Editorial: How UPT Is Redefining Local Climate Governance in Romania

by Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir

Over the first two years of the ELCA project, the team at Universitatea Politehnica Timișoara has quietly—but decisively—redrawn the landscape of local climate governance in Romania. What began as a capacity-building initiative has evolved into one of the most coherent and ambitious institutional transformations in the country's climate action sphere.
The key element of this transformation is the newly created Support Center for Climate Action (SCCA), a long-term knowledge hub designed to assist municipalities, empower communities, and strengthen Romania's ability to plan for a changing climate. The establishment of the Climate Council, integrated within SCCA, marks a pioneering step in Romanian climate mitigation landscape toward structured, science-based, and participatory climate governance.
But institutional innovation alone is not enough. Over two years, the UPT–ELCA team built a vibrant ecosystem of stakeholder dialogue, student engagement, and cross-border collaboration. From regional workshops and citizen-focused consultations to international scientific events, UPT helped position local climate action where it belongs: at the intersection of knowledge, governance, and community involvement.
The team's contributions extend far beyond Timișoara. Based on a series of strategic local and regional documents, UPT developed two full Climate Action Plans, setting important precedents for integrating NBS, participatory mechanisms, and climate governance models. These CAPs can now serve as replicable templates for municipalities across Romania.
At European level, UPT became an active voice in the conversation on climate adaptation. Through participation in major conferences—ECCA, MedGU, TerraEnVision, IEES, SGEM—and through hosting the Land4Flood International Conference, the team strengthened Romania's visibility within the continent's climate research and governance networks. The university's leadership role is also evidenced by its growing cooperation with international institutions such as KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
Perhaps most importantly, UPT has shown that universities can and must become anchors for climate governance, especially in regions where local institutions lack the expertise or continuity needed for long-term planning. Through its work on NBS, climate education, stakeholder mapping, and digital platforms, UPT demonstrated that academic institutions are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between science and policy—and to transform fragmented local capacities into coordinated climate strategies.
After only two years, one thing is clear:
ELCA–UPT is no longer just participating in Romania's climate transition—it is shaping its architecture.
If Romania is to move from fragmented strategies to meaningful climate resilience, this is the kind of model it needs: integrated, participatory, evidence-based, and rooted in strong institutional partnerships.