With deep sorrow and sadness, we bid farewell to Mrs. Maria Stankiewicz
With deep sorrow and sadness, we bid farewell to Mrs. Maria Stankiewicz – co-founder of our Association, PNEC Office Director for 17 years, a person of great heart, a brilliant and creative mind, inexhaustible energy, kindness, and unwavering spirit. We will miss her dearly.
She will remain forever in our hearts and in our grateful memory.
Act now, Shape Tomorrow – final conference of the OwnYourSECAP project
The final conference of the OwnYourSECAP project took place on June 13, 2025. The project, co-financed by the EU under the LIFE Clean Energy Transition programme, brought together participants from across Europe to discuss local energy and climate initiatives. The event, held under the theme "Act Local, Shape Tomorrow: Lessons from OwnYourSECAP," gathered representatives from local authorities, European institutions, and energy and climate experts in an online format. It provided an opportunity to reflect on three years of joint efforts towards local energy and climate transition and to share experiences among municipalities from different parts of Europe.
TWINUP4CE: Improving Workforce Skills for the Twin Transition in Peripheral and Rural Central Europe
The aim of the project is to bridge skills gaps and enhance workforce readiness for the green and digital (twin) transition in peripheral and rural regions of Central Europe. To achieve this, the project establishes a multistakeholder participatory approach for workforce development through Regional Upskilling Management Alliances (RUMAs). Bringing together public authorities, VET providers, employers and workforce representatives, RUMAs align training initiatives with local development priorities and support the development of new strategies for workforce upskilling, reskilling and retention. The structure, management and operation of RUMAs are co-shaped and tested with the active involvement of real beneficiaries in all five project areas, with a strong focus on green and digital skills needed for the twin transition.
PRHyUS: Promoting Renewable Hydrogen Utilization for a Sustainable and Greener Europe
Many regions across Europe are developing hydrogen related strategies, but at the same time local industries and stakeholders have not found the conditions to make hydrogen a sustainable business for their production processes and infrastructure. Most of these regions are highly dependent on fossil fuels and their industrial sector is one of the main economic drivers and contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Significant investments have already been made in the renewable hydrogen sectors, offering an integrated solution to meet the goals of a greener and more sustainable Europe. The challenge now lies in bolstering hydrogen demand for and use of hydrogen in different sectors to improve the deployment mechanisms, encourage wider uptake of hydrogen and overcome industrial sector boundaries.
PRHyUS aims to advance regional policy frameworks in Europe to support hydrogen demand, investment and use across different sectors and to facilitate the widespread deployment adoption of renewable hydrogen technologies. The project will contribute to the EU's goals of a “Greener Europe'' by facilitating greater knowledge of hydrogen technologies and seeking to contribute to a significant reduction in GHG emissions. In order to advance regional policy frameworks in Europe the PRHyUS consortium brings together policy and technical partners and drawing on their different experiences and areas of competence (public authorities, education and research institutions, clusters, NGOs), they will jointly improve 7 policy instruments to accelerate industrial decarbonisation and enhance renewable energy use through hydrogen.
PlanHeat: Local Heat Planning - Achieving the Heat Transition in BSR Municipalities
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The PlanHeat project brings together local authorities and expert organisations from seven Baltic Sea Region countries, supporting cities in local heat planning (LHP).
The district heating sector in Europe is responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions, which not only affect climate change, but also heat prices and air quality. Local heat planning (LHP) is one of the key tools to develop economically viable and climate-neutral district heating transformation pathways at local level.
Integrating Climate Action into Municipal Budgets – Workshops under the OwnYourSECAP Project
Budgeting for municipal investments is a complex process that requires not only knowledge of funding sources and financial models but also the consideration of environmental and climate-related aspects. In response to the growing challenges of ecological transformation faced by local governments, climate mainstreaming is playing an increasingly significant role. This approach involves integrating climate issues directly into policy, planning, and municipal budget management. As a result, climate action becomes an integral component of investment decisions rather than a separate initiative running parallel to other strategies. To support the practical implementation of climate mainstreaming, the OwnYourSECAP project organized a series of online workshops on the topic.
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.
