Implementing the ambitious European plan to safeguard the natural environment and the climate, through the implementation of the EU Green Deal, the European Climate Act and other key EU policies, requires a much needed behavioral change and a systemic approach.
The European Climate Pact is an initiative that aims to raise awareness and support behavioral transition and concrete actions. It brings together regions, local communities, civil society, businesses and schools. It helps to guide change in attitudes and social practices, from the individual to the largest multinational corporation, and to launch a new wave of action.
The Compact's activities are based on three pillars:
- Informing and communicating to raise awareness;
- Engaging citizens and stakeholders, and facilitating participation and co-creation;
- Building on and supporting existing initiatives.
Several LIFE climate action projects address communication, awareness raising and engagement with various types of stakeholders. The LIFE program has funded a wide range of projects with significant climate and energy impacts, covering not only the demonstration of new technologies, but also raising awareness among citizens, providing information to different types of social actors, and laying the groundwork for a systems approach to policymaking.
These projects face a common challenge : to change the way people interact with each other and with the environment, and to motivate them to take concrete and sustainable actions. In addition to the above, the LIFE program has also funded projects related to specific areas of the climate pact, such as green zones, green mobility and green buildings. The experience gained from these projects is valuable for accelerating capacity building of different stakeholders and countries.
In this framework, LIFE platform meetings are organized to promote the exchange of knowledge and good practices, facilitate networking and synergies between LIFE projects active in the same policy areas. The objective of the 27-28 October 2021 Platform meeting entitled "LIFE and the Climate Pact: Raising Awareness and Commitment for Sustainable Climate Action" was to bring together LIFE project beneficiaries and NGOs to discuss lessons and best practices to support the implementation of the Climate Pact. To this end, the meeting aimed to focus and draw lessons and best practices on how to communicate, raise awareness, encourage participation, co-create plans and policies, and support sustainable climate action.
Please find attached the feedback from this meeting in which the Nature for City LIFE project team participated.