ECOLISE organises annual policy events to promote networking between policy stakeholders and community-led initiatives. Our main policy events usually happen in autumn, in connection with the European Day of Sustainable Communities (EDSC). We also organise “Meet & Greet” events in order to connect community-led initiatives with policy stakeholders. Here you can find out more about current and past events:

 

Policy Consultation Process 2022: 10 theses on transformative community-led local development

28/11/2022 - Community-led initiatives and the European Green Deal: towards transformational local development policies


On 28 November 2022, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), in collaboration with ECOLISE will host ECOLISE's main policy stakeholder event, Community-led initiatives and the European Green Deal: towards transformational local development policies, to hold conversations on about the role of communities and EU policies on the path to transformational systemic change (click here to register).

This event will trigger conversations about 10 theses on what truly transformational local development policies could look like, and how community-led environmental and climate actions can be strengthened through the European Green Deal, with a focus on different initiatives such as the Rural Pact and European Climate Pact as well as existing methods and frameworks such as LEADER/ Community-led local development (CLLD).

This event will present the results of a policy consultation process facilitated by the ECOLISE network together with its core partners, which started with a kick-off session on 28 September and will be the starting point of a wider advocacy campaign in 2023.

 

The objective of the event is to:

-   Present the outcomes of the policy positioning process of community-led initiatives towards the European Green Deal;  

-   Enable wide-spread community-led response to the climate and ecological crisis through transformational regional and local development policies;

-   Empower the role of local communities and policies for transformational systemic change;

-   Facilitate conversations to better understand the potential and needs of community-led initiatives as change agents.

Background

Since June 2022, ECOLISE, together with various partners, has embarked on a policy positions process of community-led initiatives towards the European Green Deal. This initiative is built around the central question, "the European Green Deal: What's in it for community-led initiatives?" and invites various stakeholders to take part in the policy consultation process to provide a better understanding of the potential and needs of community-led initiatives as change agents, showcasing pathways towards a regenerative society.

Community-led initiative's reinforcing and inspirational role in our collective response to the climate and ecological crisis are featured in Communities for Future, an integrated Europe-wide programme launched in 2020 together with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), RIPESS and RURENER, and in the presence and endorsement of EU Commissioners, MEPs and ECOLISE members. Communities for Future shows how local communities and networks across Europe showcase can provide concrete steps and solutions towards transformative change including energy communities, community-supported agriculture, locally-led climate change mitigation and adaptation.

As the European Green Deal remains the key policy tool for the transition to a well-being economy within the planet's limits, it is high time to initiate a convergence of communities to policy makers and enable much-needed collective action from the community. 

Register here for this event.

 

Supporting partners of the event : 

AEIDL - European Association for Innovation in Local Development (BE); ARC2020 (FR) ; Circular Economy Alliance ; Communities For Future (BE); Climate Action Network Europe (CAN-E); Cultivate - The Sustainable Ireland Cooperative (IR); The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) (BE); DRIFT for transition (NL); Ecodorp Boekel (NL);  ELARD - the European LEADER association (BE); Eco-community Sunny Hill (Slovenia); Liberterra (NL); RIPESS - a global network of continental networks committed to the promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (FR); RURENER - European network of rural communities engaged in the energy transition ; The Good Lobby (BE/ES) ; The Schumacher Institute (UK)

28/11/2022 - Agenda

14:30 Welcome and introduction by ECOLISE and EESC

14:40 How to activate the potential of social change and community-led local ecological action within the European Green Deal

Moderation: Peter Schmidt, EESC

The political view from the perspective of the European Green Deal

The scientific view on transformative social innovation and the role of community-led initiatives in sustainability action

14:50 Presentation of ECOLISE's policy positioning process of community-led initiatives towards the European Green Deal: 10 theses towards transformational community-led local development policies

Moderation: Peter Schmidt, EESC

15:00 Delving deeper: Focus on 3 selected theses of the overall 10 theses, presentation of good practice examples

Moderation: Nina Klein, ECOLISE

  1. Ecodorp Boekel, project 'Sustainable housing and biodiversity': Ad Vlems, Ecodorp Boekel (NL)
  2. Public sector support for community-led initiatives, project 'Boost Eco-Citoyen': David Delsart, Transition Town France representative at the CTC (Collectif pour la Transition Citoyenne), ADEME (FR)
  3. Community Climate Coaches project & Communities 4 Climate Action: Davie Philip, Cultivate - The Sustainable Ireland Cooperative
  4. The bioregional approach: Isabel Carlisle, Bioregional Learning Center (UK)

15:30 Discussion round with policy actors on the local implementation of the European Green Deal and the role of community-led initiatives

Moderation: Nina Klein, ECOLISE

16:00 Interactive sessions in small break-out rooms (ZOOM, EN only)

Discussion of the grouped theses in each break-out room:

- SOCIETY: Citizen-led social innovations as catalysts for mitigating and adapting to the planetary crisis

- POLITICS: Participative democracy and multi-level governance as vehicle towards transformative policies and funds

- ECOLOGY: A good life within the planetary boundaries - Rethinking human-nature relationships

- ECONOMY: Moving towards a just economic system providing well-being for all

17:00 Recommendations from the break-out rooms on the role of community-led initiatives and EU policies towards transformative systemic change

Moderation: Josep Puxeu Rocamora, EESC

  • By ECOLISE partners and EESC members

17:20 | Wrap-up and outlook

  • Conversation between ECOLISE Co-president, Mieke Elzenga, and EESC member, Josep Puxeu Rocamora, on the way forward

17:30 | Closing

Language regime: EN/FR/ES

An overview of the 2022 process

We invite partners and members of ECOLISE to take part in this policy positioning process of community-led initiatives towards the European Green Deal and
  • give input to the 10 theses towards transformational community-led local development policies by the end of October 2022
  • signal us your interest in becoming a partner in this process
Here is how you can participate:
  1. Have a look at the 10 theses and read through them
  2. Comment on the 10 theses by inserting comments into the google document, giving your name and organisation (anonymous comments will not be taken into account)
  3. AND fill in this short survey (which gives us your contact details, so we can be in touch)
  4. Take part in the follow-up event on 19 October 4:30 - 6 pm CET (where we will discuss the input given) and register here
  5. Save the date for our main policy stakeholder event on 28 November 2:30 - 5:30 pm CET and register here
  6. Optional: Get in touch with the ECOLISE policy team during our open office hours: We’re open for conversation each of the last three Thursdays in October from 5 - 6 pm CET (starting on 13 Oct.) - to be part of this, please indicate this in the survey (see above) and click here to add it in your calendar

Other initiatives