AUTHOR: Jesus Urios

IEEP is a partner in the new SHARED GREEN DEAL project that will use innovative social experiments to support the objectives of the European Green Deal, involving local communities across Europe. The project has received five million euros from the European Union’s Innovation Programme Horizon 2020.

Much of the recent focus on tackling climate change has centred on green technology development. SHARED GREEN DEAL, however, will involve 24 separate ‘social experiments’ – taking place in neighbourhoods across Europe – looking at how organisations and individuals can work together to make our daily lives more sustainable.

“SHARED GREEN DEAL is deliberately spanning a large number of areas – many more than research projects traditionally include – under one umbrella. It covers mobility, energy efficiency, renewables, biodiversity, food and the circular economy, as well as climate action and pollution.” – said Dr Rosie Robison, an associate professor at ARU and one of the two coordinators of the project.

Started in February 2022 until 2027, the project will work directly with families in fuel poverty, as well as with schools, housing associations and businesses. Skill-sharing workshops, toolkits for other local networks, and accessible training videos will be developed which focus on sharing energy-saving know-how between generations.

A total of 22 partner institutions from across Europe, including IEEP, will examine together the role social sciences and humanities can play in helping countries, cities and neighbourhoods to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions as part of the European Green Deal.

IEEP is involved in undertaking analysis of EU policy priorities and how they may be delivered through multiple levels of political and policy institutions. IEEP will also produce a series of policy/business stakeholder-specific briefs paying particular attention to how best to govern and manage through bottom-up community-based approaches.

The pledge that no person or place is left behind during the transition to a low carbon society is a key part of the European Green Deal. This was reflected as well on the IEEP’s 2022 European Green Deal Barometer, where experts identified social aspects as key for the implementation success of the European Green Deal. For this reason, diversity and inclusivity will be at the heart of SHARED GREEN DEAL to ensure disadvantaged and vulnerable social groups are supported with the changes taking place.

Photo by Elisabeth Agustín on Unsplash