In May, CEESEN presented two posters at the CINEA Contractors meeting in Brussels.
This assembly marked the final official dissemination event of the two-and-a-half-year long CEESEU-DIGIT project, where Hector Pagan and Ewa Schulz presented the project main results to the commission. CEESEN’s posters highlighted the CEESEU-DIGIT project’s initial goals and key findings from the analysis of energy plans developed for six Central and Eastern European countries: Estonia, Latvia, Czechia, Poland, Croatia, and Slovenia.
One of the outcomes from the analysis was the identification of diverse, region-specific threats hindering energy transition. In Czechia and Poland, opposition from fossil fuel companies was the most relevant barrier. For Estonia and Latvia, geopolitical instability due to Russia’s aggression towards the Baltics posed the primary threat. Meanwhile, Croatia and Slovenia face demographic decline as their most prevalent challenge.
“The combination of technical, economic and social challenges makes CEE municipalities feel overwhelmed when faced with the urgency of green transition and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Especially in the case of smaller municipalities. This makes the supportive role of expert organizations, like local energy agencies, even more important. We have no time to waste”, said Hector Pagan, CEO of CEESEN.
Regarding climate risk preparedness, the Balkans show some advanced development, particularly in sectors like agriculture and tourism. This might be a result of more recent adverse climate events in the region that have raised the urgency in addressing climate change adaptation. All three regions encountered technological hurdles in integrating renewable energy to the grid. Czechia, Poland, Croatia, and Slovenia also grapple with non-technical issues, like inefficient permitting processes for renewable energy infrastructure and constraints imposed by centralized energy grids.
For a comprehensive overview of the project’s goals and detailed findings, please review the attached posters.
The CEESEU-DIGIT project, launched in December 2022, supported the creation of the just regional energy and climate plans (ECAPs) in six Central and Eastern European countries. The project also focused on vulnerable social groups and energy poverty.
