Europe has ambitions to become a global leader in the fight against climate breakdown. Transforming the continent’s energy systems and shifting towards climate-friendly alternatives requires massive investments, especially in central and eastern Europe, where outdated infrastructure and a reliance on fossil fuels persists.
The good news is that the EU has the financial means to fund this transformation. The challenge is ensuring that the investments of today are geared towards addressing the climate crisis and Europe’s declining state of nature.
We know that when people have a voice in investment decisions, the results speak for themselves: more acceptance and ownership of spending and a greater chance that harmful and wasteful projects are avoided.
We work to ensure that EU financial flows address the climate crisis and do no harm to people and nature. We do this by involving the public in the design and spending of EU investments.
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.
Latest news
Kosovo becomes the first Western Balkan country to stop promoting new hydropower
Blog entry | 28 March, 2023After years of hydropower-related controversies, Kosovo’s long-awaited new Energy Strategy confirms that the government does not support new development in the sector, due to its environmental impacts. It also sends promising signals on carbon pricing and solar and wind development. Still, the country needs to avoid wasting money on coal and gas.
Read moreActivists call on EU to better protect nature from energy infrastructure in the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova
Press release | 14 March, 202360 civil society organisations have sent a joint letter to the EU Commissioner for Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, calling on the EU to better protect nature during energy infrastructure development under the Energy Community Treaty (1).
Read moreSuccessful renewables acceleration needs more public participation, not less
Blog entry | 27 February, 2023In December 2022, the Council of the European Union adopted an emergency regulation aimed at speeding up renewable energy deployment. But Member States have to uphold environmental safeguards and consult the public if they don’t want to end up doing the opposite, warns our new position paper.
Read moreRelated publications
Analysis of alternatives to coal-based district heating for the Bitola region in North Macedonia
Analysis | 21 December, 2022 | Download PDFThe study examines the current heating situation in the Bitola region (covering the municipalities of Bitola, Mogila and Novaci), followed by an analysis of the techno-economic potential for using decentralised heating solutions that are also in line with the country’s environmental protection commitments.
The Modernisation Fund in central and eastern Europe
Briefing | 13 December, 2022 | Download PDFThis briefing gives insights into the Modernisation Fund, a funding programme to support 10 lower-income EU Member States in their transition to climate neutrality by modernising their energy systems and improving energy efficiency.
Assessment of Latvia’s operational programme
Assessment | 7 December, 2022 | Download PDFThis briefing offers an analysis of Latvia’s draft operational programme for 2021-2027 and recommendations regarding the potential for increasing the programme’s climate and environmental contributions. This publication was updated on 15 December 2022
