<div id="readability-page-1"><h2>Governments, partners, civil society and community leaders from across Europe gathered in Tbilisi for the Energy Community’s Just Transition Forum to explore how energy efficiency can help end energy poverty and strengthen public trust in the clean-energy transition.</h2> <p>The forum delivered a clear message: a just transition cannot succeed without meaningful dialogue with diverse civil society and non-governmental partners, whose expertise and perspectives must be integrated into planning. As contracting parties begin preparing their new national energy and climate plans (NECPs), embedding just transition in transparent frameworks and long-term strategies is key to turning decarbonization commitments into real benefits for people and communities.</p> <p>This principle is further reflected in the Energy Community’s newly published Just Transition Policy Guidelines, which guide governments in integrating just transition elements into energy and climate planning – ensuring that decarbonization goes hand in hand with social protection, local opportunity, and public trust, while supporting alignment with the European Union’s clean energy and climate objectives.</p> <h3>Lorkowski: New NECPs should tell story of just, sustained transition</h3> <p>Opening the forum, Energy Community Secretariat Director Artur Lorkowski underscored the importance of the current moment for regional energy and climate planning. The new NECPs, he stressed, should tell the story of a just and sustained transition.</p> <p>“We are entering a pivotal moment for the region’s energy and climate future. With just transition principles at the core, they can pave the way toward EU energy market integration and turn the green transition into an engine of investment, inclusion, and shared prosperity,” Lorkowski stated.</p> <p>Critically, the Energy Community’s Governance Regulation requires contracting parties to assess and address energy poverty in their NECPs. It is an opportunity to ensure that energy-poor households receive targeted support and remain central to energy efficiency and decarbonization efforts.</p>  <h3>Energy Efficiency First for Energy Poverty</h3> <p>To drive the agenda forward, forum participants drew on insights from the secretariat’s study Energy Efficiency First for Energy Poverty. It reveals that 30% to 40% of households in Kosovo*, Albania, North Macedonia, and Georgia face energy poverty, and shows how targeted energy efficiency investments can transform lives across the region – making homes warmer, healthier, and more affordable to run.</p> <p>By prioritizing vulnerable households, establishing renovation funds, and applying the Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle, contracting parties could cut household energy demand by more than 60%, create up to 19 local jobs for every EUR 1 million invested, and triple the wider benefits through improved well-being, comfort, and productivity.</p> <blockquote><p>Energy Community contracting parties could cut household energy demand by more than 60%</p></blockquote> <p>Emphasizing the importance of a people-centred transition, Head of EU Delegation to Georgia Paweł Herczyński stated: “For the European Union, a just transition is not only an environmental goal. It is a commitment to people, fairness and long-term resilience. This transformation must be built through dialogue, transparency and the active participation of communities. Ensuring that this transition succeeds, it will depend on transparent governance, democratic credibility and alignment with the EU standards.”</p> <p>The forum also celebrated the winners of this year’s Just Transition Young Voices Awards. Their work highlighted how listening to those most affected by the transition — and youth, who will carry it forward — is essential to understanding the diverse realities of communities navigating the shift to a greener economy.</p> <p>Cooperating partners for the forum included the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, KfW on behalf of the German government, AFD – Agence Française de Développement, and the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria.</p> <p><span></span> <span>Post Views:</span> <span>69</span>    </p>                                                              <p></p><h5><em>* This designation is without prejudice to positions on</em> <em>status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.</em></h5>        </div>

<p>第比利斯的公正转型论坛汇聚了领导者，旨在解决能源贫困问题并促进公平的能源未来。论坛强调了将公民社会观点纳入能源规划的重要性，并突出了能源共同体的公正转型政策指南。新的国家能源和气候计划应聚焦于公正转型，符合欧盟目标，并解决能源贫困问题。论坛展示了能源效率投资在减少能源需求和改善脆弱地区生活条件方面的潜力</p>

公正转型论坛汇聚地区领导者，共同应对能源贫困问题，塑造公平的能源未来