Watch the special promotional video for the "Mission Energy Transition" report via the player (in English).
Green Restart Coalition initiated by MOVE.BG has published the special report "Mission Energy Transition" (link here in English), which contains over 150 recommendations for a successful energy transformation of Bulgaria. The recommendations are based on the proposals of 50 leading Bulgarian experts gathered by MOVE.BG, WWF Bulgaria, Greenpeace Bulgaria, and the Institute for Circular Economy at a special event for the generation of ideas in February.
The "Mission Energy Transition" initiative aims to support Bulgaria, which faces serious challenges in all key areas of transitioning to cheaper, more accessible, and cleaner energy. The report was officially presented on March 29th at a Roundtable discussion (link here in Bulgarian) with the participation of experts and candidates for MPs from main political parties.
The Five Topics of the Report
The "Mission Energy Transition" report identifies the challenges in five key areas of energy transformation and provides solutions to overcome these issues. The five topics selected by the experts of the Green Restart Coalition are:
- Communication for a successful energy transition
- Just transition of the coal regions
- Energy poverty and energy efficiency
- Energy communities
- Sustainable use of biomass
For each of these topics, we formed a special group of proven experts during our event in February. The groups included representatives from various stakeholders: experts from the non-governmental sector, representatives of innovative Bulgarian science, journalists, PR experts, sociologists, representatives of local authorities, experts from different ministries and state agencies, as well as representatives from businesses and local communities working on the topic of energy transformation.
The Report: Why is it necessary?
Bulgaria continues to face significant challenges in all key areas of transitioning to cheaper, more accessible, and cleaner energy:
- The Bulgarian economy is the most energy-intensive in the EU, 3.5 times above the European average.
- Bulgaria has the highest number of energy-poor households in Europe - 27.5% compared to the EU average of 8%.
- We lag significantly in democratizing the energy system and developing energy communities for the production and sale of renewable energy.
- The search for a new formula for the development and prosperity of the three coal regions (Pernik, Kyustendil, and Stara Zagora) is at risk - we lost BGN 200 million (EUR 100 million) from the Just Transition Fund, and we are on the verge of losing another BGN 1.5 billion (EUR 750 million) earmarked for the development of these regions.
- We continue to use biomass in an unsustainable way for energy production, endangering biodiversity in our country.
- There is a prevalence of complex institutional communication that fails to clarify the necessity and benefits of energy transition and thus confuses the public. We also observe an increase in disinformation and the exploitation of people's fears for political and economic interests
“The experts identified over 100 challenges to the successful energy transition along those five lines and generated more than 100 solutions for addressing those challenges. These solutions map out the road to a future with well-preserved nature, competitive economy, and regions that are attractive to people and businesses. A future with cheaper, more accessible, and cleaner energy.
Bulgaria cannot afford to continue living in the past. Let us turn the Energy Transition into Mission Possible," states the introduction of the report.
The English version of the "Mission Energy Transition" report is available here.
Watch the official presentation of the report during the Roundtable "Mission Energy Transition: Solutions from Experts and Politicians" here (in Bulgarian).
*Translation from the Bulgarian language: Ekatherina Dimitrova
