Held in Palma de Mallorca and attended by more than 170 participants, the 2026 edition of the Forum was themed “Resilient Islands, Resilient Europe.” Discussions focused on the governance of decarbonisation processes on EU islands and on fostering collaboration among stakeholders to ensure a fair and inclusive energy transition.
A key feature of the event was the contribution of the transition teams from the 30for2030 Islands initiative, whose firsthand experiences provided valuable insights into how islands can strengthen local ownership of the energy transition by aligning the perspectives, priorities, and objectives of communities, public authorities, businesses, and other stakeholders.
During the Forum, Samsø Energy Academy facilitated the EU Stakeholder Groups Session, which brought participants together in four parallel working groups, as well as Breakout Session #3: “Community Energy in Action: Local Engagement in Decarbonisation.”

In this session, our partner presented the CRETE VALLEY experience in Arkalochori, highlighting the project’s approach to community engagement and the local energy transition.
The presentation highlighted the challenges, solutions, and lessons learned, offering practical insights into empowering island communities and accelerating decarbonisation across Europe.

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Cover photo by DJ Nick Otronic on Unsplash
Photos courtesy of Samsø Energy Academy