Commissioners urge continued commitment
The Conference gathered stakeholders including national, local and regional authorities, economic and social partners, wider society, and representatives of the European Commission. Among them were Commissioners Elisa Ferreira and Kadri Simson, who gave keynotes speeches to open the event on Monday 24 October. Commissioner Ferreira began by urging continued collective action from just transition stakeholders – especially ideas and enthusiasm at the local level – as the Just Transition Fund (JTF) programming moves from planning to implementation:
“I urge all of you: remain committed, remain active, make your voice heard, and let us all work together – Member States and regions, local authorities and trade unions, youth and non-governmental organisations – for a green transition which leaves no one behind.”
Coming together at a critical moment
The Conference provided a space for the community to exchange knowledge and good practices at a critical moment, in the context of the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and the progression into the JTF implementation phase.
The Commission updated stakeholders on the state of play of the JTF programming. So far, 13 programmes have been approved across 9 Member States, mobilising around EUR 6.1 billion. These programmes are linked to 19 Territorial Just Transition Plans, of which around 70 are expected in total.
The Commission is working intensively with Member States and regions to discuss the final details and questions linked to the plans, with the aim to adopt all programmes by the end of 2022 to mobilise funds and guide the accelerated transition process.
“I’ve never felt the European Union so close as now, when they talk to us about the Just Transition Fund,” said Mr Iztok Mori, Director of the Municipality of Velenje, Slovenia, speaking at the Conference.
“The people in Velenje believe in us and – together with the EU – our ambition to be a climate-neutral city by 2030,” he said.
Thematic discussions focus on challenges and opportunities
On 24-25 October, thematic sessions featured inspiring presentations, good practice examples and passionate discussions between panels and audience members.
Key themes were finding solutions to current challenges such as energy poverty, developing concrete project ideas and selection criteria, and finding ways to accelerate progress and maintain momentum in the community.
Discussions and case studies also looked into the potential of sector coupling and reskilling to add value to the transition process, protect workers, and turn challenges into positive opportunities for growth in the green economy.
Polls reveal optimism among stakeholders
Participant polls showed widespread inspiration and optimism among stakeholders, with audience members commenting that such events are helping stakeholders to speak the same language and build a common understanding.
They also highlighted shared challenges, such as the need for transparent implementation, bottom-up processes and stronger engagement with local-level stakeholders including trade unions, non-governmental organisations and youth. Discussions also emphasised the urgency of unlocking funding across all just transition regions amid increasing time pressure on climate-neutrality targets.
Following the closing of the main Conference, the Committee of the Regions hosted a Multi-Level Dialogue on Just Transition on Wednesday 26 October. This meeting gathered representatives of different governance levels for a roundtable discussion.
Meanwhile, the four JTP Working Groups on steel, cement, chemicals, and horizontal stakeholder strategy met in Brussels. The groups discussed progress and ways forward in their respective focus areas, before sharing ideas and reflections in a common session.
Overall, the event saw attendees take part in enthusiastic, face-to-face exchanges throughout and alongside the sessions, with the Conference providing an excellent occasion for networking between stakeholders from just transition regions. This interaction will continue at the next JTP Conference, planned for 2023.
If you missed the Conference, you can watch back the recordings on Swapcard.
For more news relating to the JTP and future events, please ensure you subscribe to the JTP newsletter.
Stiri Fonduri Europene 