4TH FORUM OF MAYORS ON JUST TRANSITION
NEW ENERGY MIX:
A SOCIAL POLICY DIALOG
ON THE TRANSITION TO NET ZERO
29th – 30th September 2021
DAY 1: 29th September 2021, Wednesday, (EEST time zone)
11:00 am - 11:30 am Registration and coffee: only for participants live at the event hub
OFFICIAL Introductory remarks
Keynote speech: Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of EC (video messages)
Participants:
- Yordan Nikolov, Deputy Mayor of Municipality Stara Zagora
- Diana Dimitrova, Conservation Manager, WWF Bulgaria
- Aleksandra Tomczak, Member of Cabinet of the Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans at European Commission
- Q&A time with the Executive Vice President of EC, (questions from mayors)
Moderator: Georgi Stefanov, WWF Bulgaria
- Venue:
- a hybrid session, press invited
Panel of Mayors
- Handover of Forum of Mayors leadership - press invited (a hybrid session)
From Mariusz Wolosz - Mayor of Bytom to Yordan Nikolov - Deputy Mayor of Stara Zagora
- Presentations of new mayors - press invited (a hybrid session)
Moderator: Georgi Stefanov, WWF Bulgaria
- Venue:
- a hybrid session, press invited
Overview of partner projects: DeCarb, Regions and Municipalities for a Just Transition and TRACER
Short introduction: DeCarb, Regions and Municipalities for a Just Transition and Tracer.
Will be presented by: Rumyana Grozeva, PhD, Georgi Stefanov, Angel Nikolaev
- Venue:
- a hybrid session, press invited
Just Transition Plans
(Тhe purpose of the session is to share & discuss the TJTPs of the Bulgarian Coal Regions: Stara Zagora, Pernik & Kyustendil and to be presented a tool developed for their potential impact assessment)
Participants:
- Dimitar Dimitrov, PWC, Just Transition Plans of the BG Coal Regions (tbc.)
- Katie Treadwell, WWF EPO, WWF Territorial Just Transition Plans scoring tool
- Q&A time
Moderator: Slavtcho Neykov, Energy Management Institute, Bulgaria
- Venue:
- a hybrid session, press invited
Parallel sessions in Stara Zagora event hub: Mayors Networking
Exchange of experience on municipalities’ transition plans and best practices (on request during the registration process)
- Venue:
- closed doors, online session
Social Dialogue: what is the Future of the coal region?
Keynote speech: Iliyana Tsanova, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for Budget, European Commission, (video message)
(Тhe purpose of the session is to share & discuss different points of view, the choices of youth and professions in the years of the just transition and beyond)
Participants:
Atanaska Nikolova, Economic and Social Council of the Republic of Bulgaria
- Тhe Trade Unions
- Тhe Youth
- Q&A time with questions on the future of the people, environment and regions
Moderator: PhD Rumyana Grozeva, SZ REDA
- Venue:
- a hybrid session, press invited
Research and Innovation
(Тhe purpose of the session is to share & discuss the points of view of academia & business on how the research and innovation policies/projects could support the regional economy in the years of the just transition and beyond)
Participants:
- Prof., DSc Daria Vladikova, Bulgarian Academy of Science, Institute for Sustainable Transition and Development/Trakia University
- PhD Rumyana Grozeva, SZ REDA Executive Director, as Managing Coordinator of European Digital Innovation Hub Zagore (EDIH)
- Prof. Dr. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h. c. Jivka Ovtcharova, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)(online)
- Assoc. Prof. Evgeni Evgeniev, Research Attaché for Bulgaria
- Q&A time
Moderator: Assoc. Prof., PhD Kosyo Stoychev, Sofia University
- Venue:
- a hybrid session, press invited
Parallel Session: EDIH corridor collaboration as support for ‘smartisation’ of industries & services, part I – Cyber Security
(Тhe purpose of the session is to share & discuss the point of view of partners EDIHs on how the services provided by them in the Cybersecurity field and the networking could support for digitalisation, bearing in mind that one of the main priority of the Digital Europe 2021-2027 Programme is the promotion of a wide EDIH Network in the EU)
Moderator: Radoslav Rizov, EDIH Zagore, Telelink Business Services
Mr. Maxime EZEQUEL, EDIH DIVA (region Pays de la Loire in France)
Delian Coroama, Digital Innovation Zone /DIZ/
- Venue:
- an online non-public session, English only
Parallel Session: EDIH corridor collaboration as support for ‘smartisation’ of industries & services, part II – Startup Ecosystem
(Тhe purpose of the session is to share & discuss the point of view of partners EDIHs how the services provided by them and networking could support startup ecosystems building in the coal transition regions, bearing in mind that one of the main priority of the Digital Europe 2021-2027 Programme is the promotion of a wide EDIH Network in the EU)
Moderator: Radoslav Rizov, EDIH Zagore, Telelink Business Services
Mr. Maxime EZEQUEL, EDIH DIVA (region Pays de la Loire in France)
Delian Coroama, Digital Innovation Zone /DIZ/
Karl McFaul, Transilvania IT Cluster and Transilvania Digital Innovation Hub
- Venue:
- an online non-public session, English only
New Energy Mix
(Тhe purpose of the session is to share & discuss different points of view on economic alternatives & New energy model in the coal and partners’ regions)
Participants:
- Julian Popov, European Climate Foundation Fellow
- Prof., PhD Kosyo Stoychev, Head of "Regional and Political Geography Department" Sofia University St. Kl. Ohridski
- Kostadin Sirleshtov, Managing Partner CMS Sofia and CEE Head of EPC at CMS, Bulgaria
- Nikola Gazdov, Chairman of the Association for Production, Storage and Trade of Electricity
- Ivelin Panchov, Member of the European Digital Innovation Hub Zagore BoD
- Q&A time
Moderator: PhD Rumyana Grozeva, SZ REDA
- Venue:
- a hybrid session, press invited
Organizers
WWF Bulgaria
For 60 years, WWF has worked to help people and nature thrive.
As the world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in nearly 100 countries. At every level, we collaborate with people around the world to develop and deliver innovative solutions that protect communities, wildlife, and the places in which they live.
- Website
- www.worldwildlife.org
Stara Zagora Regional Economic Development Agency
Stara Zagora Regional Economic Development Agency (SZREDA) was established in 1995. The main goal of SZREDA is to support the establishment and implementation of mechanisms for managing the processes of successful integration in the European Community of local and regional authorities and businesses in the region by developing policies at a regional and local level aimed at sustainable development and stimulating its economic development.
Members of the Agency are the municipalities of Stara Zagora, Kazanlak, Radnevo, Maglizh, Gurkovo, Nikolaevo, Bratya Daskalovi, Pavel Banya, Opan, Chirpan; Thracian University, Bulgarian-German Center for Vocational Training, Chamber of Commerce and Industry. SZREDA works on various programs and projects of the European Union, USAID, British, Canadian, and other bilateral programs.
In the last years the Agency is being an active local stakeholder and knowledge transfer point on just transition to low carbon economy in coal regions, working closely with coal regions and their authorities and stakeholders throughout Europe.
- Website
- www.szeda.eu
Black Sea Energy Research Centre
The Black Sea Energy Research Centre is an association of energy experts prominent in the different fields of the energy science and practice. The Centre was created in 2007 in Sofia, Bulgaria, as a non-profit organization, aimed to continue and build upon the achievements of the Black Sea Regional Energy Centre established in 1995 by an initiative of the European Commission and the countries of the Black Sea Region. In this sense, BSERC goes forward in the development of the co-operation between the Black Sea region countries and Bulgaria on the one side and the European Union on the other side, in the energy field, and puts an emphasis on research.
- Website
- www.bserc.eu
Trakia University - Department For Information And In-Service Teachers Training
Trakia University - Department For Information And In-Service Teachers Training
- Website
- uni-sz.bg
Utilities Media
Capital (newspaper)
BNT (Bulgarian National Television)
Bloomberg TV Bulgaria
(A Bulgarian-language television channel
focused on economic and financial news)