Several countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) rely economically on carbon-intensive industries, but they also have considerable potential for implementing emissions management projects. Currently, progress in these projects is being slowed down by limited understanding of the field, governance weaknesses and low public awareness.

GreenHorizon CEE: Industrial Carbon Management for a Sustainable Future in CEE is a newly launched project designed to address the need for strategic planning of future carbon management initiatives in the region. The project promotes a targeted approach, ensuring that technologies are deployed where they can generate the greatest benefits, both from a climate and socio-economic perspective.

The EPG-led consortium consists of four national partners, each representing a CEE country: EPG (Romania), Center for the Study of Democracy (Bulgaria), WiseEuropa Institute (Poland), Bellona Europa (Latvia) and an expert partner, Fraunhofer ISI.

Carbon Management encompasses a wide range of technologies, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon capture and utilization (CCU), and carbon dioxide removal. While these methods are essential for reducing emissions in sectors where alternatives are limited, the project partners warn of the risks of widespread application. The GreenHorizon consortium proposes to address these challenges by strengthening institutional capacity and raising public awareness, thus ensuring effective implementation of solutions. The project objectives will be achieved through a synergy between research, capacity building and public engagement.

“EPG initiated this project to counter the risk of ineffective implementation of carbon management solutions in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Luciana Miu, Head of Clean Economy at EPG. “With GreenHorizon, we aim to ensure that these projects are implemented in areas where they can generate the greatest impact, contributing to a climate-neutral and socially beneficial future. At the same time, we aim to strengthen the policy framework to ensure targeted and well-founded implementation.”

GreenHorizon (GreenHorizon CEE: Industrial Carbon Management for a Sustainable Future in CEE) is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).