Czechia, like other member states of the European Union, must increasingly deal with the socio-economic effects of Russian aggression in Ukraine and also with its dependence on fossil fuels. Against the background of the ongoing energy crisis, the burning issue of energy poverty is therefore coming to the fore, which traditionally adds a human dimension to the traditionally rather security and technical issue of energy.

Climate dividend is a redistributive tool through which people can be compensated for the increased costs of carbon taxation in the form of a blanket payment. How could the tool work in the environment of emissions trading in Czechia? Could the EU ETS, the EU's carbon market work for the benefit of Czech citizens?

The price of the emission allowance has more than doubled in the last year to the current almost EUR 90 per ton of CO2. However, carbon allowances contribute only 10 - 20 % to the increase in electricity prices for households and companies. The critical situation on the natural gas market is much more to blame. How are carbon revenues going to evolve in the future and how can the EU's carbon market help households in Czechia?

Evidence of the Covid-19 pandemic is to be found reflected in figures recording the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions, but the “positive” impact has been short-lived. Even by December 2020 emissions associated with energy use were 2% higher than in December 2019. The year 2020 was also one of the three hottest years since measurements began, whilst at the same time rounding off the hottest ever decade. Measured concentrations of emissions indicate that the world is on track to warm by more than 3°C by the end of the century, far exceeding the safe temperature target set in the Paris Agreement (PA). Clearly, it is not desirable to wait for disasters or crises to prompt concerted action on climate change mitigation, but rather to employ well-thought-out decarbonization strategies sooner rather than later. The purpose of this publication is to provide an expert assessment of the Czechia's foreign policy and to make recommendations to its relevant actors for the future.

In April 2021, after a contentious process, the Czech government presented a new version of its draft Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), with significant changes relative to previously released drafts. Throughout the process, civil society actors have criticized the lack of opportunities for effective participation. Overall, we find that the measures included in the draft plan, which should go hand in hand with Czechia's overarching climate policy, with investments of €7bn, equaling 3.3% of Czechia’s GDP (2020), can make a positive contribution to the green transition, though there are several specific shortfalls.