ZAGREB, 27 February, 2021 - The European Commission has launched Phase II of the Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat as part of which it continues to cooperate with Croatia's Island Movement as a regional partner which will support the energy transition of Croatian islands in the next two years.
In this second phase, the Secretariat will build on the results of Phase I and over the next two years it "will match bottom-up initiatives with expert support leading to a pipeline of clean energy projects on the islands," the Island Movement said on Friday.
In Phase I, the Secretariat devised strategies for EU islands' transition to clean energy. Croatia's island communities of Korčula, Hvar, Brač and the Cres-Lošinj Archipelago applied for devising strategies, thus ensuring cooperation with the Secretariat's experts and partners.
A score of new energy projects were launched during Phase I, the Island Movement acting as a bridge between islanders, local government, national authorities and European institutions.
In Phase II, a call for projects will be launched this spring so that island stakeholders can submit a description of their project to receive technical assistance. Workshops will be organised as Energy Academies that engage island communities to act at the local level and take up an active role in energy transition projects on their island.
Stakeholders from different levels of governance will be brought together in an Islands Think Tank to discuss legal and regulatory barriers for clean energy on islands.
The Secretariat will help islands that are ready to start strategic planning to find financing and shape their energy projects, and guide others that are yet to engage the community to build a local coalition and define their transition strategy. The Islands Marketplace facilitates and provides financing to energy projects on islands by matching island communities with investors and technology providers.
The Island Movement is an association helping and promoting Croatian islands and life on them, advocating action towards sustainable development.
