The second Sustainability Forum took place under the auspices of the Energy Community in cooperation with Balkan Green Foundation, Heinrich Böll Foundation and RES Foundation on 22 June 2018 in Vienna. The Forum gathered Ministers and Deputy Ministers responsible for energy, environment and climate change of the Energy Community Contracting Parties, high-level officials of the European Commission, EU Member States and Contracting Parties as well as representatives of academia, civil society and nongovernmental organisations to discuss the best ways to shape energy and climate policy in the Energy Community.

The participants recognized that energy poverty continues to be a major challenge in the Energy Community Contracting Parties and must be one of the key considerations in the transition towards low-carbon power systems. They stressed the importance for Contracting Parties joining ongoing EU initiatives supporting tailor-made energy transition strategies, including the Coal Regions in Transition Platform and the EU Energy Poverty Observatory, to enable a shift that is not only sustainable but also fair on those who stand to lose out.

Presentation on energy poverty in Western Balkans.