UPT supports European Climate Action through the EUKI Initiative, in Partnership with ASD and PIN
Published: May 26, 2025 Reading time: 3 minutes Share: Share an articleThe Politehnica University of Timișoara (UPT) has joined European efforts to combat climate change by implementing, in partnership with ASD Witzenhausen (Germany) and People in Need (Czech Republic), the ELCA – Empowering Local Climate Action project, funded through the European Climate Initiative (EUKI), a programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
The goal of EUKI is to strengthen climate cooperation among European Union member states, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and supporting a balanced and sustainable green transition.
On April 10, 2025, UPT attended the first regional EUKI networking event dedicated to southeastern Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece), in Bucharest. The event united leaders, experts, and representatives of organisations active in the green transition, offering a strategic platform for regional dialogue and collaboration.
The official opening was marked by speeches from the German Ambassador to Romania, Peer Gebauer, and the President of the Energy Policy Group (EPG), Radu Dudău. Participants discovered innovative regional initiatives during the EUKI Project Showcase session, and to debate concrete solutions for accelerating decarbonisation during the central panel—without compromising economic development.
The programme continued with thematic workshops and interactive sessions that encouraged the exchange of ideas, identification of common challenges, and creation of sustainable partnerships. EUKI representatives consistently emphasised the importance of effective transnational cooperation in addressing the climate challenges facing southeastern Europe.
On the sidelines of the event, Lecturer Dr. Eng. Rareș Hălbac Cotoară-Zamfir, director of the ELCA project on behalf of UPT, held a discussion with Cristina Prună, Member of Romanian Parliament and Vice-President of the Committee for Industry and Services of the Romanian Parliament. They focused on Romania’s perspective on tackling climate change, the importance of innovation in public policy, and the need to strengthen institutional capacity to support sustainable development and the energy transition.
The ELCA project runs from December 2023 to March 2026, with a total budget of €472,480. It will strengthen local capacity for climate action, so far it has:
• developed a training programme for climate management specialists, which was completed by participants from Romania and the Czech Republic;
• organised an international conference in Witzenhausen, Germany;
• established two Climate Action Support Centres, in Timișoara and in a pilot region in the Czech Republic.
Through the implementation of this project, Politehnica University of Timișoara, the oldest higher education institution in western Romania, with approximately 13,000 students, reaffirms its role in the European climate network, supporting the green transition through education, applied research, and practical initiatives with local, national, and international relevance.
