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Jan 12 2024
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Geopolitics of a Post-Growth Europe

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Context

As it stands, degrowth fails to resonate with experts in foreign and security policy. It is easy to see why. In geopolitics, many determinants of power – trade, aid, tech nology, defence – are closely linked to GDP. If they do not ignore planetary boundaries altogether, geopolitical pundits trumpet the ‘green growth’ narrative so as to reconcile ecological and geopolitical security. It is this very narrative that degrowthers aim to refute.

It is better to manage the end of growth through democratic deliberation than to have it imposed on us by ecological breakdown.

 

Objectives

It is unlikely that we will be able to defuse the climate time bomb, let alone other ecological threats, as long as our economy continues to grow. But what would the end of economic growth mean for geopolitics? Could a European Union that is the first to embrace post-growth still be a global actor? Would it be able to defend itself, its allies, democracy, human rights, and the international rule of law at a time when aggressive autocracies are invading or threatening their democratic neighbours? This report addresses uneasy questions that few have dared to ask.

 

Project Background

This report is produced by the Green European Foundation. It is part of the project Geopolitics of a Post-Growth Europe. The project is led by Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks (NL) and supported by BlueLink (BG), Center for Green Politics (RS), Etopia (BE), Fondation de l’Écologie Politique (FR), Green House Think Tank (UK), and Transición Verde (ES). Check out www.geopoliticspostgrowth.eu for more interviews, videos, and other project outputs.

 

Available Translations

Dutch

Spanish

Serbian

French

Bulgarian

Czech

Portuguese

This report has been realised by the Green European Foundation with the support of  Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks 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 30 2021
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European Mobility Atlas

By 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

Sep 27 2021
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Metals for a Green and Digital Europe- An Agenda for Action

By 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.

 

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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.

Jan 24 2019
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Citizens Energy: Making Energy Democracy Happen

By Uncategorized

This publication has been produced as part of the GEF transnational project Energy Democracy: Changing the Energy System.  

In this project, Green foundations from the United Kingdom, Greece, Macedonia and Belgium share their experiences and ideas and develop policy proposals to enable a transition to a renewable and democratic energy system.

The publication, written by Dirk Holemans and Kati Van de Velde from Flemish think tank Oikos explores the concepts of a democratic energy regime, drawing from examples in Germany and Denmark, and cooperation between citizens and local governments, focusing on case studies in the UK and Belgium.

Download your copy here. 

This publication is also available in Serbian, Portuguese, Spanish, Macedonian & Turkish.

 

Jan 11 2017
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The Guide to EU Funding on Migration and Asylum

By Uncategorized

In the absence of a common European response that treats migration as a human phenomenon and manages it as such, the task of welcoming and accommodating migrants and acting as their first personal contacts has mainly been taken on by local and regional authorities, non-governmental organisations and activists, who continue to play a key role in providing initial reception and access to services and fundamental rights for migrants and refugees. In this context, this guide builds on the idea that the best practices of how to welcome refugees and asylum seekers and work towards successful integration can be found in local communities and initiatives throughout Europe.

Therefore, the objective of this guide is to actively support the work of these local actors, organisations and institutions with a one-stop source of information on additional financial assistance offered by the EU. This guide provides a quick and easy overview of the relevant EU funding opportunities, with key information and practical inputs in regards to accessing them. Special attention is given to projects that foster integration, social inclusion and a better quality of life for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

A hard copy of this guide can be ordered by sending an email to: info@gef.eu

This publication as a PDF file is available for download in following versions: