Fast approaching: the Hungarian EUKI Community Conference 2022
Over the 5th-6th of September, the Hungarian EUKI Community Conference for 2022 will be taking place, organised by CEEweb. Bringing together important actors in climate policy, funding, and activism from across Hungary and beyond, the conference also offers an opportunity for the general public to get involved.
Image: sun sets over the Hungarian Parliament building, the Országház. Source: Jorge Fraganillo, Flickr, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.
Amidst a period of energy crisis and economic instability, it is a challenging time for policymakers to facilitate Europe’s green transition. Yet for the same reasons, it has also never been so critical that it is achieved, and with urgency. Next week, on the 5th and 6th of September, Budapest will be hosting the Hungarian EUKI Community Conference for 2022, organised in partnership between CEEweb and EUKI, the European Climate Initiative. Bringing together key stakeholders in the realms of policymaking, funding, and activism, it will aim to advance the status of Hungary’s green transition on political and civic levels, with much wider significance. A diverse set of workshops exploring possibilities for improved, effective action at several levels of society constitute the conference agenda, alongside opportunities for productive networking and relationship-building.
Among the attendees of the conference will be policymakers from Hungarian and German government ministries, who will participate in workshop and discussion sessions led by civil society organisations. This makes the conference a great opportunity for building connections and transfer of knowledge between CSOs and government, key stepping stones for the advancement and refinement of effective climate policy. Indeed, this interaction will address intersect multiple levels of governance, as representatives from the Budapest municipal government will add to the list of influential attendees. As well as organising the event logistically, CEEweb will contribute directly to the knowledge transfer by delivering and moderating discussions, which will include recommendations for future trajectories of Hungarian and EU climate policy. This work will be carried out alongside other key Hungarian organisations such as MTVSZ (Magyar Természetvédők Szövetsége), WWF Hungary, and Habitat for Humanity Hungary. As such, the conference will provide an arena for dialogue surrounding the possible scenarios for climate legislation and response, building towards the work needed for a just, sustainable energy transition.
While the conference will mostly be restricted to participants from these key stakeholder organisations, it will offer an opportunity for wider public involvement. An international webinar to open the conference will be free for all to join, and will include contributions from several prestigious attendees, including national and European-level ministers. Centred around a panel discussion concerning the major issues in achieving a green energy transition in Hungary, the session promises great insight into the obstacles and ways forward for the country’s energy and climate future. Taking place from 10:00 AM to 11:45 CEST, this session is of significance to all those with an interest in a just, sustainable future for Hungary and wider Europe, and should not be missed. Note that the webinar must be registered for in advance, which you can do at the link here.
The fast-approaching conference offers great potential for development in Hungary’s trajectory toward a sustainable future, with chances for innovation, debate, and sharing of ideas from diverse and influential participants. For all with an interest in the conference and its outcomes, CEEweb will continue to report over the following week.