Moving European consumption of natural resources down to a level that respects the limits of local and global ecosystems requires a socio-cultural, socio-economic and technological transition. Governance Innovation is key for local governments and their communities to shape these urban sustainability transitions.
ICLEI looks at how societies organise themselves and how this needs to change in order to support the sustainability transition. Processes of interaction, such as co-production and co-design, governance frameworks and management systems, urban-rural linkages and cultural change, crowd mechanisms and sharing approaches, can be applied to various policy areas that local governments deal with.
Check out our Factsheet below to read more!
Governance Innovation Factsheet
"Cities play a strategic role in localising the European Green Deal. Through declarations such as the Aalborg Charter and Aalborg Commitments, the city continues to drive the European agenda for local governments. On top, the city leads by example, working with ICLEI on Local Green Deals to accelerate implementation of European and global sustainability targets."
Lasse Frimand Jensen
Mayor of Aalborg (Denmark), Member of ICLEI's European Regional Executive Committee
EU policy frameworks like the European Green Deal and the Clean Industrial Deal reflect the need for a fundamental transformation towards a climate neutral and competitive Europe. To be successful, these policy frameworks need to resonate throughout societies across all Member States, create shared ownership for action among stakeholders, and a positive narrative of how (well) Europeans will live in 20-30 years. European territories are the place where EU policy is translated into local action. As the governance level closest to citizens, local governments are ultimately responsible to ensure that actions are taken to promote environmental, social and economic sustainability as a mindset, as an organisational principle, and as a business case. It is for this reason that the success of the European Green Deal hinges on the creation of Local Green Deals.
Send an email to iclei-europe@iclei.org
