Cities and Municipalities in the Green Energy Transformation Process – Polish nationwide /Jadwisin 2025 seminar
This year's seminar, held on May 15-16 in Jadwisin, brought together over 80 representatives of local governments, institutes, foundations, and associations from all over Poland. Its main theme was the role of cities and municipalities in the process of green energy transformation, with particular emphasis on the challenges and opportunities arising from European and national climate and energy policies. Opportunities and examples of using renewable energy sources (RES) and methods for increasing energy efficiency in heating systems and the construction sector were also addressed. Participants explored and discussed these issues during expert presentations, a panel discussion, and good practice sessions held in small-groups.
The seminar was opened by Artur Borkowski – Mayor of the City and Municipality of Serock, Leszek Drogosz – President of the Board of the Association of Municipalities Polish Network "Energie Cités" and Director of the Infrastructure Office of the City of Warsaw, and Anna Jaskuła – Director of the Association's office.
A. Borkowski emphasized the importance of cooperation and seeking common solutions in the context of climate challenges, while L. Drogosz encouraged the audience to continuously develop and share knowledge, pointing out that cooperation and conscious actions are key to achieving climate and energy goals.
Final international workshop of the OwnYourSECAP project in Bratislava
On April 8-9, 2025, the last in a series of international workshops organised within the OwnYourSECAP project (Bringing local and regional municipalities towards owning their SECAPs) took place in Bratislava, Slovakia. The event brought together 49 participants from 13 European countries, including project partners and representatives of local authorities. Poland was represented by delegates from Raciechowice (less experienced municipality), as well as Siemiatycze, Zamość and Żyraków (replication municipalities). The event marked the culmination of international knowledge exchange related to the implementation of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs).
CETAC Partners Meet Again – This Time in Riga! | 6–7 May 2025
On 6–7 May 2025, CETAC project partners met in Riga for the second consortium meeting, which took place at the welcoming premises of Riga Technical University. The two-day event offered an excellent opportunity to summarise the work done so far, collaborate during interactive workshops, and plan the next steps in the project. The first day began with a session dedicated to project management, led by the coordinator – SEVEn.
OwnYourSECAP project at the CEESEU DIGIT conference in Zagreb
An international conference entitled “Pathways to Effective Energy and Climate Planning: Regional Leadership and Innovation in Central and Eastern Europe,” organized by the Association for Sustainable Development (DOOR) in cooperation with partners from the European consortium of the CEESEU DIGIT project, took place in Zagreb on May 7, 2025. The event, dedicated to energy transition, brought together over 100 representatives of local and regional governments, academia, and non-governmental organizations.
PowerYouth – Insights from the Polish Liaison Group Meeting on Youth Energy Communities
The aim of the PowerYouth project is to support the development and operation of energy communities, with a particular focus on engaging young people in their activities. Although energy communities are steadily developing, they are still relatively rare in Poland. Municipalities and their residents often approach this concept with caution, due to the complexity of the legal framework and the high initial costs. The role of the Liaison Group operating within the PowerYouth project is to support the development of energy communities in Poland. The group consists of experts in energy law, technological solutions, education, and social participation. It serves as a platform for exchanging knowledge about energy communities and provides space for discussing financial, technical, regulatory, contractual, and socio-economic challenges, as well as existing solutions.
Working together for a climate-neutral city - new manuals for schools and municipalities
Can schools become drivers of climate neutrality and inspire entire cities in the process?
The daily operation of schools causes considerable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the high consumption of resources, e.g. through the heating of buildings and the generation of large quantities of waste. One of the main factors for successful savings is the promotion of cooperation between local authorities and schools. In order to achieve concrete measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change in the municipality, it is important that both the school and the municipality pull together. Due to their large numbers, schools are one of the main sources of GHG emissions in municipalities, but they themselves have little power to simply implement structural measures, for example.
Kick-off meeting for the PlanHeat project in Krakow
On April 1–2, 2025, the kick-off meeting of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project PlanHeat: Local Heat Planning in Municipalities of the Baltic Sea Region – took place in Kraków. The event, organized by the Association of Municipalities Polish Network “Energie Cités,” gathered representatives of fourteen partner organizations from seven countries of the region: Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Poland, and Sweden. During the two-day meeting, participants took part in presentations on the legal framework for local heat planning (LHP) and the current state of the heating sector in individual countries. The meeting also provided an opportunity to plan and coordinate joint project activities, as well as to strengthen cooperation and build closer relationships among partners.
Climate Transition of Cities – From planning to action
The final conference of the Ready4NetZero project took place on April 3, 2025. Dedicated to supporting cities on their path toward climate neutrality, the event gathered over 40 participants in person and 24 online – representatives of local governments, public institutions, non-governmental organizations, and experts from Poland and abroad. The meeting provided an opportunity to summarize the project’s achievements and exchange experiences and best practices in planning and implementing long-term climate actions at the local, regional and european level.
Study visit to the University Hospital in Leuven
The partners of the DAPHNE project (Decarbonising healthcare in EU regions) participated in a study visit to the University Hospital of Leuven on March 20-21, 2025. The aim of the visit was to learn about the advanced decarbonisation strategies being implemented at the largest hospital in Belgium, which could be adapted in other countries involved in the project. The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange experiences and foster closer interregional cooperation.
Summary of DUET project activities
The project DUET: Driving Urban Energy Together began in February 2023 and will formally conclude in March 2025. It was funded by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The aim of the initiative was to support local governments in professional energy management, which is a key element of the strategy leading to climate neutrality. As part of the project, the City of Bydgoszcz and The Association of Municipalities Polish Network „Energie Cités” cooperated on the development of energy management systems in Bydgoszcz – the possibilities for more effective energy monitoring and management in the city were analysed, and the data collection system, which has been in operation since 2020, was improved.
