Regional Energy Agency North (REA North) participated in the two-day EUKICON26 conference held in Berlin on 19 and 20 May 2026, which this year was organised under the slogan “Doubling Down on Climate Action”. International conference, organised by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI), gathered more than 180 decision-makers, representatives of civil society, sectoral agencies and local authorities from 20 European countries. The aim of the conference was to strengthen cross-border cooperation, and identify ways to accelerate the transition towards full climate neutrality by the middle of the century.
At a time of pronounced geopolitical changes, energy instability and economic pressure on the European economy, this year’s conference placed a strong emphasis on the urgency of implementing green policies. Through three panel discussions, participants analysed the current progress of the European Union in achieving climate goals and identified key barriers faced by local and regional authorities. It was emphasised that the transition to sustainable energy sources is no longer solely an environmental issue, but also a matter of energy independence and long-term social stability.
In addition to panels featuring European climate experts, REA North also participated in five specialized workshops addressing critical challenges currently faced by Europe. The workshop entitled Co-design Just Energy Transition discussed methods for co-creating energy policies with citizens and involving local communities in order to ensure a just transition. The workshop CCS in CEE: Closing the Gap focused on bridging legislative and technological gaps in the implementation of carbon capture and storage technologies in Central and Eastern Europe. Through the topic Cities Driving Circular Economy, the role of cities in the transition towards a circular economy was highlighted through smart resource management and waste reduction. Workshop Navigating Climate Scepticism was designed to provide participants with a practical introduction to recognizing common climate-skeptic narratives and to guide them toward constructive, science-based communication strategies for effectively and confidently responding to misinformation in their daily work. Finally, the workshop Beyond Natural Gas focused on long-term alternatives to natural gas, the decarbonisation of heating in buildings, and the application of green hydrogen and heat pumps in industrial processes.
Through the poster exhibition of current EUKI projects, two projects implemented by REA North were also presented: OUR-CEE and REDESIGN, both financed through the EUKI programme, which offer complementary approaches to improving the energy efficiency of public buildings in Central and Eastern Europe. While OUR-CEE project focuses on identifying the reasons for underperfomed results of previously implemented energy renovations and developing strategies for their improvement, REDESIGN project develops a methodology for the renovation of the worst-performing public buildings through the introduction of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS).
REDESIGN and OUR-CEE projects are financed through the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) programme.
