AG9 Work Plan 2026-2028

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Overview: EUSALP Action Plan
Climate change is a major challenge for the Alpine region, and efficient energy consumption and energy production are key to its mitigation. The European Union is committed to becoming the first climate-neutral continent and a world leader in renewable energy - a global hub for the next generation of advanced, competitive renewable energy technologies. However, in democratic societies, energy transition cannot be accomplished successfully without integrating the social dimension. Social acceptance is imperative to ensure a long-term perspective for an undisputed energy transition process. The necessary changes must therefore be implemented without causing economic or social imbalances. The European Green Deal and numerous directives aim to facilitate an economic transition that enables all sectors of the EU economy to meet the challenge of climate change, targeting a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 55% by the end of this decade and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Policies and strategies on energy efficiency and renewable energy are also in place in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. 

Objectives of EUSALP Action Group 9 in work period 2026-2028
During the 2026-2028 work plan period, EUSALP Action Group 9 (AG9) will concentrate its activities on three main thematic areas.
The first priority concerns the renovation wave in the Alpine area, with a focus on the renovation of residential buildings. Particular attention will be paid to the cost-efficiency of technical renovation measures in relation to avoided CO₂ emissions, in order to support the achievement of EU renovation targets. To underpin this work, an expert study will be commissioned to assess effective renovation approaches, and its findings will serve as the basis for the development of a set of policy recommendations.
A second thematic focus will be the expansion of power grids and storage infrastructure in the Alpine region. In this context, AG9 will collect and further elaborate good practices and policy instruments that have demonstrated their effectiveness in increasing social acceptance and public awareness of energy infrastructure projects. This work will be carried out through dedicated expert workshops, which have proven to be a valuable format for facilitating knowledge exchange and consensus-building.
The third priority area will be the enhancement of collaboration in the field of hydrogen. AG9 will organize a networking event aimed at connecting representatives from various small and large Alpine Hydrogen Valleys, as well as representatives of hydrogen working groups from the EUSALP regions. The objective of this event will be to exchange experiences related to the challenges and opportunities of hydrogen project implementation, with a particular focus on applications in hard-to-abate sectors and on hydrogen storage solutions.

With regard to stakeholder involvement, EUSALP AG9 will organize Harvesting Sessions to gather and consolidate inputs from relevant actors and will hold meetings with EU energy-relevant networks, such as FEDARENE. In addition, AG9 will contribute to and organize collaborative sessions within the framework of key macro-regional and European events, including the EUSALP Annual Forum, Macro-Regional Strategy Week, and EU Sustainable Energy Week.
Alongside these thematic and stakeholder-focused activities, EUSALP AG9 will continue to advance its long-term flagship initiatives. These include the further development of the Alpine Energy Data Platform, as well as the organization of the EUSALP Energy Conference and the EUSALP Energy Award, which will remain central instruments for fostering exchange, visibility, and innovation in the Alpine energy transition.