What does our energy and climate future look like? Insights from the IEECP conference
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Resilient rural areas
- Energy
- Climate
- Nature and environment
A successful European energy transition requires coordinated policies, community engagement, and evidence-based innovation replication. The IEECP conference of 15-16 October set out a roadmap for implementing efficient, resilient, fair, and smart energy strategies, ensuring Europe meets its climate objectives, while fostering prosperous and empowered rural communities.
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The recent conference organised by the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP) gathered EU policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to explore strategies for a cleaner, more inclusive, and resilient energy transition across Europe. The event highlighted the need for policy frameworks that support knowledge sharing and cross-sector collaboration; national strategies aligned with the EU Energy Efficiency Directive; integration of smart energy systems; and promotion of demand-side flexibility to enable renewable energy adoption.
Discussions stressed the importance of locally tailored strategies that reflect regional diversity, enhanced governance capacity, technical assistance and investments in sustainable energy infrastructure. Tackling energy poverty and designing inclusive renovation roadmaps are considered critical measures to ensure equitable participation in the energy transition and progress towards the 2030 climate targets.
Additionally, the conference reinforced the link with the EU Rural Pact, highlighting the pivotal role of rural communities in implementing efficient, fair, and resilient energy solutions. By integrating rural perspectives, policies can support local economic development, strengthen innovation ecosystems, and promote social inclusion, ensuring that energy transitions leave no community behind. Rural cooperatives, municipalities, and local actors are seen as central drivers in replicating and scaling sustainable solutions across Europe.
Several EU projects funded under the LIFE programme – including InEExS, RENOVERTY, REVERTER, CoolLIFE, and ENSMOV Plus – provided case studies demonstrating practical solutions for energy efficiency, renewables integration, and climate adaptation.