On Monday, December 16, 2024, the 2nd Local Stakeholders Meeting of the COMMIT project will take place at the Regional Union of Municipalities of Western Macedonia in Kozani. This significant event will bring together key stakeholders to explore the crucial role of green skills development in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the just energy transition.
The meeting will open with welcoming remarks by Panagiotis Plakentas, Mayor of Eordaia Municipality, and Associate Professor Lefteris Topaloglou, Director of the Institute of Energy Development & Transition to Post-Lignite Era and Head of the ENTRA-Lab.
The focal point of the session will be Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM), a powerful semi-quantitative modeling tool. FCM enables stakeholders to collaboratively analyze complex systems by identifying and mapping relationships between critical parameters. The method is particularly effective in participatory approaches, offering insights into feedback loops, interconnections, and scenario outcomes—making it an invaluable tool for policymaking and decision-making in the energy transition context.
Participants will explore two key questions:
- What are the essential parameters for developing green skills to support SMEs in achieving a just energy transition?
- How can these parameters be interconnected to ensure a sustainable and inclusive transition?
The COMMIT project aims to assist SMEs in adapting to the challenges of decarbonization by improving their access to information, technology, finance, and skills. By fostering inclusive and place-based strategies, the project ensures that microenterprises and underrepresented groups are also supported.
This meeting will serve as a crucial step in building a robust ecosystem for SMEs in Western Macedonia, equipping them with the tools needed for a fair and sustainable industrial transition.