ENTRACK and PLENTY-Life empower small municipalities to lead fair and sustainable energy transition through community-driven approaches. ENTRACK focuses on capacity-building in rural Mediterranean areas through inclusive policy design and partnerships. PLENTY promotes integrated spatial and energy planning to help local governments overcome implementation challenges. This session will highlight both projects’ results, showcase case studies and inspire participants to implement similar strategies in their regions, followed by a discussion with pilot city representatives, concluding with guided audience questions to explore how the methodology can be replicated.
- Climate and environment | Energy | Governance and Public administration | Local and regional | Rural | Sustainable | Youth and citizens engagement
- Code: 14WS252502
- Square Brussels, 313-315
Speakers
Moderator
Practical information
- When
-
Tue 14/10/2025, 09:30 - 10:30 CET
- Where
- Square Brussels, 313-315
- Type of partnership
- Partnership
- Format
- Workshop
- Theme
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Cities building tomorrow
- Language
- English
Partner
AISFOR SRL
Document
erwc-workshop-14ws252502-1-scaled
Reporting
Session summary
At this year’s EU Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels, the session focused on the role of regional and local actors in the clean energy transition, featuring insights from the EU-funded ENTRACK and PLENTY-Life projects. In particular, the session was divided into a series of key takeaways by the four panellists and a Q&A facilitated by Giulia Viero, from IEECP. It highlighted the importance of regional collaboration, data-driven planning and citizen engagement in achieving EU climate and energy goals. Speakers from both projects shared experiences from pilots, showing how data collection, dialogue and co-design can lead to local participation. ENTRACK (presented by JP Gouveia, NOVA FCT and L. Aquaviva) emphasized the value of combining social engagement with data for better energy planning in Mediterranean regions, while PLENTY-Life (presented by M. Pereira, EDP and A. Bisello, EURAC) demonstrated how focusing on multiple benefits and inclusive co-design strengthens trust and commitment at the local level. Finally, the discussion highlighted that trust, inclusion and transparent communication of benefits are essential foundations for a fair and effective energy transition and that engaging citizens and local industries remains both one of the greatest challenges and the greatest opportunities for success.
Quotes
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Local administrators cannot deliver on EU goals if they are unaware of their primary role or lack support to develop a medium- and long-term vision.
To achieve a just energy transition, we must engage citizens and local actors through diverse pathways. ENTRACK proves this bridge's policy and action, creating solutions that are effective, community-relevant and locally owned
