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.

The project will build on the Bankwatch Network’s recent work on just transition and energy transformation in the CEE countries. It will deepen previous cooperation with stakeholders to proactively engage in developing governance instruments and ensure financial means for the implementation of the NECPs at the national and local level. The approach of integration of NECPs in local level planning will be further developed through the project to become a methodology for the integration of climate objectives through a community – led process. These existing collaborations will form a key part of our means of attaining our objectives.

Publications

Blog posts

Deliverables

Reports

Project info

Start date: 01/01/2021

End date: 31/12/2023

Source of funding: LIFE Programme

Overall project value: 1,303,239 Euro

The project will be implemented in the following Member State(s) and Region(s) or other countries:

Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia

The project will aim to achieve the following objectives:

– To step up the multilevel dialogue on climate and energy transition in targeted CEE countries and enable increases in the countries’ climate ambitions in the NECP revisions for 2023.

– To advance the development of and compliance with the EU climate objectives of local ReDevelopment strategies, especially in the regions that are moving away from a fossil fuel-based economy.

– To develop a transnational exchange platform for the creation of a knowledge base for low carbon energy transition at regional and local levels.

DELIVERABLES

C1.1: Publications on practical aspects of implementing the energy transformation.

C1.1.1 Thematic analysis: energy poverty (national/local dimension and solution) and decentralised RES potential.

Hungary – 1 thematic analysis: Energy poverty and energy transition in Hungary, March 2022
Bulgaria – 2 thematic analysis:
1. Analysis of the possibilities for green hydrogen production in Bulgaria and its use for energy needs , August 2021
2. Report on energy poverty issues, possible solutions, August 2021

Romania – 1 thematic analysis: Decentralized production of energy, a solution for energy poverty, May 2022

C1.1.2 Fact sheets on local RES/EE investments schemes and compliance with climate goals.

Romania – 1 fact sheet: Fact sheet on local RES/EE investments schemes and compliance with climate goals, November 2021
Bulgaria – 1 analysis: Analysis for the alternative economic development of coal areas, August 2021

C1.1.3 Fact sheets on decreasing primary energy consumption.

Slovakia – 1 fact sheet: Heat consumption for homeowners, December 2021
Estonia – 1 fact sheet: Fact sheet on decreasing primary energy consumption, March 2022

C1.1.5 Briefings with infographics and videos on best-practice or unsustainable investments for local/regional actors involved in just transition re-development plans

Poland: 1 briefing: Just transition in Poland – an overview of territorial just transition plans from six coal regions , October 2021

Bulgaria: 1 briefing: Comparative analysis of the advantages of decentralized energy production, August 2021

C1.2 Publications on the state of the NECPs (National Energy and Climate Plans) implementation in 7 CEE countries:

C1.2.1 Quarterly updates for decision makers

C1.2.2 Annual reviews of the NECPs progress – 1 publication was produced: Reaching for a green recovery: what holds back progress in ten EU recovery and resilience plans, February 2022

C1.3 Methodology for integration of the NECPs objectives in the regional re-development plans:

C1.3.1 Case studies highlighting key elements and pros of the planning practices developed in Bulgaria, Slovakia, Latvia and Hungary in the first year.

1 briefing was produced titled: How can we assist you?

C1.3.2 Develop methodology for participatory local/regional Re-development strategies with focus on Just Transition (coal/shale oil/gas) and less developed regions – joint publication targeted to local and regional authorities and local stakeholders

1 methodology: Just Transition Project Implementation checklist, April 2022

C3.2 Annual outreach of the Just Transition Platform:

C3.2.1 Annual events for progressive stakeholders in Brussels or in the CEE region (annually with all partners and national stakeholders involved). They will be held in Brussels in 2021 and 2023, and in Czechia in 2022 in relation to Czech Presidency.

1 annual event was held online in February 2022.

The title of the event was “Taking stock of the just transition in central and eastern Europe“

REPORTS

Progress report | 01/01/2022 to 31/03/2022.

Midterm terport | 01/01/2022 to 31/07/2022.

PUBLICATIONS

Financial support for renewables in Latvia

Publication | 28 October, 2022

This briefing provides an overview of public funding and financial instruments for renewable energy source deployment in Latvia that have either already been launched or are planned to be launched in 2022, as well as provides insights on planned programmes that could help finance more renewables in the coming years.

Status of the Territorial Just Transition Plans in central and eastern Europe: October 2022 update

Publication | 7 October, 2022

This briefing, the sixth in our series on the Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs), provides an overview of the progress on TJTPs in seven CEE countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. It focuses on t

How can we assist you? What kinds of technical assistance do Just Transition regions actually need?

Publication | 1 July, 2022

This briefing was issued by the Europe Beyond Coal campaign in July 2022.

BLOG POSTS

Secret negotiations and fossil fuels plague planning of EU’s just transition away from coal

Press release | 15 December, 2021

The public has largely been kept in the dark by Member State governments in central and eastern Europe about their plans to move EU regions away from a dependency on coal, leaving the door open for other funding schemes to support fossil fuels projects.

PUBLICATIONS IN LOCAL LANGUAGES

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s Post-Coal Future: How Political Shortsightedness Dooms the Just Transition

Publishing date: 28.1.2021