Tringë Shkodra, Ani Gogokhia, and Kateryna Pereloma have been announced as the winners of the 2025 Just Transition Young Voices Awards. The award was created to amplify the voices of young adults under 30 who are set to shape the region’s climate, energy, and social landscape in the years ahead. It is organized by the Energy Community Secretariat in collaboration with Bankwatch, CAN Europe, the CLEW Network, and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office, with Balkan Green Energy News serving as the media partner.

Young people aged 18-30 across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine had the opportunity to submit their original, fact-based articles that explore how their communities are navigating the shift away from fossil fuels. Recognizing that youth are essential agents of change, the 2025 Just Transition Young Voices Awards aimed to provide a platform for creative and solution-oriented journalism addressing the challenges and opportunities of a just transition.

“Across South East and Eastern Europe, the energy transition will succeed only if it is inclusive and regionally connected. The voices of young people are central to that effort, and this award shows the depth of talent and commitment they bring”, said jury member Marta Schulte-Fischedick, from the Energy Community’s Green Deal Unit.

The winning stories highlight the opportunities of the green transition while tackling its complex challenges, from unequal access to clean energy to the impacts of war, migration, and poverty. Together, they reflect how communities across South East Europe are striving to build sustainable and resilient energy systems in fair and inclusive ways.

The winning stories highlight the opportunities of the green transition while tackling its complex challenges

Tringë Shkodra (26, Kosovo*) won the first award, a paid one-month internship with the Energy Community Secretariat. Her article focuses on Kosovo’s just energy transition and the shift away from coal. She traces its reliance on lignite as an environmental liability, public health and social justice crisis, calling for faster, more inclusive reforms that empower youth.

The second award went to Ani Gogokhia (18, Georgia) for her personal story, which highlights how everyday challenges related to low salaries, migration, pollution, and health issues reflect the dangers of an inequitable energy transition in Georgia. She will receive a fully funded opportunity for a fact-finding mission on energy transformation in the Western Balkans with Bankwatch.

Kateryna Pereloma (22, Ukraine) came in third for her report from Kyiv. She documented how communities are responding to the war by embracing sustainability through solar energy, recycling, urban gardening, green startups, and youth-led initiatives. Her award is to participate in the Training for Journalists on Climate Disinformation in the Western Balkans, hosted by CAN Europe in Ohrid, North Macedonia, this September.

The winning pieces will be published on Balkan Green Energy News and other partner platforms.