EN Archives - Page 3 of 7 - Green European Foundation

Feb 15 2022

Dare to Care: Ecofeminism as a source of inspiration

By GEF Uncategorized

Context

The concept of care has become increasingly important as COVID-19 continues to make its way through populations worldwide. However, care extends beyond the strictly medical: it encompasses everything we do to preserve and restore our planet. The erosion of the welfare state, the continued plundering of the Global South, the lack of solidarity, and the persistent crossing of planetary boundaries is alarming to say the least. We can only turn the tide if we leave the instrumental view of nature and humans behind and radically care for all earthlings.

Can care offer us a fresh start based on interconnectedness, and generosity? How can care, as an emancipatory principle, underpin politics and the economy?

Objectives

In this booklet, we offer you a crash course in ecofeminism and invite you to get inspired by different people and movements across the world. Ultimately, these lessons, which relate to the many challenges we face today, aim to encourage us all to question ourselves about what truly means to build an “economy of care” in Europe and beyond.

Translations

Available in Polish.

Available in Turkish.

Available in Greek.

Available in Serbian.

Available in E-Reader format or to order in German.

About the authors

Dirk Holemans is the coordinator of Oikos think tank and co-president of the Green European Foundation (GEF). He is a researcher, lecturer and the author of Freedom & Security (EPO, 2016).

Philsan Osman studies African languages and cultures at the University of Ghent, Belgium and is a writer, activist and community builder.

Marie-Monique Franssen is staff member of Oikos think tank and co-author of The Ecological Compass (EPO, 2020). She has a master’s degree in cultural anthropology.

These translations have been realised with the support of Oikos, FREDA, and Strefa Zieleni and the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this publication.

Feb 07 2022

Love0

Disasters and risk management in the age of climate and ecological crisis

By GEF Uncategorized

Context

The conference entitled “Disasters and Risk Management in the Age of Climate and Ecological Crisis”, organized as part of the “Cities as Places of Hope” project, was held online on 18 November 2021 between 13:00-16:00. In this conference climate crisis and risk management were addressed in the context of forest fires, health, drought, flood disasters and biodiversity by Erdem Ergin (disaster risk management specialist), Prof. Dr. Ali Osman Karababa (public health specialist), Dr. Akgün İlhan Boğaziçi University), Prof. Dr. Nesibe Köse (İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Botany) and Dr. Emrah Çoraman (İstanbul Technical University).

About the project:

The Cities as Places of Hope Project has been carried out by the Green European Foundation with the support of green organizations from all over Europe; Spain (Transición Verde), Catalonia (Nous Horitzons), Croatia (The Institute for Political Ecology-IPE), Belgium (Oikos), Northern Macedonia (Sunrise), Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks (Netherlands) and Turkey (Green Thought Association). This project was launched in 2019 focusing on progressive city networks, a key factor in developing a positive narrative about Europe’s future. Within the scope of the project, it is aimed to bring together the progressive and transformative local and international city networks, to provide cooperation, to facilitate the exchange of information, and to contribute to the creation of a positive narrative about the future of Europe with the activities carried out in 2021.

Objectives

This report was prepared by transcription of the recording of the GEF Cities as Places of Hope conference. Since the aim is not to write an academic paper no specific style is used to cite sources. Those who are interested can access the event recording here.

Translations

Available in Turkish

Available in Greek

This publication has been realized with the support of Yeşil Düşünce Derneği (Green Thought Association) and the financial support of the European Parliament. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this publication.

Nov 30 2021

Love0

European Mobility Atlas

By GEF Uncategorized

Context

Europe is the continent where multiple forms of transportation have been invented or brought to technological maturity. The free movement of persons has made Europe grow together and led to an ever-stronger sense of cohesion. Cross-border mobility is a prerequisite for a united EU and the experience of inter-connectedness on all levels. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has limited the freedom of movement extensively and shows the vulnerability of Europe as a place of constant movement. While air traffic decreased and the use of bicycles increased, there has also been a strong negative shift from shared transport to individual transport. If this change prevails, a great deal of earlier efforts to reduce GHG emissions in the transport sector will be nullified. If one thing is clear is that recovery packages to overcome the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic must be accompanied by a commitment to a sustainable transformation that avoids further carbon lock-in with a transport sector still largely powered by fossil fuels.

Objectives

Our European Mobility Atlas seeks to contribute to the efforts towards sustainable and just mobility in Europe. Thus, it covers a multitude of transport-related aspects relying on evidence-based research and highlighting concrete, tangible mobility solutions from across our continent. GEF is working together with Heinrich Böll Stiftung to Europeanise the debate on sustainable mobility on our continent. We are doing this by translating the English language version of the European Mobility Atlas to Spanish and Italian, as well as providing a series of infosheets on the mobility context in Spain.

With more and more people being mobile, Europe is a continent that needs to remain innovative in order to achieve the relevant climate goals. We need new technologies to align our mobility infrastructure and behaviour with the pressing challenges of the upcoming years. To save our climate, the European Green Deal has to be Europe’s first priority.

Download

Digital version in Spanish is available here.

Digital version in Italian is available here.

Digital version in Portuguese available here.

Complementary resources

Present and Future of Mobility in Spain (ES): available here.

These publications have been realised by the Green European Foundation in cooperation with Heinrich Böll Stiftung, and the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this publication

Nov 08 2021

Love0

Global Public Investment Requirements for Zero Carbon

By GEF Uncategorized

Context

Sufficient and appropriately directed global public investment is critical to shift our economies to zero carbon. Currently such investment is inadequate, and still funds additional fossil fuel dependent transport infrastructure. This report explores UK and EU global public investment in transport.

This publication strengthens the calls for climate finance agreed at COP26 to be sufficient to address the climate emergency. Global fossil fuel subsidies of $450 billion dwarfed additional international climate finance of $43 billion in 2020. Arbitrary funding targets, dubious accounting and outdated ideas about how funding should be spent perpetuate the status quo. European governments must lead in ensuring public investment in zero carbon is provided internationally on the same basis as domestically.

About the project:

This report is part of a project led by the Green European Foundation exploring what a climate emergency economy would look like through a rethinking of trade, industry and infrastructure investment. The project is supported by Green House Think Tank in the UK alongside green foundations in the Netherlands, Ireland, Bulgaria, Poland and Finland. It is organised with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.

Objectives

Global Public Investment Requirements for Zero Carbon examines how international aid, loans from development banks and export finance all continue to fund fossil fuel-dependent developments. This is particularly true in the transport sector, which soaked up around 20% of global official development assistance from 2014-2019. And rather than zero carbon transport systems to serve local populations, much of this aid is funding new roads, airports, ports and rail projects that support export-orientated economic growth.

The report sets out three clear recommendations the following:

Climate finance must be additional to the meeting of existing 0.7% target for aid;
All countries must stop financing infrastructure that locks in fossil fuel use and align aid and public expenditure to tackling the climate and ecological emergency;
Global public investment must be more accountable, equitable and effective.

“As we approach COP26, all countries must commit to stop double-counting climate finance with pre-existing official development assistance commitments, and ensure both are sufficient and fully aligned with the Paris Commitment to avoid dangerous climate change. That means that financing of infrastructure that accelerates must end now, both at home and abroad.”

Audiovisual material

This publication has been realised with the support of the Green House Think Tank, and the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this publication.

Oct 19 2021

Love0

Food Sovereignty, Climate action and Local Resilience

By GEF Uncategorized

Context

This pamphlet on Food Sovereignty, Climate Action and Local Resilience follows on from A Question of Scale: “Imagining a cooperative, community-led approach to regional resilience”. A framing paper in which we explored the potential of the Social and Solidarity Economy, Doughnut Economics, Just Transition, The Commons, Community Wealth Building, Federated co-ops as approaches to help us address the climate and ecological emergency.

The co-creation of this pamphlet began with a first draft distributed to local food, community and cooperative advocates. Then, they attended a webinar to discuss identify the blockers and enablers of this regenerative and community-led approach. Finally, we added the harvest of the session, along with links to initiatives in the field, and an infographic.

Challenging the global trade regime and the bilateral trade agreements which en-trench trade relations and which negatively affect peasant farmers on both sides is a vital part of the picture of Food Sovereignty and the global conversation that needs to be had about how to protect, encourage and support biodiverse, agroecological and small scale production not just in our backyard, but across the world.

This publication was produced as part of GEF’s Climate Emergency Economy project, exploring the challenge of such a climate emergency economy by focusing on “hard-to-decarbonise” sectors like transport, trade, industry, or agriculture.

Download

Also available in Polish.

This publication has been realised with the support of the Green Foundation Ireland, Cultivate and the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this publication.

Sep 29 2021

Love0

Steps Towards Universal Basic Income? The Effect of the Covid-19 Crisis on Welfare Policies and Support for UBI in the European Union

By GEF Uncategorized

Context

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit Europe, it put an enormous strain on the lives and livelihoods of millions. Amid lockdowns and quarantines, many countries responded by (temporarily) broadening their social security policies and providing additional support to those at risk of falling through the cracks. Yet as we slowly emerge from this crisis, there are already others looming. Society will continue to feel the effects of COVID-19 for a decade or more without an urgent public policy overhaul. We need to re-examine our social security approaches and implement bold measures to make societies more resilient to change and crisis. One such proposal is the Universal Basic Income.

There is no place for narrow views or short-sighted policies aimed at continuing to patch up a wound that is gradually – although more and more rapidly – bleeding us dry. Nor is there any point in trying to face the challenges of the 21st century with policies from the last century that have already proved to be unsuccessful.

Objectives

This report examines the social policy reactions to the Covid-19 crisis in a dozen different European countries. Drawing on survey and qualitative data, we explore how these expanded support measures relate to the vision of Universal Basic Income. To what extent do they represent a step towards UBI, despite government hesitancy? And what do they say about the (in)ability of our existing social security systems to deal with crises? The report also investigates the popularity of UBI among Europe’s citizens. Has the pandemic made an impact on the way people talk and think of UBI?

Experts and stakeholders across Europe contributed data for this publication, and shared their insights and reflections as part of our project “Change of Mindset–Civil Society Dialogue around UBI, Social Justice, and Climate Impact.” As the debate continues, we too would be interested in expanding our analysis to include new information and additional countries.

If you wish to:

Submit a survey response;
Provide details or resources on countries not featured in this analysis;
Send us your feedback;

Please get in touch! GEF’s work on UBI continues–read more here.

This publication has been realised with the support of Visio and Fundació Nous Horitzons and the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this publication.

Sep 27 2021

Love0

Metals for a Green and Digital Europe- An Agenda for Action

By GEF Uncategorized

Context

The climate crisis leaves us no choice but to make a swift transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies. However, while energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind is nearly infinite, the resources we need to capture it are not. Solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and power cables all contain metals. Their various properties, including toughness and conductivity, make metals uniquely suitable for renewable energy technologies. But first they must be extracted from ores that are dug up from the ground. Because of its decentralised nature, a renewable energy system requires far larger quantities of metals than a fossil energy system.

The more energy we harvest from the skies above our heads, the deeper we will have to dig for the metals beneath our feet.

Objectives

Both the energy transition and the digital transition require large quantities of metals, such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth. As a result, Europe must face up to various types of scarcity. This Agenda for Action sets out how we can achieve the sparing, circular use of metals and the responsible sourcing of the virgin metals that we really need.

Download

Available in Dutch

Available in Spanish

Available in Czech

Available in French

Available in Polish

Available in Swedish

Available in Serbian

Available in Portuguese

This publication is part of the Metals for a Green and Digital Europe project. The project is led by Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks and supported by Fundacja Strefa Zieleni, Institut Aktivního Občanství, the Green Economics Institute, Etopia, Visio, and Transición Verde, with Cogito from Sweden providing additional expertise.

Sep 02 2021

Love0

European Green Perspectives on Basic Income

By GEF Uncategorized

Context

Since 2017, the Green European Foundation has shaped the discussion of advancing universal basic income in Europe and, if possible, worldwide.

“European Green Perspectives on Basic Income” is the second volume of a collection of articles tackling different facets and perspectives on basic income (BI) 1.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the debate about basic income has gained a lot of traction. In Europe, and around the world, we’ve seen efforts to ease the economic crisis across all levels of government.

A considerable amount of aid programs that were approved included a partial basic income. For the first time, many people realised we can all suddenly find ourselves in an economically challenging situation through no fault of our own.

An unconditional basic income may help us focus our energies on finding a way out of this crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic further highlighted and aggravated social injustice and economic inequalities as much as it raised questions on the social responsibility of individuals and solidarity at all levels of society.

Objectives

Our aim is to support initiatives to foster a debate within and outside Green circles to learn from each other and to allow an exchange of alternative social policies. Following the suggestion of the “European Green network of basic income supporters”, we have updated and expanded the Green European Foundation’s publication, European Green Perspectives on Basic Income, from 2019 to create this present publication. Similar to the first edition, this second volume aims to provide insights into the discussions about BI in various European countries,–both within the Green movement as well as in the broader public–and contextualises those in historic and cultural prerequisites.

“From a degrowth perspective, UBI should be implemented as a tool to reinforce democracy by reconnecting people by creating solidarities and by questioning basic needs and how to fulfil them in a sustainable way.”

Download

Available in Greek

Available in Albanian

Available in Croatian

Aug 26 2021

Love0

Transport Investment: The Zero Carbon Challenge

By GEF Uncategorized

Context

“Transport Investment: The Zero Carbon Challenge” is part of a project led by the Green European Foundation exploring what a climate emergency economy would look like through a rethinking of trade, industry and infrastructure investment. The report exposes the uncomfortable truth that a major shift in transport infrastructure investment is needed. It quantifies the massive scale of transport infrastructure investment plans across the UK and EU and how this fails to align to existing climate targets. This highlights that whilst heavy goods transport, shipping and aviation are some of the hardest to decarbonise, demand for these transport modes are not being managed or constrained in line with climate commitments.

Objectives

The report calls on transport to have far stronger carbon targets so that it is able to help drive down carbon emissions across the rest of the economy, rather than holding back the transition to zero carbon. A radical overhaul of transport infrastructure spending plans is needed so that funding is redirected from expanding capacity, to decarbonising existing transport. The report is framed ,using the Zero Carbon Policy Toolkit introduced in GEF and Green House’s August 2020 report, Trade and Investment Requirements for Zero Carbon.

“Facing up to climate reality requires governments to stop driving transport growth. It is just as irresponsible to expand transport – which leads to burning of more petrol, diesel, kerosene and heavy fuel oil – as to dig a new coal mine in Cumbria. In both cases new infrastructure stands in the way of phasing out the burning of fossil fuels. Governments must ensure investment is redirected from expanding transport to decarbonising what we have already. Continued transport capacity growth should also be classed as Ecocide.”

Download

Available in Spanish

Visual material

This publication has been realised by the Green European Foundation and Green House Think Tank with the financial support of the European Parliament. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this publication.

Apr 28 2021

Love0

Freedom and Security in a Complex World (2021 edition)

By GEF Uncategorized

Context

People all over the world are taking their future back into their hands. Together, they are taking initiatives in the fields of renewable energy, local food production, sharing tools, and so forth. This is the most hopeful movement of our time. Where the market and state fail, people are taking action. As free citizens, they are reinventing the collective, with open partnerships where personal development and social engagement go hand in hand. This observation seems to contradict what we experience every day. The system errors of our society model fill the newspapers: climate crisis, unstable banks, refugee flows. Accepted wisdom is that uncertainty is increasing. But both trends are happening, not by coincidence, at the same time.

Objectives

While examining the two interlinked concepts of Freedom and Security, this publication suggests that the answer needs to be the transformation into a socioecological society in the 21st century. It argues for the realisation of a societal project that strives for equal freedom for all people to flourish in security, within the boundaries of the planet, and proposes concrete steps towards it.

Download

Available in English here.

Available in French here.

Available in German here.

Available in Hungarian here.

Available in Spanish here.

Available in Macedonian here.

Available in Greek here.

This report presents a new and updated take on the 2017 version (Please see the English, French, German, Hungarian and Spanish editions from that year, which were part of the transnational project “A green transformation: Freedom and Security in uncertain times” ).

The 2021 report was developed in partnership with Oikos and with financial support from the European Parliament to the European Green Foundation.

Apr 12 2021

Love0

The Transformative Doughnut Economics Model

By GEF Uncategorized

The doughnut economics model is increasingly presented as an alternative human development measure, meeting needs and crossing the boundaries of environmental degradation. In the last ten years, the model has been further developed, and more and more, cities are giving up measuring their development through GDP and deciding to switch to the doughnut model, which should ensure that human needs are met in accordance with natural boundaries.

Read more about it and how cities can be a fertile testing ground for the model in English, Serbian and Greek.

Mar 24 2021

Love0

Ten Thoughts on Growth

By GEF Uncategorized

With the ongoing Covid-crisis, it has become clear that “business as usual” is no longer an option, as the effects will be felt for years to come. Yet still, governments remain obsessed with growth based on GDP.

In this report, Mikael Malmaeus (board member in Cogito and researcher at The Swedish Environmental Research Institute) uncovers and clarifies the concepts of growth, their meaning and impact with the purpose to enable a meaningful, forward looking and insightful discussion on preferred futures and where to start to get there. With this collaboration, GEF and Cogito hope to contribute to a clear and comprehensive discussion on growth today and tomorrow, and to inspire actionable insight.

Download

Available in Polish

Available in Czech

Available in Albanian

Available in Turkish

Feb 22 2021

Love0

Organise! Object! Outsmart the Paradigm!

By GEF Uncategorized

Read this publication and use it to learn about smart cities with an added Eastern European perspective, have some fun along the way and feel empowered enough to promote the critical solutions for smart city implementation in your city!

The Charter for the Smart City was produced as part of the project of the same name, and puts the values of democracy, connectedness, human dignity, privacy, sustainability, and equality at the heart of smart cities. Local politicians and active citizens who share these values may use the principles in the Charter as starting points for democratic debate and informed moral judgment on technological innovations in their communities.

Also available in Albanian, Croatian, Russian and Turkish.

This publication was produced within the project “Charter for the Smart City II” organised by the Green European Foundation (GEF) with the support of Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe (CDN) and Wetenschapellijk Bureau Groen Links. It has been realised with the financial support of the European Parliament.

About

Explore

Training

Subscribe