the webseminar

For any questions please contact Kasia Ugryn: kasia∂caneurope.org

Climate Change and Media

IJP – International Journalists’ Programmes is pleased to invite you to the digital IJP-Global Fellows Night. A discussion on

“Climate Change and Media”

with

Bundesministerin Svenja Schulze, German Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Date & Time: Wednesday, June 23^rd, 2021 at

• 12:00 pm (Washington DC, EDT)
• 4.00 pm (Reykjavik, GMT)
• 5.00 pm (London, BST)
• 6.00 pm (Berlin, CEST)
• 6.00 pm (Johannesburg, SAST)
• 7.00 pm (Nairobi, EAT; Moscow, MSK)

via Zoom.

Media coverage of climate change is a critical factor shaping attitudes and behaviors globally. Driven by civil society and movements like Fridays for Future it is also increasingly important for the German election campaign in September 2021. All political parties stress the importance of reining in climate change. But the electorate demands concrete proposals- not just lofty ambitions. Bundesministerin Svenja Schulze has unique insides in the action plans currently being discussed and drafted in Berlin. She will talk about Germany’s climate agenda with IJP face to face.

Svenja Schulze is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Schulze currently serves as Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in the fourth coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Moderator: Marco Vollmar, Director, IJP
Vassilios Theodossiou, Director, IJP

Please register for the event here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the online discussion.

The event will be held in English.

Please note that this event will not be recorded.

For any questions, please contact Susanne Koch (koch∂ijp.org).

On the road to greening economies in Southeast Europe: Options for economic recovery and renewables deployment

Less than ten years from 2030, countries throughout Southeast Europe (SEE) still have high shares of lignite-fired electricity in the mix, generated by an ageing fleet of power plants. However, the landscape for our energy system is a very dynamic one: The EU adopted a higher emission reduction target for 2030 (-55 per cent compared to 1990) and a target to be climate-neutral by 2030. Zooming into the region, Greece announced to phase out its entire coal fleet by 2028. Clearly, all this is a comprehensive and challenging task ahead of the EU-27.

During this online event we will discuss opportunities and challenges in the power sector of SEE EU Member States and lay out possible paths forward for Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece and Romania for greening their economies. We will focus on options for a green recovery after the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and for rapidly scaling renewables in their power systems. The event shall support a fact-based dialogue on the implementation of the EU Green Deal in Southeast Europe and create a space for making inclusive alliances comprised of governments, EU institutions, utilities, think-tanks, NGOs and citizens.

With this event we are closing a three and a half years multi-country energy transition project: The Southeast Europe Energy Transition Dialogue. The project was led by Agora Energiewende and it was implemented by our national think-tank partners from the Southeast Europe Energy Transition Network.

The two and a half-hour webinar will be held in English and will include two Q & A sessions.

Date and time: 17.06.2021 | 10:45 – 13:15

REGISTRATION
The participation is free of charge. You can register here.
Once the event has started you may use this Zoom link directly: https://agora-energiewende-de.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zbyIIEn-QsOzqgP7ftIVSQ

PRESENTATION(S)
We will publish the presentation(s) on the day of the event in order to make sure you can access it no matter the internet connection.

RECORDING
We are going to record the event in order to allow anyone not able to follow it on the day of the event to watch it afterwards. The recording will be published on this site afterwards.

We look forward to your participation and an interesting discussion!

BEACON Final Conference Day 2

The EUKI project Bridging European and Local Climate ACTION (BEACON) would like to invite you to join our Final Conference. The conference is set to take place in two weeks on 16 and 17 of June. It will bring together municipal actors, experts, and regional and national representatives to discuss topics ranging from scaling up energy management, to kickstarting and continuing a mobility transition, to designing successful incentives for renovations of schools and municipal buildings, to raising awareness for climate action in schools and among the wider public and more.

As EUKI project implementers with strong insights into municipal work, we would be delighted if you would join us for this last BEACON event. To register, please follow this link and complete the registration process on the conference website. On the conference website you can find the programme, which we have also attached here.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us at beacon∂adelphi.de

BEACON Final Conference Day 1

The EUKI project Bridging European and Local Climate ACTION (BEACON) would like to invite you to join our Final Conference. The conference is set to take place in two weeks on 16 and 17 of June. It will bring together municipal actors, experts, and regional and national representatives to discuss topics ranging from scaling up energy management, to kickstarting and continuing a mobility transition, to designing successful incentives for renovations of schools and municipal buildings, to raising awareness for climate action in schools and among the wider public and more.

As EUKI project implementers with strong insights into municipal work, we would be delighted if you would join us for this last BEACON event. To register, please follow this link and complete the registration process on the conference website. On the conference website you can find the programme, which we have also attached here.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us at beacon∂adelphi.de

Good (and Bad) Practices in Energy Savings Projects in Czechia/Bavaria

Energy efficiency networks are already known and very successful in Germany. Now they are also to be established in the Czech Republic as part of our project. To this end, the next online exchange workshop will take place on 19 May. Interesting energy saving projects from the Czech Republic and Bavaria will be presented. In addition to the successful implementation, the event will also deal with the hurdles and difficulties of implementation.

About the Project

In order to promote energy saving projects in municipalities and companies and to establish the energy efficiency networks that have been very successful in Bavaria and Germany in the neighbouring Czech Republic, the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), the OTH Amberg-Weiden and the Association of Energy Service Providers (APES) have joined forces in a project consortium.

2nd Workshop

In the upcoming second workshop, interested parties from the Czech Republic and Germany will have the opportunity to get to know energy saving projects from Bavaria and the Czech Republic from the perspective of ESCO representatives and Energy consultants. Project managers from different energy service companies will present their practical view of the projects. In addition to the successes, the problems and hurdles will also be examined. The workshop is free of charge and will be simultaneously translated into Czech and German.

Date: 19 May
Time: 1.00 – 3.40 pm (CET)

Click here to register 

Click here for further information (OTH-Page)

2nd ClimArchiNet Workshop with Experts

The “ClimArchiNet” project continues with Workshop No. 2.

Focus is on architects and their approach to the design and construction of more sustainable and energy efficient buildings in Czech Republic.

During Virtual Panel Discussion we will look for a practical answers to these topics:

1. How can building design contribute to climate protection?
2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the DesignBuild & Performance method?
3. Will the pilot project of this method convince even future investors?
4. Will cities be the motivators for change?

Date and Time: 22. April 2021,  10-12 am (CET)

Virtual event via Livestorm.  Please register here.

Target groups: architects, civil engineers, energy experts, municipalities and cities

Meet the points published in DECLARATION OF SUSTAINABILITY. And JOIN US!

This event is free of charge and will be held in Czech language.

Organised by: Passive house centre Czech Republic

In cooperation with: iEPD (Passive Housing Institute Slovakia)

Supported by: the European Climate Initiative (EUKI)

1st ClimArchiNet workshop with Experts

The “ClimArchiNet” project starts with Workshop No. 1.

Focus is on architects and their approach to the design and construction of more sustainable and energy efficient buildings.

The expert group will discuss:

• How to provide these professionals with up-to-date knowledge, skills, examples of good practice and information about the local Czech conditions and current regulations,
• How to help construct more carbon neutral buildings and meet the points published in the DECLARATION OF SUSTAINABILITY.

Date and Time: 18th March 2021,  3-5 pm (CET)

Virtual event via Livestorm.  Please register here.

This event is free of charge and will be held in Czech language.

Organised by Passive house centre Czech Republic

In cooperation with: iEPD (Passive Housing Institute Slovakia)

Supported by European Climate Initiative (EUKI)

Target groups: architects, civil engineers, energy experts, municipalities and cities

Plug & Play: An Education Toolkit for Climate Action

What does it take to empower society for the sustainability transition? Planting the seeds for change through education is key among other things. To accelerate this shift, the Sustainaware project is producing a competence model that educators can use to inspire young minds for climate action. To realize this, we are involving state actors, as well as civil society associations and this webinar will feature a dialogue between Hungarian stakeholders in support for the sustainability transition.

Speakers:

• Dr. Veronika Bagi – Ministry for Innovation and Technology – Climate Policy Desk Officer & UNFCCC ACE National Focal Point for Hungary
• Domokos Péter Kovács – National Youth Council of Hungary – Member of the International Working Group

Moderator: Viktor Jósa, Sustainaware Project Consultant

Please register here.

* The event is free of charge and will be held in English.

The webinar is part of the Sustainaware webinar series supported by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) and the European Commission’s Development Education and Awareness Raising Programme (EC DEAR).

Predictions & real examples: Climate impacts experienced by Europeans today

Climate change scenarios for 2030 and 2050 might seem very distant and abstract, while there are climate impacts experienced in society and nature already today. We aim to draw connections between climate and meteorological observations, as well as impacts experienced by individuals.

This interactive exchange will feature Nobel Peace Prize winning climatologist, dr. Lučka Kajfež Bogataj from Slovenia with whom we will link predictions to real examples. To continue the engagement started in the previous episode of the Sustainaware webinar series, we are looking forward to feeding the discussion from the contributions of the audience.

Please register here. 

* The event is free of charge and will be held in English.

The webinar is part of the Sustainaware webinar series supported by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI).