Policy Session at TIF: Building Blocks for European Climate Action

Key Topics

The session will highlight successful strategies to enhance climate action and showcase transferable good-practice examples from EUKI projects in Greece and the region. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of social acceptance in advancing wind energy projects and the benefits of inclusion and gender diversity in the energy transition. Additionally, we will explore the skills and capacities needed within civil society to support the renewable energy transition and enhance energy efficiency. 

Event Highlights

Introduction to EUKI: Understand EUKI’s mission to support ambitious European climate policies and the cross-border climate action of civil society organisations in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. 

Presentation of EUKI Projects: Learn about specific EUKI projects that contribute to climate action, including energy cooperatives, energy-efficient renovations, offshore wind energy, vocational education on climate-friendly energy production, and youth engagement for climate neutrality. 

Discussion on Climate Challenges and Solutions: Gain insights into the challenges faced by civil society in driving climate ambitions, and explore good-practice examples from various EUKI projects that can be transferred to other contexts. 

Focus on Social Acceptance and Inclusion: Discussion on the critical importance of social acceptance in advancing wind energy, and the benefits of inclusion and gender diversity in the renewable energy sector. 

Speakers

• Evi Tzanakaki: Project Manager, CRES-Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving, involved in EUKI project: Pupils’ Conference Elefsina 

• Margarita Niki Assimakopoulos: Associate Professor, Head of Group of Building Environmental Studies, or Vasileios Ntouros, Building Physicist, MSc Environmental Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, involved in EUKI project: UPGREAT 

• Alexandra Tavlaridou: German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Greece, involved in EUKI project: GreenVOCnet and Green Tec Labs 

• Athanasia Ioannidou: Director of SEGE – Greek Association of Women Entrepreneurs, involved in EUKI project: Women In eNergy (WIN) (tbc) 

• Representative of Center for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria: Involved in EUKI project: BLUECEE 

Project Highlights

• Women In eNergy (WIN): Empowering women in the energy sector through training, fostering energy cooperatives, and promoting gender-inclusive policies across Greece, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. 

• Wind4Bio: Increasing social acceptance of wind energy by addressing biodiversity concerns and involving civil society in decision-making processes in Greece, Latvia, and Poland. 

• Pupils’ Conference Elefsina: Engaging students from the EU and accession countries to create a joint perspective on achieving climate neutrality. 

• UPGREAT: Upskilling construction professionals for deep energy efficiency renovations of school buildings in Greece and Cyprus. 

• GreenVOCnet: Developing vocational education and training programmes for green hydrogen and heat pumps in Greece, Slovakia, and Spain. 

• BLUECEE: Strengthening policy and governance capacity for blue energy development in Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, and Romania. 

Moderator: Luciana Lerho, Secretariat of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI), GIZ. (tbc) 

Language: The event will be held in English. 

We look forward to your visit at the Thessaloniki International Fair this September. The event will be held in presence without being recorded or streamed.