Programme

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8.15 a.m. - 8.45 a.m.    Registration and welcome coffee

Please note that only registered participants presenting a valid Passport/ID will be able to access the building for security reasons applying to EU institutions.

9 a.m. - 9.05 a.m.    Welcome remarks

Brenda King, chairwoman of the EESC’s Sustainable Development Observatory

9.05 a.m. - 10.30 a.m.    ECOLISE and the European Day of Sustainable Communities

Moderator of the day: Sarah McAdam, Delivery Director, Transition Network

Introduction 

  • Robert Hall, President, ECOLISE

Zoom around Europe: Live video link-up to local events

  • Ireland: Davie Philip, Community Resilience Manager, Cultivate – Engaging Citizens in Community Led Transitions
  • Portugal: Gil Penha-Lopes, Faculty of Science, Lisbon University – Community-led Research
  • France & Belgium: Marion Esnault, Coordinator - La Fête des Possibles
  • Sweden: Alisa Sidorenko, Permaculture Sweden – Resilience, International Cooperation & Youth Empowerment
  • Croatia: Markus Molz, Knowledge & Learning Coordinator, ECOLISE – Education for Sustainable Communities

Keynote speakers

  • Kosha Anja Joubert, Executive Director, Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) International
  • Rudolf Niessler, Director for Smart Sustainable Growth and Programme Implementation, European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy

Introducing the conversation session

10.30 a.m. - 11.15 a.m.    Conversation session

(during which tea/coffee will be served)

Discussion among participants in small, self-organised groups: HOW DO WE ACCELERATE AND ENABLE A COMMUNITY-LED APPROACH?

  • Reflections to be harvested

Exhibition in the foyer (Brussels initiatives and ECOLISE members)

11.15 a.m. - 12.40 p.m.    Panel discussion - The potential of community-led action in the EU

Community-led initiatives on climate change and sustainability are helping to mobilise citizens, change mind-sets and behaviour, and catalyse decentralised solutions based on social and technological innovations. These bottom-up approaches need a policy framework that enables action and fosters the spreading of such initiatives. The panel discussion will explore key elements of an enabling EU policy framework.

  • Philippe Lamberts, Member of the European Parliament, Co-chair of the Greens / EFA group
  • Artur Runge-Metzger, Director for Climate strategy, Governance and Emissions from Non-trading Sectors, European Commission, Directorate-General for Climate Action
  • Lidija Pavić-Rogošić, EESC member, Director of ODRAZ - Sustainable Community Development, Croatia
  • Filipa Pimental, National Hubs Coordinator, Transition Network
  • Peter Ulrich, Governance and Social Innovation Officer, ICLEI

Discussion with the audience

12.40 p.m. - 12.55 p.m.    Key Listener: Comments and Conclusions

  • Karl Falkenberg, former Director-General for the Environment at the European Commission and Hors-Classe Senior Advisor for Sustainable Development at the European Policy Strategy Centre, European Commission

12.55 p.m. – 1 p.m.    Closing remarks

  • Sarah MacAdam, Transition Network
  • Özlem Yildirim, EESC member, Confederal Advisor to the French General Confederation of Labour (CGT)

End of programme

English and French interpreting will be provided during the programme.