Sharing Sustainable Solutions for Green Approaches in Urban Environments

About the Project

Sharing sustainable solutions for green approaches in urban environments (proposal number: 101089457, proposal acronym: SSSGAUE) is a CERV-2022-CITIZENS-TOWN 24-months project.

SSSGAUE project aims to bring together local municipalities and NGOs with the aim to reach its objectives to move towards a greener and more sustainable urban development by having a number of activities aimed at specific target groups, namely bringing together youths from NGOs active in environmental issues and local municipality officials who together will promote exchanges between citizens of different countries in order to encourage cooperation between municipalities, NGOs and citizens through the exchange of best practices on addressing and adapting to climate change issues through embracing the concepts of circular economy at grass-roots level.

Objectives and Background

An important objective is to support good local governance and reinforce citizen participation in the decision making on greener cities. The partners understand that there are a number of instruments and financial support to help European cities move towards greener and more sustainable urban development. They feel that although cities are already making the most of what is being offered to improve their urban development planning strategies and implement sustainable solutions and systems for monitoring biodiversity in urban areas, and in particular tree species, there is still room for improvement.

Taking into consideration that the European Union's policy is to support cities in the process of making them greener and more sustainable by helping urban planners achieve the EU's goals of an ecological transition to a circular economy.

The EU's 2030 Diversity Strategy includes a nature restoration plan to help urban authorities implement Nature-Based solutions (NBS) that can improve the quality of life. The EU's strategy for adapting to climate change supports cities in taking measures to mitigate the effects of global warming. As part of the European Green Pact, a new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) was adopted in 2020. By embracing the concepts of a circular economy in resource management, cities can embark on the path to greater sustainability. The EU Forest Strategy aims to improve the quality, quantity and sustainability of EU forests. It supports forestry and the forest bio-economy, while preserving the sustainable production and use of biomass, conserving biodiversity and setting a plan to plant three billion trees across Europe by 2030.

Activities and Impact

Through the project, partners aim to exchange sustainable solutions and good practices in the direction of monitoring and management systems of tree species suitable for living in urban environments between cities included in the project proposal. This will lead to the creation of a "green, clean municipality full of life" and improve the state of the environment, including visible, tangible improvements in the physical environment, air quality and better management of natural capital within each of the partner municipalities. In this way, this project aims to create an international consortium made up of cities and associations to reflect on the Conference on the Future of Europe and launch their own local proposals. For this, the network partners will work together developing a protocol and putting it into practice so that citizens will be mobilized to take an active part in greening their cities.

Around 20 young citizens will have the opportunity to raise their awareness of the enormous importance of their role in decision-making processes and their responsibility as European citizens in building a greener society, both through exchanging views with other participants, such as through the discussions and debates that will take place during the events and through the results of the project.

The project foresees a total of 10 international meetings in which the participants will organize conferences, workshops, open debates, but also some alternative and more dynamic activities to create a stimulating environment. To ensure proper and efficient communication and implementation of activities, different experts will be invited to support particular activities in each territory involved, inviting EU representatives where possible to participate in the activities as well. Each project partner will organize a project international event involving local and regional participants, taking in advance collaboration with other local and regional related organizations or other local events in order to achieve a bigger project impact.

Partners

• GENISTA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, Malta - coordinator
• INSTITUTE FOR TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER AND INNOVATION, Bulgaria
• KUNSILL LOKALI L-GHARB, Malta
• Stowarzyszenie Aktywna Integracja Rurzyca, Poland
• ARABISCH DEUTSCHES CENTER FUR DIALOG-WASLA EV, Germany
• Sadovo municipality, Bulgaria
• GRAD LUDBREG, Croatia
• SOCIETA COOPERATIVA SOCIALE SINERGIE A R.L., Italy
• EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE, Estonia