Citizens' Dialogue online in Estonia with Commissioner Kadri Simson

There must be no losers in the Green Transition!

Commissioner Kadri Simson

European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, and the Estonian Minister of Public Administration, Jaak Aab, took part in an online event called “Green Transition and the future of Ida-Viru county”.

Participants discussed what the Green Transition means for Ida-Viru county in Estonia and how the Just Transition Fund and other EU instruments (recovery plan and structural funds) will help bring about change in the region.

One participant asked whether the EU takes the geopolitical risks posed by the Green Transition in Ida-Viru county into account. Especially since the Covid-crisis began, during these times when neighbouring Northern countries are currently closed to employment. Other pariticpants were sceptical about the end of a fossil-fuel economy and the alternatives to oil shale.

The question of sanctions for countries that do not meet the EU’s climate and energy policy targets was also raised.

The event in Narva was organised by the European Commission Representation in Estonia together with the Estonian Ministry of Finance.

The webinar had over 700 participants joining live from 4 different online channels: Zoom channel in Estonian, Zoom channel in Russian (with simultaneous interpretation), the Facebook page of the European Commission Representation in Estonia and the website of the European Commission Representation in Estonia.

As this was a public event, the participants joined from very different walks of life: entrepreneurs, public sector and NGO representatives, students, media and people simply interested in the subject.