During the ‘POLITICO Sustainable Future Week’ series of conferences - organised by the media from 14 to 16 November - a panel entitled “Achieving Europe’s Just Transition” brought together experts on Thursday 16 November to discuss the importance of the European Union’s Just Transition Mechanism. Eero Ailio, Energy Transition and Local Governance Advisor at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy, stressed the importance of the Just Transition Mechanism (see EUROPE 12706/3).
This mechanism, created in 2021 as part of the ‘European Green Deal’, aims to support the transition to a cleaner economy while ensuring that no one is left behind.
Eero Ailio explained that this fund has become essential as the EU’s energy transition becomes more complex as Europe moves closer to its decarbonisation targets.
To achieve these objectives, it is necessary to actively involve consumers and introduce digital technologies such as smart meters to increase energy efficiency and promote renewable energies. However, he also stressed that not everyone has the same capacity to participate equitably in this transition.
Mr Ailio focused on regions still dependent on coal and energy-intensive industries. If the market were left alone to solve these problems, there would inevitably be winners and losers, which would not be socially acceptable, he explained. That’s why this mechanism has been created to help these regions find ways to convert to sustainable economies, retrain their workforce and overcome the challenges of transition.
Finally, he mentioned discussions with other countries, notably South Africa, on how to share the EU’s knowledge and experience with respect to just transition. However, he stressed that the initiative remains mainly focused on Europe and solving its own problems. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)