From June 25 to 27, LOCALISED was present at EURESFO24 and hosted a workshop titled “What Kind of Tools and Practices Do City and Regional Administrations Need to Make Urban Resilience a Reality?“. Our goal was to empower municipalities to develop effective, resource-efficient, and socially inclusive climate strategies through practical tools and collaborative discussions.

Workshop Overview

The workshop addressed the specific challenges faced by small and medium-sized cities and regions in developing climate action plans. With around 80 participants from diverse fields—including academia, policymaking, and the private sector—the discussion aimed to provide practical insights and strategies for making urban resilience a reality. Indeed, the variety of participants enabled us to collect a wide range of perspectives, by enriching the dialogue, and allowing for a more comprehensive exploration of the potential solutions in for mitigation and adaptation plans.

Key topics included:

• Developing Ambitious Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) with Limited Resources: How can smaller municipalities create climate action plans with constrained budgets?
• Integrating Mitigation and Adaptation Measures: What are the best practices for combining efforts to reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts, while also considering the social implications of these measures?
• Aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): How can climate action plans be linked to broader SDGs to ensure comprehensive and synergistic development?
• Engaging Citizens Effectively: What strategies can help municipalities engage citizens as agents of change?
• Navigating Governance and Stakeholder Dynamics: How can cities and regions ensure collaboration across various governance levels, departments, and stakeholder groups?

Expert Contributions

We were honoured by the presence of distinguished speakers:

• Fabian Reitemeyer, Climate Change Officer at the District Office of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
• Ramon Canal Oliveras, Director of the Technical Programming Office, Barcelona City Council
• Elena Lacort, Head of Climate Change and Air Quality Office, Barcelona Metropolitan Area

Their practical insights enriched the dialogue, offering valuable perspectives on overcoming common obstacles in climate action planning.

Showcasing LOCALISED Tools

The workshop featured demonstrations of two key tools developed by the LOCALISED project:

• The LOCALISED Climate Action Strategiser: Presented by Tobias Gralke, Project Developer & Researcher at Climate Media Factory, this tool automates the generation of tailored climate action measures for SECAPs. It enables municipalities to customise emissions reduction solutions to their specific needs and resources.
• The LOCALISED Citizen Engager: Maxie Riemenschneider, Scientific Manager at the Austrian Society for Environment and Technology, introduced this tool, which focuses on co-creating climate strategies with citizens. It facilitates the inclusion of public input in both overarching strategies and specific measures, fostering community involvement and support.

Feedback and Knowledge Exchange

After presenting the tools, participants from various countries and professional backgrounds joined different groups and provided invaluable feedback on the LOCALISED tools, but also exchanged their expertise on decarbonization pathways and best practices. Their inputs have been crucial for refining the tools to better meet the needs of cities and regions across Europe and increase our knowledge.

Marketplace Engagement

In addition to the workshop, LOCALISED was also present at the  marketplace and many visitors explored our initiatives, tools, activities, and outcomes. The booth also served as a platform for gathering interest from participants eager to engage in the co-design and testing of our tools.

LOCALISED participation at EURESFO24 underscored our commitment to supporting small and mid-sized cities in their climate action efforts. For more information about our tools, please visit the website here.

The participation of LOCALISED in EURESFO24 has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of the following people: Christiane Walter from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Jordi Pascual, Nadia Soledad Ibañez Iralde and Enric Mont Lecocq from IREC – Catalonia Institute for Energy Research, Maxie Riemenschneider from ÖGUT – Austrian Society for Environment and Technology, Sara Dorato and Katja Firus from T6 Ecosystems srl and Tobias Gralke and Bernd Hezel from Climate Media Factory.

Decarbonisation is one of the most important topics in modern societies. During conferences “Municipal Energy Specialist Meeting” and “Green Retention” in Metropolitan Area Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot our LOCALISED team was explaining the importance of decarbonisation pathways for local authorities, citizens and businesses. Our team was also leafleting during break times. Every action to promote sustainable development is important.

First local event took place on the 6^th of June in Gdynia. The annual meeting of municipal energy specialists was very popular in our region. Conference was about energy efficiency, thermal modernization of buildings, European Funds in the energy sector, and about a new modern thermal processing plant for municipal waste called “Clean Energy Port”. The event was a great occasion to hear about decarbonisation in the energy sector. ”Let’s use our success stories of today for a better tomorrow” – it was one of the most important motto during the meeting.

Decreasing the level of energy consumption directly contributes to decreasing the level of emitted carbon dioxide, so energy transformation is one of the most important ways to achieve decarbonisation goals. During break times, the LOCALISED team was explaining the LOCALISED project. What is LOCALISED? What are the LOCALISED objectives? What are the different research areas of LOCALISED? We were happy to share the information about the project. We had a booth and explained to our conference participants everything about the project. The booth was popular and people were interested in the decarbonisation topic. Many leaflets about the project were also distributed. We explained to people that the LOCALISED project is designed to close the information gap between national-level decarbonization plans and local needs for planning and implementing energy transition and climate adaptation. Shaping the future together.

We also attended the Green Retention conference (June 19-21, 2024) organized by Gdańskie Wody in Gdańsk. Green Retention is the first conference in Poland focused on practical knowledge about using greenery for managing and purifying stormwater, attracting people from all over the country. The Green Retention Conference was not only a series of lectures, but also a possibility to gain practical knowledge about how to use greenery for purification of rainwater or how to manage water supply. “Therefore, we at LOCALISED – Agata Skomar from MAGGS, along with Weronika Radziszewska and Jörg Verstraete from IMP PAN, could not miss this event” – said Agata Skomar, Climate Coordinator. During the three-day conference, the LOCALISED project was presented and encouraged attendees to support it by filling out a survey. The project received significant interest and appreciation from the guests.

Promotion of the LOCALISED project was a good occasion to talk about decarbonisation, meeting new people and making new acquaintances. It was also an interesting and fruitful event for both sides. Together for a good climate.

The “International Spartakiada” was held on June 15. This is an event for seniors dedicated to their activation and mobility with a focus on environmental activities. During the event, we talked about MEVO – the urban bicycle system and promoted the LOCALISED project. We talked about its goals and objectives. We talked about opportunities to protect the environment and how our choices affect the planet. We alluded to the project’s activities. Users of the event were eager to use the project leaflets and ask additional questions about the activities we are undertaking.

Researchers at the Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC) are conducting the “Business Self-Assessment of Vulnerability to Sustainable Transition” survey within the Task of Evaluating vulnerability of EU industries and businesses to climate change at NUTS-2 level of the LOCALISED project.

The survey measures the self-perception of businesses’ strengths and weaknesses in the ecological transition. By actively participating in assessing their vulnerabilities from climate and sustainable transition policies, this survey helps better understand how these policies affect small and medium-sized enterprises.

Completing the survey will take 10 to 15 minutes. All replies will be handled confidently in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and participation is voluntary. The results will be publicly available at the project’s conclusion, and the material gathered will only be utilized for academic reasons.

We really value and appreciate your participation!

Gerard Martínez Görbig, PhD researcher at the University of Twente (UT) and member of LOCALISED, was interviewed for the ‘PhD Stories’ series of U-Today – an independent journalistic medium at the UT – to present the work he is doing to support local governments in adapting to climate change and ensuring climate justice.

At the heart of Gerard’s research is the development of the Climate Action Strategiser, a tool designed to help local governments develop plans to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. To ensure that his research is practically applicable, he has engaged with the cities of Barcelona, Vienna and Gdansk-Gdynia-Sopot from the outset, working directly with the people who will ultimately use the results of the LOCALISED research results.

In addition, Gerard emphasises the importance of equal access to the impacts and benefits of climate actions, which is why his research aims to pay particular attention to the impacts on vulnerable groups and how climate action can inadvertently lead to energy poverty. He stresses the need for climate justice in Europe. 

When it comes to bridging the gap between climate research and practical solutions, Gerard is at the forefront: CLICK HERE to read the full interview.

The University of Twente team in LOCALISED is composed by: Diana Reckien, Johannes Flacke, and Gerard Martínez Görbig

Photo: Active Hearing event with representatives of an elderly collective in the headquarters building of Ciutat Vella, In Barcelona.

The Citizen Engager is a toolbox and step-by-step guide designed to foster citizen engagement in the field of climate policy. It is being developed within the LOCALISED project by the Participation Team of the Austrian Society of Environment and Technology (ÖGUT). Its primary goal is to enable the co-creation of climate policies between citizens and local decision-makers, ensuring that these policies are socially just and inclusive. 

The primary audience for The Citizen Engager comprises local and regional decision-makers across Europe, including elected representatives, politicians, and civil servants. These individuals play a crucial role in implementing climate policies at the grassroots level, and The Citizen Engager aims to equip them with the tools and knowledge needed to engage effectively with their communities, and in particular with groups that are more negatively impacted by climate change and climate policy.

The guide is enriched with insights drawn from applied case studies conducted in three partner cities and regions, offering practical examples of successful citizen engagement. One notable case study comes from the City of Barcelona, a key partner in the LOCALISED project. Barcelona is actively conducting a series of “active hearing” events, engaging vulnerable groups to discuss climate change adaptation and mitigation. These events involve citizens from various districts who share their fears and needs concerning climate change. The feedback gathered during these consultations will be featured in The Citizen Engager, providing a practical example of effective citizen participation.

The documentation of this case study is coordinated by ÖGUT with the support from the Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya (IREC), a technical partner of LOCALISED  based in Barcelona. Enric Mont Lecocq and Soledad Ibañez from IREC have participated as observers in several active hearing groups, collecting feedback, impressions, and photographs. Their observations are instrumental in showcasing how citizen engagement methods can be improved and when they are successful.

The Citizen Engager is developed as a tool for decision makers for creating climate policies that reflect the voices and needs of local communities. By facilitating meaningful dialogue between citizens and policymakers, it paves the way for a more resilient and socially just approach to climate action.