Day 2 focusing on implementation, integrated planning and island-tailored policy
The second day of the Clean energy for EU islands forum 2026 in Mallorca turned attention from overarching governance questions to the practical conditions needed to deliver island decarbonisation on the ground. Across breakout sessions, panel discussions and the closing plenary, participants explored how integrated planning, stronger local delivery structures and closer alignment between island, national and European actors can help translate ambitious targets into concrete action. A recurring message throughout the day was that island decarbonisation cannot be approached through separate sectoral tracks, but requires joined-up thinking across water, waste, energy and community development.
This cross-sectoral perspective was reflected in the morning breakout sessions. In the session on the water-energy nexus, facilitated by DAFNI, PoliTo, Econoler, participants used Astypalea and Naxos as case studies to examine how islands can better connect water and energy planning. Discussions focused on reducing demand, developing alternative water supply solutions and identifying incentives for more efficient and cost-effective water use, while also stressing the need to align the interests of businesses, productive sectors and local communities. A second breakout session on the waste-energy nexus, facilitated by DNV, RdA and 3E, was moderated by Eelco Kruizinga from the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat. The session combined presentations and group discussion, with Jan Willem Turkstra presenting waste-to-value solutions for islands, including the Biowaste Plant Aeolian Islands study, and Fiona Kelleher introducing compact digester and food-waste-to-energy solutions. Together, these discussions showed that practical island decarbonisation depends on better linking resource management systems and creating conditions for local implementation.
A similar emphasis on local structures and enabling conditions shaped the breakout session on community energy in action, facilitated by Samsø Energy Academy, Th!nk E, Island movement and ESIN. Participants reflected on how island transition teams can strengthen citizen-led initiatives, shared ownership and small-scale projects as part of the broader clean energy transition. Using the European Energy Community Facility grant as a practical prompt, they identified the need for clearer support systems, including national contact points to help islands navigate permitting and authorities, access to technical expertise and stronger institutional structures to manage community energy initiatives beyond the limited capacity of individual volunteers. The discussion reinforced that community engagement must remain central from policy design to implementation if island transitions are to be both effective and just.
These themes were taken further in the high-level panel discussion on stakeholder engagement and policy alignment, moderated by Jan Cornillie. Bringing together Emmanouil Koutoulakis, Secretary General of the Aegean and Island Policy at Greece’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Irje Möldre, Head of Strategic Planning in the Energy Department of Estonia’s Ministry of Climate, and Rosalinde Van der Vlies, Director for Just Transition, Consumers, Efficiency and Innovation at DG ENER, European Commission, the panel explored how public policy can better respond to island realities. Irje Möldre highlighted Estonia’s long-term planning for a carbon-neutral energy sector, with a focus on resilience, efficiency, local electricity generation and storage. Emmanouil Koutoulakis argued that islands should be treated as living laboratories and that energy considerations must be integrated across policymaking, with tailored responses that reflect insularity and seasonal demand. Rosalinde Van der Vlies underlined the importance of turning broad EU targets into practical local action, while keeping affordability, solidarity and public acceptance at the centre. The panel also addressed offshore wind, maritime spatial planning, compensation, and landscape concerns, ultimately reinforcing the point that there is no one-size-fits-all pathway for islands.
The closing plenary drew together the main lessons from the two-day forum and confirmed that continued exchange, political commitment and stronger national engagement will be essential to maintain momentum. In her closing remarks, Rosalinde Van der Vlies stressed that islands are not at the margins of Europe’s energy transition but are strategic drivers of it. She called for stronger follow-up on grids, storage, and supportive national frameworks; a clearer link between the energy transition and economic opportunity for island communities; and continued cooperation between islands and national stakeholders. Taken together, Day 2 showed that successful island decarbonisation depends not only on ambition but also on integrated planning, practical delivery structures, and policies that are flexible enough to reflect the diversity of island contexts while remaining aligned with broader European goals.