When: 20 October 2026 – 10:00-16:00 EEST
Where: Sofia, Bulgaria
In-person and livestream event. Bulgarian interpretation available for in-person participants.
REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE
This is the final conference of the project “Beyond the smoke: Building support for clean heating measures in Europe”. The event will include presentations of key findings from work conducted across several European cities and will facilitate knowledge-sharing and dialogue among EU stakeholders, city representatives, and civil society actor on remaining gaps, scalable solutions and best practices to improve air quality and decarbonisation.
During the last 12 months, IEEP, in partnership with Clean Air Fund, has investigated the social aspects around the design and implementation of Low Emission Zones (LEZ) and associated measures for the heating sector in Europe.
The work conducted by IEEP includes:
- A compendium of policy approaches addressing solid fuel use in EU Member States;
- Four case studies about Sofia—the first EU city to introduce a residential heating LEZ- Utrecht, Krakow and Madrid;
- A synthesis report analysing current status, progress, upcoming challenges and potential solutions in the sector.
- The final event, held in Sofia, Bulgaria, seeks to promote the uptake of socially fair residential heating interventions to improve air quality and climate neutrality at city level.
By showcasing evidence and best practices from the project (including the final report, the four city case studies and the compendium), the event will enable participants to exchange experiences, identify policy gaps, reflect on lessons learned and discuss challenges in implementing EU frameworks.
A panel of experts from European institutions, research, business, and clean heating networks will share insights from their own work, followed by an interactive discussion with the audience. CSOs, local authorities, foundations and citizens’ organisations will get a clearer understanding, increase their awareness and improve engagement on how to foster acceptance and uptake of fair and better climate, energy, and air quality policies.
The conference will also contribute to strengthening existing networks, e.g. Breathe Cities, and expanding engagement in Bulgaria.
REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE
The preliminary Agenda is available here. For more information about the event, please contact cantonelli@ieep.eu
