"Europe is overheating at twice the speed as the rest of the world... we need to do better and ... continue down the path of the green transition towards a more sustainable future."

Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission at the Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition, Annual Political Dialogue (11 July 2024)

Europe’s energy transition has gained significant momentum over the last years, despite several shocks to the system due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Transitioning away from fossil fuel dependence does not, however, affect all regions and communities equally, demanding that both environmental and social dimensions be considered when developing energy policies and actions. As reflected in the UN Secretary-General's Call to Action on Extreme Heat, the most vulnerable need to be front and centre, a notion of a just transition is a centrepiece of the EU’s energy transition.

The role of cities in shaping a just energy transition

Even as EU frameworks mandate action at a national level, much of the implementation plays out at the level of local governments, which maintain a key role in the battle against climate change, and in turn, for delivering energy transitions in a just and fair manner. Municipalities can take diverse approaches to achieve this through, for instance, one-stop-shops to support home renovation, developing sustainable heating and cooling systems or by implementing support schemes for energy poor households e.g. via inclusive renewable projects.

Perhaps nowhere else is the disruptive effect of the energy transition more obvious than in EU coal+ regions where fossil fuels are being phased out to make way for a green transformation. The European Commission supports these regions and cities, through the Initiative for coal regions in transition by providing technical assistance, knowledge resources, opportunities for peer exchange, and events such as the Annual Political Dialogue. The 2024 edition of this event was held earlier this month in ICLEI Member and EU Green Leaf 2024 Velenje (Slovenia), where representatives from coal+ regions in the EU and Western Balkans gathered to discuss their experiences in shaping a just transition.

“We have to pay more attention to how central governments can work better with regional authorities and mayors to achieve the best possible results.” stated Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič, in his opening remarks, stressing the importance of multi-level governance.

Mayor of Velenje, Peter Dermol, highlighted that achieving positive outcomes from an energy transition would mean working closely with the inhabitants of coal regions to ensure trust and acceptance, stating: “If we don't have the trust of the public, the path towards a successful transition will be more demanding.”

Creating consensus to facilitate a just transition

While local and regional governments are best positioned to work with other stakeholders along the energy value chain to ensure a just energy transition, it is a less than straightforward task.

Creating consensus amongst various stakeholders is at the core of the upcoming Fast and Fair project where ICLEI will lead a co-creation process to arrive at a shared set of baseline principles for what qualifies as a fast and fair Renewable Energy Solution (RES) and grid deployment project and how this can be put into practice with regards to local planning and permitting.

Similarly, for coal and carbon-intensive regions going through deep structural issues emanating from the energy transition, a set of four key principles to guide decision-makers, experts and other practitioners was developed by ICLEI Europe within the scope of the CINTRAN project. These principles, which can be adapted locally, are designed to give a hint of the depth to be found in resolving the roots of resistance, encouraging inclusive engagement, scaling up upskilling and guiding good governance to support the adaptive and transformative capacity of coal+ and carbon-intensive regions. Access the brief here.

All societal groups should experience themselves as actors rather than observers in the transformation towards climate neutrality, equity and resilience, and cities are at the centre of making this possible.