The Russian war against Ukraine has had many consequences on Europe, with the energy crisis being one of the key ones. As the Kremlin-weaponised gas going through Ukraine toward its European neighbors, many countries across the EU found themselves in dire need of a more sustainable solution.
The energy transition became a mainstream topic as the region struggled through the winter of 2023. Now, during the European Week of Regions and Cities, EU officials discuss its successes and challenges.
“Still relying on fossil fuels is a waste,” says Bertrand Piccard, President at Solar Impulse Foundation. “It is a perfect solution for the lazy ones who do not want to consider the costs and consequences of using this type of energy. So instead, we must switch toward using the energy we already have outside like the sun, wind, or else.”
According to Piccard, while an increasing number of people – including officials across the EU – understand the necessity of innovative and practical solutions to the energy needs, implementation is slow due to bureaucracy and reluctance to change things.
“So, in a nutshell, we’re talking about the difference of being lazy and courageous,” Piccard adds, “We need to be courageous in tackling our energy needs and use what we already have.”
Leading the change
Some EU regions are pioneering at the green energy transition – such as the city of Vienna, the city of Vienna plans to shift away from gas and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
“Vienna’s example shows the need to invest in public infrastructure and climate adaptation projects,” notes Waltraud Schmid, an economist and a representative of UIV Urban Innovation Vienna GmbH, “In addition, we need to develop cohesive planning for scarce resources, and for this, we also need political will and a collaboration with different stakeholders.”
Yet there are significant disparities in the ways different European regions transition to sustainable energy sources. For newer EU members across Eastern Europe, “clean energy” is not always an option due to infrastructural challenges, economic constraints, or both.
“In Eastern Europe, industrialization happened later than in the West,” explains Cristina-lucia Sucala, an architect specializing in the industrial heritage and founder at urban regeneration project Planeta Petrila Association.
“So nowadays, countries across the East are facing a big challenge,” she adds, “They had to transition from centralized communist energy systems, and now, they have to upgrade them according to the new reality. So, we need help on the EU level with this.”
Experts point out that successful energy transition would benefit from greater citizen participation across all the regions, along with greater harmonization of the activities between the lawmakers and the doers in different localities.
“A lot of citizens don’t recognize that they can be active in the process of the energy transition, and some of them are not in t he position to lobby for better choices,” says Heleen Schockaert, a Project manager at REScoop.eu, “In some cases, sustainable sources are not yet available.”
“There are some legal and regulatory barriers which may complicate energy transition processes in different communities,” she adds, “However, despite these, many municipalities are setting high goals and working well toward these ambitious energy objectives.”
“So we need more recognition on the work these communities are doing,” she concludes.
Currently, less than a quarter of EU’s energy needs come from sustainable energy sources. The region has an ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 – with some areas striving to transition to clean sources already by 2040.
Author: Anna Romandash | Editor: Barbora Novotná
