Cities for Sustainability Governance (CSG)’s Post

We at Serendipity are incredibly grateful for the fantastic organization of the recent event with Žaliosios savivaldybės / Green Municipalities (Romualdas Petraitis and Christopher Aguilar). It was a remarkable opportunity to share insights and learn from each other. Here are some key takeaways I took: 🌱 Innovation in Digitalization and Green Solutions can be expensive, however they are investments that will pay off in the long run (Teresė Škutaitė). 🌍Sustainability is a long road with very concrete benefits. It’s essential to stay committed to this journey for the betterment of our planet (Anton Nikitin). 🤝Joint Efforts from Multiple Communities: Collaboration is key. By sharing best practices, replicating successful solutions, and raising awareness, we can involve society and drive meaningful change (Andrius Bagdonas) 📊In today’s world, data is crucial for advancing new technologies and making evidence-based decisions (Vadimas Ivanovas). It’s inspiring to see all the efforts being made in Lithuania towards these goals. Let’s continue to work together and make a positive impact!

Innovative Collaboration for Sustainable Water Management in Thailand! 🇳🇱🤝🇹🇭 For the next three years, our partners will focus on fostering sustainable partnerships between Dutch companies, knowledge institutions, and the Thai government. The goal? Delivering innovative solutions for water management and climate adaptation in the Greater Bangkok area. This Partner's in Business-collaboration, subsidized by Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO), includes knowledge sharing, and the development of pilot projects that contribute to sustainable water management and infrastructure in the region. The partnership involves prominent organizations such as Royal HaskoningDHV, Delta Context B.V., Bosman Watermanagement, Defacto Urbanism, FutureWater, MetaMeta, SLAMDAM, and ROwat Water Control. Also, renowned institutions like TU Delft and Wageningen University & Research play a pivotal role. #NLWorks played a pivotal role in the early stages of this #collaboration. Together with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) | Partner in Sustainable Development, NLWorks conducted thorough analyses to identify opportunities and risks, suitable cooperation models, and the structure for the consortium and its funding. These efforts laid a solid foundation for the Partner's in Business initiative’s successful launch and future implementation. As new opportunities emerge for Dutch businesses, NLWorks remains committed to proactively driving further #progress all over the world. Hans van den Bron, Executive Director of the Netherlands-Thai Chamber of Commerce (NTCC), highlights the impact of this collaboration: “Through our excellent cooperation with NLWorks, the landscape between private and public stakeholders became remarkably clear. With our collective efforts, we achieved a significant milestone: after more than a decade, the first approved program application for water sector stakeholders in Thailand, enabling us to jointly address local challenges.” This initiative not only strengthens the ties between the Netherlands and Thailand but also demonstrates how #international #partnerships can provide tangible solutions to #globalchallenges like climate adaptation and water resilience. Discover more about our works and projects at: www.nl-works.com. #BusinessWithImpact #SustainableFuture

🇪🇺 #UseYourVote for a more descentralised #GreenDeal with a bottom-up approach. València, the European Green Capital 2024, is the perfect example of how local institutions can work hand in hand with the EU to implement green policies #ForAll.

European Week of Regions and Cities brought Northern Sparsely Populated Areas, NSPA, together along with Highlands and Borders of Scotland. As Stefano Barbieri stated, NSPA share geographic isolation and demographic characteristics. OECD territorial Review of NSPA also highligted missing out of the agglomeration benefits that cities enjoy. These benefits are shared infrastucture, larger labout markets and knowledge exchanges. Demographic challenges such as outmigration, ageing, and short of skilled labour, are intensified in our area. Collaboration ACROSS BORDERS is essential for clean transition, digitalisation and skills.

The flagship event of the macro-alpine strategy combines the General assembly and the Annual forum, bringing together politicians and stakeholders from the seven involved countries. This gathering addresses key issues such as balancing economic growth with nature conservation, embracing sustainable innovations, and reducing regional disparities. 🌍 The Alpine Macro-Region: Balancing Prosperity and Sustainability The Alpine macro-region, known as Europe’s “water tower” and a biodiversity haven, exemplifies prosperity. Nearly a decade after EUSALP’s creation, it continues to lead in green and digital transitions. Join the panel to explore EUSALP’s role in fostering a competitive, circular, and smart Alpine region. 🌿💡 #AlpineRegion #Sustainability #EUSALP #GreenTransition #Innovation #EconomicGrowth #Biodiversity #CircularEconomy 🌍 Climate-Resilient Water Management in the Alpine Region The Alpine Region faces severe climate change impacts, with extreme weather events like floods, erosion, landslides, and droughts threatening livelihoods. This urgency was highlighted in #Slovenia in 2023, where devastating floods sparked a public debate on rethinking water management. Join the conversation on innovative, climate-resilient strategies for managing this precious resource. 🌿💧 #ClimateChange #WaterManagement #AlpineRegion #Sustainability #Innovation #Resilience #EnvironmentalProtection 🌍 Youth Vision for the Alpine Region The Alpine region faces climate and social challenges, making youth involvement crucial for a sustainable future. Extreme weather events highlight the need for increased knowledge and skills. Additionally, social issues like youth emigration from mountain valleys and cities must be addressed. Join the panel to discuss empowering young people to tackle these challenges effectively. 🌿👥 #YouthVision #AlpineRegion #ClimateChange #SocialChange #Sustainability #Empowerment #FutureLeaders Full programme available here https://lnkd.in/dvujn3Cy To participate to the Annual Fora next 14 & 15 November : ⏺️ Register before 4 November https://lnkd.in/dpcNvGbk 📍 Brdo Congress Centre Predoslje 39 4000 Kranj ✉️ slovenian-eusalp.presidency@gov.si Interreg Alpine Space Alpine Convention European Commission EU Funds #Cohesionpolicy #Cooperation

East and North Finland EU Office, alongside our partners North Norway European Office, North Sweden European Office, and Scotland Europa, successfully hosted an event titled "Building Smart, Resilient Communities: Adapting Sparsely Populated Areas to a Digital & Green Future." During the event, one of the panelists, Region Mayor of the council of Oulu Region Jussi Rämet emphasized several key points: -The digital and green transitions must be fair and inclusive for all communities. -To encourage green investments, we need a stable regulatory framework that provides certainty and support. -Cohesion policy plays a crucial role in shaping a sustainable digital and green future. #EURegionsweek #EWRC

#WeMakeTransition project enhances cooperation between local authorities, various civil society actors, entrepreneurs and other sustainability stakeholders to co-create joint visions and develop solutions to eco-social sustainability. We make transition! partners cooperate with altogether 12 cities and municipalities to organise co-creation processes that include the following steps:   * Stakeholder and system analysis: focus group discussions   * Framing the challenge;   * Co-creation of joint BSR vision by transnational group of sustainability change agents;   * Organising series of three local workshops: 1) joint visioning, 2) pathways, 3) concrete solutions and transition agenda;   * Implementing initiatives and solutions. Each local process focuses on different topics. Read more from the project website: https://lnkd.in/dgXdQh2w Interreg Baltic Sea Region The Baltic Institute of Finland Johanna Leino #MadeWithInterreg #civilsocietymakingtransition

🎉 Exciting news! We're part of the GreenGov project! 🎉 🇪🇺The team at Regional Development Agency of the Kyiv Region is thrilled to announce that we have successfully applied and joined the consortium implementing the GreenGov project under the Interreg Europe program! ♻️ Within this project, our agency, in close collaboration with international partners and representatives of local communities, will update existing Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) for 9 communities in the Kyiv region and develop a new SECAP for one community. 🤔 What is GreenGov? GreenGov helps European regions and local authorities better understand and implement the EU Taxonomy in their public policies. 🟩The EU Taxonomy is a European sustainable finance strategy that defines which economic activities are considered sustainable to direct investments towards them. According to the Taxonomy, an economic activity can be considered sustainable if it significantly contributes to achieving one of the 6 environmental goals, while adhering to the "Do No Significant Harm" (DNSH) principle for all goals. The project involves 11 partners and focuses on the following policy instruments: 🟢four regional ERDF programs 🟢green finance strategy 🟢economic transition management strategy 🟢development strategy 🟢regional climate strategy 🟢Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan 🖇The project will run from April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2028, with a total budget of €2,216,728. 🔍 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gAPPZ7H8 🤝 Special thanks to Johan Magnusson for the productive online meeting that helped us take the first steps towards completing the project application. 🙌We also express our deepest appreciation to Nadija Afanasieva for her unwavering support and belief in our project, which was instrumental in our successful application to Interreg. We are confident that this project will be successful and beneficial for the Kyiv region! 💚 Stay tuned for updates on the GreenGov project! #greengov #greengovinterregeurope #InterregEurope #Greenfinance #dnsh #climateproofing #EUTaxonomy #sustainability

Launch of the European Sustainable Development Week! 🌍 From September 18th to October 8th, 2024. Initiated by France in 2003 and becoming European in 2025, the Sustainable Development Week aims to raise awareness of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. The ultimate goal is to encourage initiatives for sustainable development at all levels: conferences, exhibitions, film screenings, educational projects, challenges, and more. 🔍 Want to participate in the various events being organized? Here’s how to find them: 1/ Use dedicated platforms by searching for "Sustainable Development Week". 2/ Check official and governmental websites. 3/ Explore social networks using relevant keywords and hashtags. 4/ Search on association and NGO websites. 5/ Contact local networks: Reach out to sustainable cities or regional competitiveness hubs for information. 6/ Subscribe to specialized newsletters to stay updated. 👉 Don't forget, there are many remote events like webinars or online workshops available. PS: Now's the time to get involved! 🌱 Illustration: Keren Despres

Today we launched the #TSI-funded multi-country project “Building Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development #PCSD in Austria , Italy and the Slovak Republic in cooperation with #EUReformSupport. This 24-month initiative aims to strengthen policy coherence across economic, social, and environmental sectors to accelerate progress on the #2030Agenda. The project will provide tools, knowledge exchange and peer learning opportunities, helping to integrate sustainable development principles into national policies, programmes and plans. In an era of overlapping crises, achieving sustainable development is more challenging than ever. As we approach the 2030 deadline, the world is off track to meet most of the #SDGs. Urgent, transformative action is needed to reverse the setbacks. The OECD Recommendation on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development [https://lnkd.in/dMdFZrUB] is a key tool in addressing these challenges. It provides policymakers with the necessary mechanisms to ensure that their policies consider impacts “here and now”, “elsewhere” and “later”, both domestically and globally . Austria, Italy, and Slovakia will benefit from tailored support to enhance institutional mechanisms and governance frameworks for both horizontal and vertical coherence, including in areas such as whole-of-government coordination; sub-national engagement; development co-operation policy and sustainable wellbeing. Together, we are ready to build a more sustainable future!