In November 2021, the Island Movement applied for a public call of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds with a project called "Leading Islands of Clean Energy".
The total value of the project was estimated at 16,276.50 EUR, and the requested co-financing in the maximum amount of support of 6,648.48 EUR was approved in full. The rest of the financing is planned to be covered by local and regional self-government units and own funds.
Project description
The implementation of the project "Leading Islands of Clean Energy" directly contributes to solving the detected problems and needs in the field of sustainable energy development of island communities on the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula and Vis.
The implementation of the project includes the following activities:
- Organising online events with experts from different sectors,
- Organisation of physical events and establishment of working groups on all four islands,
- Mapping of energy transition leaders and holding working meetings with representatives of local governments and educational institutions on the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula and Vis.
These activities raise awareness, inform and educate all sectors of island communities about the possibilities of access to reliable, sustainable and modern energy, about tools for project preparation and implementation, about the implementation of intersectoral cooperation and networking and planning the transition to clean energy within their own work programmes.
The purpose of the project is to confront the identified needs of local communities
The needs that are met by this project are:
- lack of information of local stakeholders - the need to inform and educate islanders about access to reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all mankind,
- lack of coordination between the sector and local governments,
- unpreparedness of projects - the need to build resilient infrastructure,
- the need to promote the inclusion and diversification of the economy,
- the need to create new jobs,
- the need to encourage innovation,
- the need to educate about inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable human cities and towns,
- the need to raise awareness of the importance of ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns and the importance of strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development,
- the need to align local strategies and project proposals with new programming periods.
General and specific objectives of the project
The specific objectives of the project are:
- inform and educate island stakeholders and raised awareness of the general public about the green transition, clean energy and opportunities for their implementation and implementation in the future,
- map the leaders of the energy transition on Hvar, Korčula, Brač and Vis,
- identify key projects ready for further implementation and funding,
- all relevant stakeholders are involved according to the principle of the quadruple helix model - local and regional self-government, entrepreneurs, citizens and civic initiatives, educational institutions,
- strengthen capacities in secondary schools on the islands with further development of the educational program of sustainable development.
The general goal is to educate, make island stakeholders aware and map projects as a basis for achieving energy independence of Croatian island communities by 2050 according to the European Green Plan and the UN Sustainability Goals.