Czech Republic: The RE:START Strategy To Coordinate Three Regions’ Energy and Economic Transitions

The RE:START strategy provides a coordinated framework for the Czech Republic's coal-dependent regions—Moravia-Silesia, Usti, and Karlovy Vary—to transition their economies. Since 2017, it has allocated approximately CZK 68 billion ($3.15 billion) toward goals including entrepreneurship, R&D, and infrastructure. While the strategy is praised for its multi-sectoral coordination and long-term financing, it faces challenges such as the lack of an official national coal phase-out date, limited public consultation, and slow project implementation.

• The RE:START strategy coordinates the economic transition of the Moravia-Silesia, Usti, and Karlovy Vary regions, utilizing a Strategic Framework created in 2017 and operationalized through annually updated Action Plans. The framework is organized around seven pillars: Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Direct Investments, Research and Development, Human Resources, Social Stabilization, Environment, and Infrastructure and Public Authorities.
• Between 2017 and 2030, RE:START allocated approximately CZK 68 billion ($3.15 billion) across the three regions. Funding sources include the national budget, ministry budgets, privatization, and CZK 8 billion (over $370 million) from European structural and investment funds. Specific allocations include CZK 1 billion ($46 million) for air quality and CZK 1.8 billion ($83.4 million) for sustainable public transport.
• The transition is primarily motivated by economic factors rather than climate goals, as the domestic coal industry is declining due to falling prices, production decreases, and environmental mining restrictions. This shift threatens an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 jobs in mining and coal-fired power plants.
• Significant gaps exist in the transition process, most notably the absence of an official national coal phase-out date, despite a 2015 policy aiming for a shift toward nuclear, gas, and renewables by 2040. Additionally, the strategy is criticized for limited public consultation and a tendency for projects to stall in the exploratory phase.

APA

World Resources Institute (2021). Czech Republic: The RE:START Strategy To Coordinate Three Regions’ Energy and Economic Transitions. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/czech-republic-restart-strategy-coordinate-three-regions-energy-and-economic-transitions

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Czech Republic: The RE:START Strategy To Coordinate Three Regions’ Energy and Economic Transitions. 2021. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/czech-republic-restart-strategy-coordinate-three-regions-energy-and-economic-transitions.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Czech Republic: The RE:START Strategy To Coordinate Three Regions’ Energy and Economic Transitions |date=1 April 2021 |url=https://www.wri.org/snapshots/czech-republic-restart-strategy-coordinate-three-regions-energy-and-economic-transitions |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2021czech, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Czech Republic: The RE:START Strategy To Coordinate Three Regions’ Energy and Economic Transitions}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/snapshots/czech-republic-restart-strategy-coordinate-three-regions-energy-and-economic-transitions}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }