EU Member States need to consider the islands needs and recognise their crucial role as laboratory for the transition to low-carbon future.
The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions’ (CPMR) Islands Commission and Greening the Islands call for structured dialogue between island administrations, business and European institutions to help deliver the EU’s energy transition objectives for 2030 and 2050.
As a first step towards an ‘Islands Structured Dialogue’, the CPMR Islands Commission and Greening the Islands, held a meeting in Brussels on June 18, with the support of the Committee of the Regions, to propose closer collaboration as a key step towards promoting low-carbon solutions on European islands. Representatives from national and regional governments, industry and the European institutions highlighted the need to involve Island governments and the private sector in designing and implementing National Climate and Energy Plans (NCEPs).
“Regional and local island governments have strong competencies in land use, economic development, housing, transport; they are therefore key stakeholders when it comes to planning the Energy transition and decarbonation of their economies,” said Eleni Marianou, CPMR Secretary General.
Islands are among the EU territories most exposed and vulnerable to the effects of climate change, but the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) drawn up by EU countries are lacking a strong territorial dimension.
In a joint declaration, the CPMR Islands Commission and Greening the Islands call on Member States to review their NECPs, and the European Commission to review their NECP methodology in order to include specific measures targeting islands.
“Today we kicked off an important multilateral dialogue with EU institutions responsible for promoting circular economy models on islands. Legislation and regulation regarding European islands need urgent revision to promote the implementation of innovative technologies, while an ‘island decarbonisation index’ could track efforts toward sustainability and support effective mechanisms,” said Gianni Chianetta.
