Europe has ambitions to become the first climate–neutral continent. But transforming energy systems, especially in central and eastern Europe, requires substantial investment due to outdated infrastructure and reliance on fossil fuels.
While the EU budget currently funds this transition, the key challenge is to ensure impactful, high-quality investments that are both environmentally and socially just.
Involving citizens in investment decisions leads to better outcomes, including greater acceptance, a stronger sense of ownership, and fewer harmful projects.
Bankwatch works to align EU financial flows with the European Green Deal objectives, ensuring they meet the needs of people and the planet.
IN FOCUS
Just transition
Countries across central and eastern Europe are committing to quit coal and shale oil. Now the task is to ensure that the just transition is driven from the bottom up and leaves no one behind as we move towards a sustainable energy future.
Building back biodiversity
Threats facing biodiversity are increasing alongside the drivers of the climate crisis. But investments in climate protection should not come at the expense of those that can help biodiversity. The two crises of climate and biodiversity are interconnected and both must be tackled together, because only by investing in nature can we tackle climate change.
RegENERate: Mobilising Regions for Energetic Re-development and Transformative NECPs
The overall objective of the project is to support the CEE countries’ contribution to the EU efforts towards a net-zero emissions future. The project will contribute to more ambitious and effective climate and energy policies in CEE, backed by a long-term commitment to phase out fossil fuels, improve energy efficiency and promote renewable energy.
RePower the Regions: Ambitious and inclusive clean energy plans for repowering the just transition regions
The participation and leadership of carbon-intensive regions in transitioning to clean energy solutions are prerequisites for achieving EU climate neutrality by 2050. Building on this premise, RePower the Regions aims to ensure that the regions’ clean energy plans are aligned with EU 2030 climate goals and have strong support locally, and to provide practical guidelines and roadmaps on how to repower the regions.
Latest news
Bulgarian authorities, forced to think about Just Transition
Blog entry | 15 June, 2018The closure of the largest underground mine in Bulgaria, Bobov Dol in the southwest of the country, means Bulgarian authorities are finally forced to think about Just Transition.
Read moreSilesian coal – a quiet exit
Blog entry | 27 November, 2017In Upper Silesia, Poland’s main coal region, it is difficult to find anyone who still believes that coal has a future. The region needs help in dealing with the environmental fallout from decades of a coal-centred economy and a platform to debate and define its destiny.
Read moreLocals in Upper Nitra, Slovakia agree on the future of their region after coal phaseout
Campaign update | 22 September, 2017One of the positive outcomes of the debate about Europe’s Energy Union was an increased attention to the issue of Just Transition*. Even more promising is that the debate is moving from Brussels to the very regions that are facing an imminent coal phaseout. One of those regions is Horna Nitra /Upper Nitra in Slovakia.
Read moreRelated publications
Who gets a seat at the table? Assessing public participation in the development of national and regional partnership plans in 17 EU Member States
Report | 17 April, 2026 | Download PDFThis joint briefing prepared by 25 organisations offers traffic-light assessment of consultation practices in 17 Member States using criteria such as permanent dialogue forums, early and inclusive consultations, integration of feedback, stakeholder diversity, and transparency.
Call for an EU-Wide Windfall Profit Mechanism in Response to the Energy Crisis
Advocacy letter | 17 April, 2026 | Download PDFWe have joined 30 European NGOs in calling on the EU to tax excess oil profits to support Europeans during the energy crisis. The group represents more than 40 million citizens across more than 2,000 member organisations, all calling for the funds from
To be or not to be continued? Analysis of the Just Transition Fund implementation across six EU countries
Report | 15 April, 2026 | Download PDFDespite implementation challenges, the Just Transition Fund has delivered impacts that go beyond infrastructure and economic restructuring, supporting governance capacity, strategic thinking, and greater societal acceptance of change. This report, therefore, seeks to explain why continued and targeted support for regions in transition remains essential.
