ClimateGO
Pathways to Climate-Smart Governance
ClimateGO supports regions and cities in developing better policies for climate-smart and resilient governance. Its main goal is to enhance the capabilities of administrative bodies and policymakers to create effective climate-smart and resilient policies, as well as to improve their ability to implement these policies successfully. Through promoting comprehension and awareness, ClimateGO aims to ensure proactive decision-making where mitigation and adaptation measures support each other.
ClimateGO brings together seven partners from six European cities and regions with expertise and desire to change policies to support climate resilience in governance according to EU goals. The project partnership includes different levels of climate governance development and a mix of policy instruments that allows sharing and learning. The project also develops regional cooperation among stakeholders.
PROJECT’S START DATE: 01/04/2024
PROJECT’S END DATE: 30/06/2028
TOTAL BUDGET: 1.491.245 €
Objectives:
As a result of ClimateGO the partners and their stakeholders will be better equipped to develop and implement effective climate policies, and adaptation to climate change measures.
Activities:
The project activities involve two main aspects: the collaborative development of policies and the analysis of regional policy landscapes to identify good practices in climate-smart governance.
ClimateGo Project
Creating Common Understanding about Climate-smart Governance
The 1st interregional meeting of ClimateGO – Pathways to climate smart governance -project was arranged in Lahti, Finland on 11.-12. June 2024. Altogether 20 project partners and stakeholders from six European countries gathered to meet and greet each other and to discuss the current state of climate policy and governance in the regions. The meeting was hosted by LAB University of Applied Sciences and Regional Council of Päijät-Häme. Regions represented were Alzira (Spain), Podravje-Maribor (Slovenia), Grenoble (France), Waterford (Ireland), Košice (Slovakia) and Päijät-Häme (Finland).
Similar Challenges Unite Partner Regions
The main goal of the project is to enhance the capabilities of administrative bodies and policymakers to create effective climate-smart and resilient policies, as well as to improve their ability to implement these policies successfully. With this target in mind, each project partner presented their region’s plans and tools to solve the challenge at hand.
During the discussions inspired by the presentations, joint challenges were recognized. One crucial question to be solved is how to keep up the dialogue on climate actions with policymakers between the reigns. To enhance the continuity of the climate work on an administrative level the project can have an important role e.g., by actively engaging regional stakeholders. The role of stakeholders becomes important precisely from the point of view of continuity. Therefore, regional stakeholder groups have been formed in each partner region.
Other common challenges identified were the slowness of decision-making processes and difficulties identifying the importance of the operational level. Climate work doesn’t end in the finalization of strategies. The project partners also agreed that even though many of the problems are the same, solutions can vary between different regions.
How Is the Narrative of Climate-smart Governance?
When talking about the implementation of climate-smart and resilient governance, one important aspect is the level of ambition. How do we define a success story? To answer this question Elina Ojala and Laura Matkala from the city of Lahti presented how Lahti has succeeded in getting climate plans into actions. Lahti’s journey from industrial city to European Green Capital in the year 2021 has been eventful. It all started with the restoration of Lake Vesijärvi 50 years ago. Now, words and actions point in the direction of nature positivity. One concrete example of living like you are writing in strategies is the renovation of the Lahti city hall during which up to 99% of the demolition waste was recycled on site.
Climate Walks and Other Good Practices
At the heart of Interreg Europe projects is to recognize and share good practices among different regions. Good practices are defined as inspiring and tested policy solutions identified by cooperation projects. As a one example of good practices, participants took a climate walk along stormwater management site at Hennala district. The walk was conducted by stormwater management specialist Juhani Järveläinen from the city of Lahti. Climate walks are a concept developed to guide policymakers and administrators in climate-smart decision-making through concrete examples.
To share a common understanding and to be able to recognize and share good practices of climate-smart governance, the “Good practices” for the project were defined together. To bring the jointly defined concept on a practical level, we also heard presentations of two ERDF-funded projects, Pilot Green, and Steps to prepare for climate change. In these projects the developed and tested tools and models, such as climate walks, could further serve as regional examples from good practices identified in Päijät-Häme.
“Sustainability and green transition are at the core of Päijät-Häme regional strategies. As a Regional Council, we also support municipalities in, for example, drafting their own climate plans. ClimateGO provides a valuable opportunity to share information and lessons learned about climate smart governance to ensure the continuity of strategies, and their implementation,” says Maarit Virtanen, Project Manager Regional Council of Päijät-Häme.
Project activities continue by enhancing the regional stakeholder cooperation. Next interregional meeting in Kosice, Slovakia will take its place in the beginning of year 2025. The theme of the next meeting is “Climate policy implementation in practice”.
News was originaly published by Regional Council of Päijät-Häme.
First Step: Presentation of the Alzira project
Second Step: Lahti, a Successful City
ClimateGO project’s 1st Interregional meeting was held in Lahti, Finland. The two summery days were full of discussions about the current state of climate smart governance, challenges, and possible solutions identified in partner regions. As an example of a success story Elina Ojala and Laura Matkala from the city of Lahti presented how Lahti has manage to get climate plans into action. We also had a nice climate walk along the storm water management system in Hennala district conducted by storm water specialist Juhani Järveläinen from the city of Lahti. Thank you for your active participation Aletvia Solorio Real Norbert C. Gráinne Kennedy Lisa Grant Tanja Senekovic Želmíra Blichová Jan Dzurdzenik Jose Manuel Gonzalez Valls Pau Sapiña Clar Maarit Virtanen Sanna Tuominen Milla Ojala Katerina Medkova Kaisa Tuominen Essi Malinen-Lallukka Johanna E. Jaana Järvenselkä Riitta-Maija Hämäläinen Anna Claudelin Susanna Vanhamäki Marjut Villanen Hanna Suutari Interreg Europe #regionalcouncilofpäijäthäme #LABfinland
Third Step: Sharing Experiences with Climate Policies
Fourth Step: Meeting of Regional Stakeholders
The European project office of Alzira led the first meeting of regional stakeholders of the ClimateGo project. In this meeting, the following entities participated: the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Energy and Ecological Transition, the Valencia Climate and Energy Foundation, the Mancomunitat Camp del Turia, the Polytechnic University of Valencia (IIAMA), the Centre for Environmental Studies of the Mediterranean, the Provincial Council of Valencia, the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, and the Global Nature Foundation.
The meeting strengthened cooperation among all participants to address the challenges of climate change.
More About Interreg Europe
Interreg Europe is an interregional cooperation programme, co-funded by the European Union. The European Union strives to reduce disparities in the levels of development, growth and quality of life in and across Europe’s regions. Our programme contributes to this objective and runs from 2021 to 2027.
We have a budget of MEUR 379 to help local, regional and national governments across Europe to develop and deliver better policy. We create an environment and opportunities for sharing solutions to regional development issues. We support the exchange of good practices and policy learning among European regions in 29 countries – the EU27, Norway and Switzerland.
Interreg Europe • Interreg.eu
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