Climate Governance in Cities and Regions
This workshop will be opened by HE Stéphane Crouzat, Ambassador of France to the Czech Republic, and will bring together voices from government and academia (Czech Academy of Sciences, CNRS, LATTS, Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University) to discuss these issues and provide options to help cities and regions to build greener and more inclusive communities.
Date: October 22, 2026
Location: CEFRES, Na Florenci 3, Prague 1
Language: English
Please register via this form.
Convenor: Gilles LEPESANT (CNRS, CEFRES)
With the participation of:
Jan Chabr (Chairman of the Energy Committee of the Prague City Council)
Bohumil FRANTÁL (Institute of Geonics, Czech Academy of Sciences / Palacký University Olomouc),
Rachel GUYET (CIFE, Nice/Berlin),
Jaroslav Klusak, SEMMO (Association of Local Energy Managers)
François-Mathieu POUPEAU (CNRS, LATTS),
Emmanuelle SANTOIRE (CNRS, LATTS),
Martin STROLENY (Head of Innovation and Projects, Euroheat & Power)
Iryna YAREMAK (Ivano-Frankivsk University / CEFRES associate)
Download the oficial poster here.
Recurrent heatwaves across Europe are a reminder that climate action is needed through both mitigation and adaptation strategies. 75% of the emissions come from cities and the building sector alone is responsible for around 40% of CO2 emissions globally. Place-based policies have a role to play as opportunities and challenges, especially in the energy sector, vary across geographies. Regions and cities are already driving sustainable development action, but multi-level governance is critical to unlock the full potential of a territorial approach and to address capacity gaps as well as path-dependency in regions dominated by fossil fuels.
How can European cities and regions accelerate climate action while addressing local priorities? How to scale up the generation and use of clean energy in cities? How can local, regional, national, and EU policies be better aligned? Which governance models are proving most successful in delivering climate neutrality and resilience? How to enforce the energy transition in rural areas without triggering tensions?
Program
09:00 Registration
09:15 Opening remarks
Stéphane CROUZAT, French Ambassador in Czech Republic
Thomas BUHLER, Director, CEFRES
09:30 – 11:00 Panel discussion
11h00 – 12:30 Decarbonising Cities
Chair: Gilles Lepesant, Senior research fellow, CNRS/CEFRES
Martin STROLENY, Head of Innovation and Projects, Euroheat & Power
District Heating Decarbonisation in Europe: The Role of Innovation and EU Regulatory Instruments
Jan CHABR, Chairman of the Energy Committee of the Prague City Council
The Prague Heating Strategy
Jaroslav KLUSAK, SEMMO, Chairman, Association of Local Energy Managers
Navigating the Renewable Energy Shift : innovations in Czech Municipalities
Rachel GUYET, Director, Master in Global Energy Transition and Governance at CIFE (Nice / Berlin)
Energy Efficiency and its Implementation Challenges in French Cities
11:00 – 11h15 Coffee break
11:15 – 12:45 Panel discussion: Governance Challenges in Climate and Energy Policies
Chair: Gilles Lepesant, Senior research fellow, CNRS / CEFRES
Bohumil FRANTÁL, Senior Research Scientist, Czech Academy of science, Brno
Local Referendums about Wind Energy Projects
Emmanuelle SANTOIRE, Research fellow, CNRS/LATTS
Local Planning of Renewable Electricity in France: Navigating Decentralisation, Territorialisation, and Grid Integration Challenges
François-Mathieu POUPEAU, Senior research fellow, CNRS/LATTS
Institutionalizing Cooperation in Energy-Climate Policy between State and Local Governments. The Experience of “Territorial COPs” in France
Iryna YAREMAK, Associate Professor, Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University
Local Energy Governance and Grid Resilience in a Wartime Context
12:45 Lunch