April marks the end of JUSTEM and its activities in supporting coal regions with the implementation of just transitions. On the 10th, over 100 experts gathered – physically and online – to discuss where transitions stand, what challenges remain, and what the future holds for those impacted by coal phaseout.
Several groups were represented along the day, from citizens to EU policy makers, evidencing that a just transition demands engagement from all levels of society.
After a long day of discussion and exchange, a series of key messages came out from our speakers:
No time to read? See the visual summary here.
PART I: Leaving no one and nowhere behind
Diana Süsser (IEECP)
Key Outcome: JUSTEM showcased how place-based, territorial approach to citizen engagement can support driving inclusive and effective just transitions.
- Designed and implemented co-creation activities and training across six pilot territories and one replication region.
- Developed locally rooted project pipelines to address energy poverty and foster economic resilience.
- Focused on upscaling and replication through transnational learning and knowledge transfer.
- Encouraged policy integration of participatory methods for long-term structural change.
Cristina Mestre Martínez (Project Officer, CINEA)
Key Outcome: The LIFE Programme plays a crucial enabling role in grassroots-driven, territorial transition processes.
- Reinforced LIFE’s support to innovation and local capacity-building for just transitions.
- Underlined the importance of aligning local action with EU Green Deal objectives.
- Emphasised the LIFE programme’s ability to fund scalable models like JUSTEM to ensure no region is left behind.
- Life calls are opening on 24th of April.
Cesar Valmaseda (FAEN)
Key Outcome: Citizens must be at the heart of regional planning to ensure fairness, ownership, and legitimacy of the transition.
- Co-created policy recommendations through citizen workshops in Asturias (Tineo, Moreda, Ciaño).
- Addressed demographic challenges and rising inequalities, particularly among women and youth.
- Provided local narratives and project ideas rooted in community values and concerns.
- Highlighted the need for achievable, purpose-driven engagement that translates into action.
- Challenge in Asturias that people don’t see a future in their region: career aims of retirement; many people want to move away
Anna Mazur (KAPE)
Key Outcome: Inclusive citizen engagement is essential for shaping just transition plans that address real-life needs.
- Organised citizen workshops in six coal regions to explore engagement, knowledge gaps, and priorities.
- Identified top priorities: energy efficiency, green mobility, reskilling, and SME support.
- Found widespread desire for involvement in planning processes, coupled with a lack of access to clear transition pathways.
- Developed actionable recommendations on communication, trust-building, and governance.
PART II – Energy Poverty in Transition
Paweł Olechnowicz (DG REGIO, European Commission)
Key Outcome: The Just Transition Fund (JTF) actively addresses energy poverty in vulnerable regions, while empowering stakeholder engagement.
- Over €19.7 billion allocated to support 70 Territorial Just Transition Plans, focusing on fossil-fuel dependent and carbon-intensive areas.
- Backed energy poverty reduction through measures such as deep energy retrofits, replacement of obsolete coal boilers, and integration of renewables.
- JTF operations target households most at risk, with implementation mechanisms increasingly focusing on social equity and affordability.
- Announced the latest Just Transition Peers (JTPeers) call for applications – inviting local and regional actors to join an EU-wide peer-to-peer learning platform for sharing transition experiences, solutions, and technical guidance.
- The call aims to promote mutual learning between territories, strengthen implementation capacities, and foster cross-border solidarity.
- Targeted at managing authorities, municipalities, NGOs, and energy agencies actively involved in the implementation of TJTPs.
Eleonora Gaydarova (CAC)
Key Outcome: A structured, localised planning approach is essential for addressing energy poverty within just transition processes.
- Developed detailed energy poverty alleviation plans, including timelines, measures, and cost estimations.
- Prioritised building renovation, community engagement, and green skills development as core levers.
- Proposed regional energy poverty observatories to monitor and guide interventions.
- Emphasised strong stakeholder involvement and policy coherence across EU, national, and regional levels.
Panel Discussion: How to Avoid the Energy Poverty Trap During the Transition?
(Eleonora Gaydarova, Sofia-Natalia Boemi, Miloslawa Stepien, Georgios Koukoufikis)
Key Outcome: Avoiding the energy poverty trap requires aligning social, environmental, and economic measures in vulnerable regions.
- Emphasised the role of integrated territorial approaches to reduce energy poverty and support vulnerable households.
- Highlighted the importance of targeted funding, deep renovation, and citizen education for effective transitions.
- Called for greater inclusion of civil society and municipalities in design and monitoring of just transition strategies.
- Underlined the value of regional capacity building to sustain long-term alleviation outcomes and trust.
- Highlighted the importance of summer and winter energy poverty, and the need of modifying energy poverty mitigation measures based on the climate zones.
PART III – Transition as a Community Project
Konstantinos Koasidis (NTUA)
Key Outcome: Data-driven engagement platforms like Apollo-LIVE enhance representation and support inclusive decision-making.
- Deployed the Apollo-LIVE tool to collect survey data on community priorities and perceptions across JUSTEM regions.
- Enabled real-time policy support through open-access, citizen-informed datasets.
- Revealed differentiated responses based on age, gender, and geographic factors, enabling more nuanced regional planning.
- Contributed to inclusive consensus-building and policy legitimacy.
- Use of the tool in replication region was successful.
Anna Mazur (KAPE)
Key Outcome: Effective just transition policy must combine bottom-up engagement with holistic economic, social, and environmental strategies.
- Citizens were engaged in different engagement formats. Ctizen want to be part of debates, but it is critical that their insights can make a difference.
- Supported regional authorities with targeted EU policy recommendations addressing social inclusion and economic resilience.
- Urged Member States to systematically address energy poverty and stakeholder participation in transition implementation.
- Advocated for policies enabling community empowerment, identity preservation, and inclusive governance models.
Angel Nikolaev (BSERC)
Key Outcome: Citizen-centred project pipelines serve as a bridge between community needs and available funding mechanisms.
- Developed detailed project fiches per region, including expected outcomes, budgets, and funding sources.
- Showcased diverse initiatives: OSS for citizens and SMEs, building renovations, energy communities, and battery recycling.
- Projects were co-designed with local stakeholders and aligned with regional planning tools and funding priorities.
- Highlighted replicability and scalability through cross-regional comparisons.
Doris Skenderas (NTUA, REVERTER Project)
Key Outcome: REVERTER contributes to a just transition by addressing energy poverty through deep renovations, citizen empowerment, and decentralised support mechanisms.
- Developed 9 comprehensive building renovation roadmaps targeting energy-poor and vulnerable households in Europe.
- Promotes the establishment of both physical and digital One-Stop Shops (OSS) to bridge informational and behavioural gaps related to building renovation.
- Delivers training for volunteers and OSS staff to act as Energy Ambassadors, guiding citizens through renovation options and energy-saving strategies.
- Supports local and regional authorities by offering replicable methodologies and technical support to scale up renovation efforts with a focus on social impact.
PART IV – The EU Affordable Housing Action Plan – Housing and Energy Poverty Perspectives
Gyuri Sumeghy (HFH)
Key Outcome: Affordable housing must be integrated into just transition strategies to prevent displacement and ensure inclusion.
- Advocated for combining climate objectives with social justice through inclusive housing initiatives.
- Underlined the need to target vulnerable populations, especially in regions undergoing structural changes.
- Called for increased public investment in affordable, energy-efficient housing stock.
Geert De Pauw (CLTB)
Key Outcome: Community Land Trusts (CLTs) offer a replicable model for deep renovation while preserving housing affordability.
- CLTs separate land from property, ensuring long-term affordability and community ownership.
- Demonstrated how CLTs can prevent gentrification and renovictions amid building renovations.
- Highlighted pilots in Brussels and beyond that combine democratic governance with technical renovation support.
Zita Kakalejcikova (HFH)
Key Outcome: Reusing vacant real estate can simultaneously address housing crises and climate goals.
- ESTHer aims to convert 20% of identified vacant buildings in 50 cities by 2030 into energy-efficient, affordable homes.
- Developed methodologies for life-cycle carbon assessment, stakeholder engagement, and innovative financial models.
- Demonstrated successful pilots in Poland and the UK that combine circular renovation with housing affordability.
Sorcha Edwards (Housing Europe)
Key Outcome: Coordinated, EU-wide action is needed to align renovation policies with just transition goals.
- Advocated for a harmonised EU definition of “vacant real estate” to support data consistency.
- Called for integration of circular renovation principles into national building renovation plans.
- Emphasised the social potential of renovation to reduce energy poverty and strengthen communities.
Panel Discussion: The Intersection of Just Transition and Housing Affordability
(Gyuri Sumeghy, Joanna Rylko, Geert De Pauw, Sorcha Edwards, Zita Kakalejcikova, Loriana Farkas)
Key Outcome: Ensuring housing affordability in the green transition requires structural, long-term policy frameworks that bridge energy performance, social equity, and urban renewal.
- Affordability and decarbonisation must be jointly addressed, particularly for vulnerable and low-income groups.
- EU policy coherence is improving, but further effort is needed to embed housing affordability into all climate and energy instruments.
- Community-led solutions such as CLTs and upcycling models must be scaled with legal and financial support.
- EU housing task force was welcomed by panellists
