Situated in Upper Silesia, Poland’s thriving industrial heartland and the EU's largest remaining coal mining region, is Euro-Centrum, a forward-thinking industry hub, strategically positioned to capitalise on the region's industrial capacity and skilled workforce.
In 2012, Santangiolina initiated a comprehensive analysis of its carbon footprint, identifying areas for improvement. This led to the cooperative's participation in an EU-funded research program focused on developing cutting-edge software solutions for energy-efficient dairy production.
Inside, Chocolatemakers get 100% of their power from solar energy, thanks to a transparent solar canopy that blankets the factory roof. Excess power is fed back into the grid. Meanwhile, innovative use of residual heat from the chocolate chamber is used to warm the entire space. Chocolatemakers estimate they save an annual 35,000 kg of CO2 as a result of these measures: equivalent to the emissions of seven households.
Bergzeit has a well-earned reputation for environmental responsibility, as one of five European outdoor retailers to sign a climate commitment in alignment with the Paris Agreement, and launching its purpose-built second hand online store “Bergzeit Re-Use,” where customers can buy and sell outdoor clothing and equipment.
Close to the Czech-Polish border, in the vibrant city of Opava, is the headquarters of ECM System Solutions. The 15-person strong company has emerged as a trailblazer in the energy transition, specialising in the development of systems to measure, manage and monitor renewable energy sources.
Russia’s relentless targeting of Ukraine’s soviet-era energy infrastructure has made the strategic vulnerability of centralised energy systems clear for all to see.
When two huge earthquakes struck the Turkey-Syria border region in February 2023, we learned once again through bitter experience, how solar energy can help to save lives in disaster zones, through its nature of being distributed, and generating power locally using sunshine.
In the Polish town of Wrocław, a small housing cooperative has cut its annual shared costs from 90,000 to 18,000 euros per year just by installing solar panels on its discussed rooftops.
Kozani was once the largest lignite mining region in Greece, and host to the country’s biggest coal power plant. But it’s now in the process of trading in its long and damaging coal legacy for a brighter future built around renewables.