Win-win solutions from the Baltic Sea Region

This week, 650 representatives from 25 countries gathered in the city of Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden, to discuss priority areas for cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. With the overarching themes of sustainability, resilience and security, the EUSBSR Annual Forum aims to deepen understanding and strengthen cooperation to promote smart development

During one of the panel sessions entitled "Achieving Energy Efficiency in Millions of Residential Buildings in the Baltic Sea Region", representatives of the Green4HEAT project had the opportunity to explore the measures needed to accelerate renovation rates and the benefits of one-stop-shop solutions. The panel presented different perspectives of institutions from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia supporting the process of achieving a fully decarbonised building stock. During the wrap-up discussion, both speakers and participants agreed that in order to achieve the EU's energy and climate goals, we need knowledge (greater awareness among residents and building owners) and diverse sources of funding.

According to the experts, cooperation between stakeholders at local and international level is also extremely important, with the aim of exchanging good practices, jointly assessing targets, but also learning from each other's mistakes. The examples of what has been done in the Baltic Sea Region countries can inspire cities and regions across the European Union and help them achieve the success that will be possible if solutions are found to ensure that the goals of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directiveare met while satisfying residents.

Undoubtedly, the expert discussion also showed the need for projects such as Green4HEAT to help cities and regions to prepare and implement a complex process with limited resources and still low awareness among residents.