The closing conference of the LIFE CEESEU-DIGIT project will be held on 7-8 May 2025 in Zagreb.
The conference will bring together regional leaders, policymakers, energy experts, and civil society representatives to explore innovative approaches to energy and climate planning in Central and Eastern Europe on local, regional and national level.
Learn more about the topics and the presentations of the conference below.
Meet the Speakers of the conference and get familiar with their expertise.
Pathways to Successful Energy and Climate Planning:
Regional Leadership and Innovation in Central and Eastern Europe
7-8 May
Zagreb, Croatia
Registration, agenda and more information: https://ceesen.org/conference/
Conference, 7 May 2025
- 10:00 – 10:20
DIGIT best practice presentation (ECAP+)
Best practices in Energy and Climate Action Plans (ECAP) development in Central and Eastern Europe
Ewa Szulc, Mazovia Energy Agency (Poland)
This presentation highlights best practices from the development of regional Energy and Climate Action Plans (ECAPs) in six Central and Eastern European regions within the CEESEU-DIGIT project. It focuses on participatory planning, intergovernmental cooperation, and inclusive stakeholder engagement, with special attention to vulnerable groups and energy poverty. The presentation outlines practical approaches to integrating mitigation, adaptation, and landscape-level planning, along with data collection and multilevel alignment. Key lessons and examples illustrate how regional authorities and municipalities can co-create just, effective, and locally grounded climate strategies to support the energy transition across Central and Eastern Europe.
- 10:20 – 10:40
Presentation of LIFE project OwnYourSECAP
Katarzyna Brawiak, PNEC – Polish Network Energie-Cités (Poland)
Most of the municipalities prepared their SEAPs and SECAPs with external assistance and are not directly involved in the preparation process thus not feeling like “owners” of the plan which highly influences the implementation of the SECAP afterwards. To address these issues, Own Your SECAP, through various activities, directly engaged 44 municipalities to develop or upgrade their SECAP with ambitious targets of climate neutrality in 2050 and highlighting measures that have double (mitigation and adaptation) and triple effects (mitigation, adaptation, and energy poverty).
- 10:40 – 11:00
A Sustainable Future for Mazovia: Participatory Budgeting, and Stakeholder Engagement in Energy and Climate Planning
Anna Wieczorek, Think Tank City Foundation (Poland)
The first part of the presentation will examine the legal framework and underlying principles of participatory budgeting. Attention will be given to how participatory procedures are designed and implemented by local and regional authorities highlighting best practices. We will present participatory budgeting from the Mazovia region as an example of civic engagement on a regional level. The second part will focus on methods of stakeholder analysis as a basis for inclusive and effective participation processes. A case study will be presented, illustrating stakeholder engagement in the context of regional climate transition planning.
- 11:00 – 11:15
Interreg Euro-MED LOGREENER project
Antun Pfeifer, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and naval Architecture (Croatia)
In this presentation, the LOGREENER project will be introduced. It builds on the results of three successful Interreg Euro-MED projects: COMPOSE, PRISMI, and LOCAL4GREEN, offering users a comprehensive toolkit for local energy planning through tailored training and customized support. The tools can be useful for developing technical foundations for various local strategic documents, such as island energy transition plans or SECAPs (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans). Numerous examples of how these tools have been applied across the Mediterranean were collected through the three projects, allowing users to explore and identify which parts of the toolkit are most useful for their specific needs.
- 14:00 – 14:20
National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP) – how are they linked to local and regional planning?
Max Beijneveld, Climate Alliance (EU)
EU laws shape everything from tree cover requirements to deadlines for heating action plans. But here’s the catch: they’re not just rules — they’re opportunities. Cities across Europe are already using EU laws to inspire innovative, sustainable policies that benefit their communities. Let their examples motivate you to turn these regulations into your own success story and drive real change in your city.
- 14:40 – 15:00
From plans to reality – a renewable opportunity for the future
Maja Bratko, Society for Sustainable Development Design (Croatia)
The project assesses the potential and impact of more ambitious decarbonisation targets to enable Croatia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to adjust the updates to their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) and to facilitate greater deployment of renewable energy solutions.
Registration, agenda and more information: https://ceesen.org/conference/