We hear it all the time: the children are the future. Whilst this does not discharge the current adult generation from the responsibility to take fast and ambitious action against climate change and for the energy transition, it is indeed crucial to ensure that the generations that follow are empowered to take the next steps.Many islands have asked for inspiration and recommendations on how to involve schools and the younger generations in the energy transition.

On 17 June, the Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat, together with NESOI - European Islands Facility and OCTA, organised an event in the context of the European Sustainable Energy Week to discuss how the clean energy transition can help EU islands build a resilient and sustainable economy, particularly on the back of the COVID19 pandemic.

Find the full recording of the session here. 

Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of EU energy consumption and 36% of the CO2 emissions. In EU households, heating and hot water alone account for 79% of total final energy use.

For many EU islands, transport is one of the most important sources of CO2 emissions. On top of the fuel used for the many cars, ferries make up a large part of an island's carbon footprint.

If island communities want to reduce their climate impact and make their transport systems future proof, they will need to be creative about changing the technologies they use, but also about how residents and tourists use the transportation means available on and around the island.

Community engagement aims to include citizens and civil society organizations in decision-making processes in order to achieve long-term and sustainable results and processes around the clean energy transition. Due to their disconnection from the mainland, islands represent one of the most challenging contexts to work with.Local, national and EU governments all acknowledge that citizens have an important role to play in the energy transition.

This webinar will be building on the previous session on Transition Management organised by the Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat (see our overview of webinars). It will zoom in on the clean energy aspects of Transition Management and the opportunity for pushing the Clean Energy Transition on islands. 

Strategy and agenda setting for EU islands.

Moderation: Jorge Rodrigues de Almeida – Financial lead, Clean energy for EU islands secretariat (RdA)

● Miquel Garcia Edo - Junior Project Engineer, Energy Transition Department, Insular Council of Menorca / Biosphere Reserve Agency

● Carlos Sanchez - Senior Associate, Smart Cities Infrastructure Fund, Whitehelm Capital

● Georg Houben - Coordinator of the Smart Cities Marketplace, DG ENER, European Commission

Memorandum of Split: ongoing activities and next steps.

● Edita Dranseikaite - Coordinator of the Clean Energy for EU Islands Initiative, DG ENER, European Commission

● Kristina Čelić - Director General, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy of Croatia

Welcome to Samsø - Best practice & live reporting

● Alexis Chatzimpiros – Project manager, Samsø Energy Academy

● Søren Hermansen – Director, Samsø Energy Academy

The session included an Arte video and live broadcasting from Samsø with Søren Hermansen who drove around the island to show which technologies the islanders are using for their energy transition. They are bargaining to lower the number of windmills and exchange them for bigger ones. Samsø’s community consists of 5 parishes, where people feel a strong sense of belonging.

The winners of this project pitch are, by public vote, the wave to energy project from Saint-Phillipe, La Réunion with Fanny Sauvignon and by expert vote, AquaBattery from Pantelleria in Italy with Juan-Sebastian Alvarez Rincon.

Moderation: Marina Montero Carrero – Technical lead, Clean energy for EU islands secretariat (3E)

● Simon De Clercq - Coordinator, Clean energy for EU islands secretariat (3E)