Photo: Just Transition Young Voices Awards
The Energy Community Secretariat, in partnership with CEE Bankwatch Network, Balkan Green Energy News (BGEN), Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), has launched a call for the second edition of the Just Transition Young Voices Awards, inviting young people from across the region to submit videos highlighting the significance of a just energy transition to them and their communities.
The Just Transition Young Voices Awards 2026 aims to encourage young people to offer their perspectives and solutions to climate challenges and help shape the transition in Southeast and Eastern Europe, recognizing that a just transition can only succeed if it is shaped by those most affected by it, according to the organizers.
This year’s awards will recognize videos highlighting the significance of a just energy transition
While last year’s awards recognized written storytelling, this year’s edition invites young people from across the Energy Community region to create videos answering the question: What a Just Energy Transition Means to You and Your Community.
The aim is to raise awareness and deepen the understanding of just transition topics in local communities, and videos should reflect on local realities, challenges, and potential solutions. Applicants are invited to share stories, perspectives, needs, concerns, and challenges regarding the energy transition, including by engaging their community or highlighting local experiences and regional stories.
An online info session and Q&A for prospective applicants will be held on May 19
The submission deadline is August 10, 2026. An online information and preparation session for interested applicants will be held on May 19 at 4 pm. The info session and Q&A will help applicants understand the concept and priorities of a just energy transition and provide them with guidelines and tips for preparing a strong video submission.
Eligible to apply, individually or in teams of two, are young people aged 18 to 30 from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. They are invited to submit a short video in one of two categories:
- Creativity for Impact (30 seconds – 3 minutes): reels, TikToks, poems, songs, or other creative formats
- Storytelling for Impact (3–5 minutes): explainers, interviews, or short documentaries
Winners will be invited to participate in and present their work at the Just Transition Forum in Montenegro in October, which will bring together decision-makers in government and civil society from across the Energy Community region to forge pathways forward to a just transition.
Winners will take part in the Just Transition Forum in Montenegro in October and gain regional visibility
They will also receive capacity-building opportunities and gain regional visibility through partner media platforms.
Jelisaveta Perišić, journalist at Balkan Green Energy News, will be a member of this year’s jury, alongside Nevena Smilevska, Just Transition coordinator for Western Balkans at Bankwatch, Marta Schulte-Fischedick, Just Transition Specialist at the Energy Community Secretariat, and one representative from the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).
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