RegENERate: Mobilising Regions for Energetic Re-development and Transformative NECPs

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Without CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) support, the EUs climate and energy targets cannot be reached. Climate policy has nevertheless been difficult to implement in the CEE region, most of the debate being dominated by the job losses in fossil fuel industries, while alternative solutions are insufficiently promoted. CEE Bankwatch Network identified three underlying reasons for this: 1) sceptics and/or lack of knowledge about the opportunities and solutions for the low-carbon transition, especially in the regions dependent on fossil fuel production like coal or shale oil; 2) insufficient multi-stakeholder dialogue on choices and opportunities for the low-carbon transition that leave aside from the decision making process progressive business, research institutes, local and regional authorities and civil society; and 3) insufficient or difficult-to-access resources for energy transformative investments especially at the local and regional level.

OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of the RegENERateLife project is to support the CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) countries contribution to EU efforts towards a net-zero emissions future. The project will contribute to more ambitious and effective climate and energy policies, backed by a long-term commitment to phase out fossil fuels, improve energy efficiency and promote renewable energy. The innovative aspect is the strong support for bottom-up approaches and decentralised energy policies that allow for local and regional ownership of the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). To change the official positions of target CEE EU Member States, the project aims to change their underlying understanding of how the energy system works, by showing that coal phase-out need not be a threat to vulnerable regions, and showing the risks of no action and the potential benefits to society from adopting good measures.

The project will specifically focus on regions in transition from a fossil fuel-based economy (coal, shale oil), and less developed regions that are disadvantaged in terms of socio-economic situation and environmental problems. The key element for the long-term sustainability and transnational impact will be the experience exchange platform for local stakeholder and progressive actors on Just Transition in fossil fuel regions, which will be mobilised through project activities. The platform will be a source of information for the local actors on the transition process, thus advancing the EU knowledge base for the development, assessment, monitoring and evaluation of climate policy and legislation. As a result of this project, the energy transformation will be seen as an opportunity for society and economies. Additional players (renewable industries, investors, municipalities, trade unions) will broaden the debate on national energy and climate policies and will be active advocates for the benefits of energy transformation. The project will furthermore contribute to aligning financing flows, such as national budgets and the EU budgets, with climate and energy targets in the key moment of the EU Cohesion funds programming.

The project aims to achieve the following interlinked and mutually-supportive objectives: 1) To step up the multilevel dialogue on climate and energy transition and enable increases in the CEE countries climate ambitions in the NECP revisions for 2023; 2) To advance the development of and compliance with the EU climate objectives of local re-development strategies, especially in the regions that are moving away from a fossil fuel-based economy; 3) To develop a transnational exchange platform for the creation of a knowledge base for the low-carbon energy transition at regional and local levels.

The project contributes to the implementation of the EU Clean Energy Package in seven CEE countries, specifically the Energy Union Governance Directive and Energy Efficiency Directive, as well as the transposition of the Internal Market Directive (IMDII) and the Renewables Directive (REDII). The NECPs and Long Term Climate Goals will be integrated in the re-development strategies of the coal regions, and where such strategies are not present yet the project will mobilise local actors towards their elaboration. The project also contributes to the integration of the NECPs objectives in the spending plans of the EU Cohesion funds and European Investment Bank (EIB), thus mobilising the financial sources for the regional re-development strategies.

The project will be implemented in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

RESULTS

Expected results:

Adoption of a strategy for re-development of coal mining / shale / less developed regions in at least 4 of the 9 the targeted regions, the process for re-development strategies started in the rest of the targeted regions, and in at least 3 new ones, and the implementation of the re-development strategy improved in at least one country;

Effective pool of transformation experts/industries working at the national level that is able to participate in policy and legislative debate in all 7 countries targeted by the project. The final revision is prepared in multi-level dialogue as required by art. 11 of the Governance Regulation;

Governments considering financial schemes for supporting energy efficiency in households and renewable energy - at least 15% from the national cohesion funds/EIB investments are allocated to energy transformative investments and Just Transition and/or public financial support improved to reflect regional conditions;

Coal phase out accelerated and number of unsustainable solutions for coal / shale oil / gas phase-out abandoned, resulting in a reduction of GHG and ecological footprint. For example, 5-7% of Slovak GHG emissions reduced for the phase-out of the coal power plant;

Energy Efficiency / Renewable Energy Sources and fossil fuel phase-out targets improved in the proposal for the final draft NECPs in all 7 countries; and

More than 3 million people reached through media and outreach activities.