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Aug 02 2021
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Towards a fair and sustainable food system: The Hidden Cost of Cheap Food

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About the event:

The food industry is one of the main factors behind biodiversity loss and the worsening of global inequalities. We aim to contribute to a better understanding of the food system as a tool for social change. It is vital to understand the different processes and exercise critical thinking, as actors in the agri-food system become aware, act, and demand change.

These project will be decided into sessions that will have a European focus, but also a global one, as global is the agri-food business and, above all, its impacts. The Common Agricultural Policy and the different European strategies and policies (From Farm to Fork) will be present throughout this series of roundtables in September/ October and with the speakers we will try to analyse their positive and negative aspects regarding the topics discussed.

 

Programme:

3. THE HIDDEN COST OF CHEAP FOOD 

The EU is responsible for more than 10% of global deforestation. Global soy production -driven by a growing demand to provide food for large industrial meat farms- has more than doubled since 1997.
This rapid expansion is destroying some of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems, such as the Amazon and the Cerrado and Gran Chaco forests in South America.

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food sector in the world. Multinationals in the aquaculture sector present fish and shellfish farming as a cheap solution to the natural limits of fisheries. These fish, however, have to be fed on fishmeal and fish oil, most of which is made from wild-caught fish and crustaceans. Spain is the EU Country with the highest production, accounting for almost a quarter of the entire union.

The production of cheap food has profound environmental, social, and health impacts. In this session, we will focus on soy monoculture for livestock feed, industrial aquaculture, and animal suffering.

Speakers:
* Olga Kikou
European Affairs Manager at Compassion in World Farming. She was President of the Green Greek
Institute and a member of the Board of the Green European Foundation.
* Nazaret Castro
Journalist, PhD in Social Sciences and co-founder of Carro de Combate, a collective dedicated to
independent journalism, which investigates the origin of the products we consume.
* Natasha Hurley
Campaign Manager Changing Markets where she is currently running a campaign to eradicate the
use of wild-caught fish in aquaculture. She was formerly Climate Campaigner at EIA lobbying for a
global phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
* Thomas Waitz
Co-chair of the European Green Party, MEP in the Greens/EFA Group. His work focuses on
sustainable agriculture, regional production and healthy food, the Common Agricultural Policy
and the reform of the animal transport directive.

Moderation:
* Lidia Ucher
Journalist specialising in social communication in the field of cooperation, the third sector and
ecology.

Practicalities:

Where: Online platform – ZOOM

Time and date: 7 October, 17:30-19:00 PM CET

Language: Simultaneous translation to English

Audience: these series of webinars are open for the general public

Registrations: Registrations are now open <<<

This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this event.

Aug 02 2021
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Towards a fair and sustainable food system: The Water Challenge

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About the event:

The food industry is one of the main factors behind biodiversity loss and the worsening of global inequalities. We aim to contribute to a better understanding of the food system as a tool for social change. It is vital to understand the different processes and exercise critical thinking, as actors in the agri-food system become aware, act, and demand change.

These project will be decided into sessions that will have a European focus, but also a global one, as global is the agri-food business and, above all, its impacts. The Common Agricultural Policy and the different European strategies and policies (From Farm to Fork) will be present throughout this series of roundtables in September/ October and with the speakers we will try to analyse their positive and negative aspects regarding the topics discussed.

 

The Water Challenge Programme:

According to the FAO’s State of Food and Agriculture 2020 report, available freshwater resources per person have decreased by more than 20% in the last two decades.

1.2 billion people live in agricultural areas with severe water availability constraints. The agricultural sector and industrial livestock farming are largely responsible for this both through their high water
consumption and the pollution of aquifers they cause.

Climate change is affecting rainfall patterns and jeopardising food security in the most vulnerable areas of the planet. We can say that we are facing a global water crisis. Increasingly, the water transition and fair and sustainable management of water is essential.

In this debate, we will talk about the repercussions of the water crisis on food systems. We will focus on the impact of agriculture and the implications of the CAP on water resources. We will conclude by exploring the proposals from agroecology for the protection and management of these resources. As an example of the impact on aquatic ecosystems, we will look at the case of the Mar Menor (Spain).

Speakers:

* Pedro García
Director of Asociación de Naturalistas del Sureste (the Southeastern Naturalists’ Association). He
has been environmental technician in the local administration for more than 20 years
* Celsa Peiteado
Agricultural engineer and head of the Food Programme at WWF Spain where she coordinates
policy work for agroecological transition to Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems.
* Concha Fabeiro
President of the Spanish Society of Organic Agriculture and Agroecology (SEAE). Professor of
Plant Production at the University of Castilla-La Mancha.

Moderation:
* Julia Martínez
PhD in Biology and technical director of Fundación Nueva Cultura del Agua (Foundation for a New
Culture of Water

 

Practicalities:

Where: Online platform – ZOOM

Time and date:  28th September

17:30-19:00 PM CET

Language: Simultaneous translation to English

Audience: these series of webinars are open for the general public.

Registrations: Registrations are now open <<<

 

This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this event.

Aug 02 2021
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Towards a fair and sustainable food system- Protecting the soil: the great challenge for agriculture

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About the event:

The food industry is one of the main factors behind biodiversity loss and the worsening of global inequalities. We aim to contribute to a better understanding of the food system as a tool for social change. It is vital to understand the different processes and exercise critical thinking, as actors in the agri-food system become aware, act, and demand change.

These project will be decided into sessions that will have a European focus, but also a global one, as global is the agri-food business and, above all, its impacts. The Common Agricultural Policy and the different European strategies and policies (From Farm to Fork) will be present throughout this series of roundtables in September/ October and with the speakers we will try to analyse their positive and negative aspects regarding the topics discussed.

 

Programme:

SESSIONS (from 17:30 to 19:00):

1. PROTECTING THE SOIL: THE GREAT CHALLENGE FOR AGRICULTURE (21 September)

Few people know about soil biodiversity. Life belowground is very varied, from genes and species and the communities they form to soil micro-habitats and larger landscapes.
Soil is largely forgotten when we talk about the environmental crisis, despite the fact that it is vital to feed humanity. Besides, it is a huge storehouse of carbon and our ally in the face of climate change.

Industrial agriculture in particular is degrading soils, contributing to their desertification and putting food security at serious risk. Proposals such as regenerative agriculture seek to favour their natural cycles and their recovery.

In the first session of this series of events, we will try to get to know and understand the functioning of this universe full of life that is hidden under our feet. We will explore how industrial agriculture is damaging it and
how we can regenerate life belowground so that soils can keep sustaining the world.

Speakers:

* Pilar Andrés
Senior Researcher at the Center for Ecological Research and Forest Applications (CREAF). She
has participated in the EU Soil Biodiversity Atlas (2016) and in the FAO report on the state of soil
biodiversity worldwide (2020).
* Ray Archuleta
Soil scientist and a soil conservationist, water quality specialist and conservation agronomist, with
30 years experience working for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Ray is one of the
experts involved in the Netflix documentary “Kiss the ground”.
* Andrzej Nowakowski
Advisor on Agriculture and Rural Development for the Greens/EFA group in the European
Parliament where he is completing the CAP 2021 reform.
* Andrés Gómez
Agricultural engineer and educator accredited in holistic management by the Savory Institute. He
is the owner of Granja Zael, a young regenerative livestock and 100% grass-fed beef project in
Zael (Burgos).

Moderation:
* Dolores Raigón
Expert in organic production, Professor of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry. Vice-President
of the Spanish Society of Organic Agriculture and Agroecology (SEAE)

 

Practicalities:

Where: Online platform – ZOOM

Time and date: 17:30-19:00 PM CET

  • 21st September

Language: Simultaneous translation to English

Audience: these series of webinars are open for the general public

Registrations: Registrations are now open <<<

This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this event.

May 18 2021
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Just Transition in Spain and Next Generation funds- Session 1

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About the Event:

Transición Verde is working in Spain within the framework of the Prosoxi Alliance, an Observatory for a socially fair ecological transition, that aims to participate, as civil society stakeholders, in the design, evaluation and monitoring of the projects that are designed and implemented in Spain under the Next Generation EU Plan.

 

The objectives of the workshop are:

• To analyse national and international Just Transition experiences.

• Building evaluation and monitoring indicators for Just Transition in order to review and analyse the projects presented to NG.

• To improve the communication to society of everything related to Just Transition in order to encourage greater involvement of civil society in these policies.

 

With these sessions we intend to take advantage of the experience of the initiatives implemented by the Spanish Government through the Institute for Just Transition (mainly focused on the abandonment of the coal industry in Spain, guaranteeing a fair exit for the regions historically linked to this industry) to project it onto the transitions that will or must be entailed in some cases by the projects implemented within the framework of the Next Generation plans.

 

Spain has acquired international prominence in the application of Just Transition policies due to the aforementioned plans, which is why the GEF has decided to collaborate in promoting these sessions with the aim of analysing their approach and execution and also trying to draw lessons so that social actors in other countries, which will also benefit from the Next Generation EU Funds, can intervene to ensure that Just Transition is not displaced in those countries.

 

To do this, we have planned two working sessions which are detailed below. The organisations invited to participate will be the promoters and partners of the Prosoxi alliance, as well as GEF member foundations or partners that are currently working on Just Transition. Sessions will be held in Spanish and English (with simultaneous translation).

 

Organizations part of the GEF Just Transition Project:

 

Green European Foundation

Oikos (Belgium)

Institut for Political Ecology (Croatia)

Sunrise (Macedonia)

Networked (Serbia)

Visio (Finland)

Green House Think Tank (United Kingdom)

FYEG (Federation of Young European Greens)

 

Spanish organizations:

 

Transición Verde

Fundación Renovables

Retorna

Centro Ibérico de Restauración Fluvial

Fundación Nueva Cultura del Agua

Sociedad Española de Agricultura Ecológica

Foro Transiciones

Fundación Savia

Promoció del Transport Públic

Instituto Int. de Derecho y Medio Ambiente

Amigos de la Tierra

Ecologistas en Acción

Economistas frente a la crisis

Asociación Española de Operadores Públicos

 

Programme:

Tuesday 25th of May. From 10:30 to 12:00

JUST TRANSITION IN SPAIN. LESSONS TO LEARN

Guest organisations: ILO and Instituto para la Transición Justa (Ministry for Ecological Transition)

 

Speakers:

• Dirk Holemans, co-chair of GEF, Oikos thinktank – Lead partner at GEFs Just Transition project. He will briefly comment on the importance of Just Transition and the importance of it being taken into account in Next Generation projects.

 

• Joaquín Nieto, Director of the ILO in Spain, will frame the session with the situation of Just Transition initiatives at the international level.

 

• A representative of the Just Transition Institute, who will comment on the planning and development process and the current situation of the Just Transition plans addressed by this Institute.

 

The speeches by the guest speakers will be short (from 10 to 15 minutes) followed by a debate among the experts and the participants.

 

Practicalities:

When: 25th May 2021

This is a closed workshop.

Language: Spanish (simultaneous translation to English)

 

This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of these workshops.

Mar 25 2021
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Call for Author: Youth Chapter for the Just Transition Book

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About the Event

The chapter will be published in the Book on Just Transition produced as part of the multiannual and multipartner project carried out by the Green European Foundation, led by Oikos and participated by green European partners. It will be divided in five parts: (1) Setting the stage, (2) European regions on their way, (3) Just transition and the EU Green Deal, (4) Frontrunners showing the way, and (5) Conclusions. The Youth Chapter will open part 4.

We are looking for someone who can bring a fresh perspective and nuanced insights into the following questions:

  • How do young people take the future into their own hands?
  • How are grassroots movements changing the narrative and convincing politicians to push for a socially just transition?
  • How are young activists from marginalised communities and minority groups impacted by climate change, and how are they fighting for climate justice?
  • Why are current EU programmes such as Next Generation EU not good enough?
  • How has the pandemic transformed the efforts of grassroots activists and changed their methods to create impact?

We are looking for one or two young authors with a passion for writing who are interested in the topic and committed to unpack the relation between the work of activists everywhere in Europe and the political advancement towards a more sustainable, welcoming and fairer Europe.

 

Context

About the chapter:

  • The content of the chapter should have a strong focus on the role of youth, grassroots and marginalised and minority groups in achieving a better and more just transition away from fossil fuels towards a socially and environmentally sustainable future
  • The chapter should have a clear sub-structure (contextual introduction, main body divided in sub-sections and topics, summarising conclusion) and can include various formats (analysis, essays, case studies and/or interviews)
  • The chapter should support analysis with figures and examples from at least three European countries (including at least one non-EU)
  • The chapter should consist of 4000 to 6000 words
  • The contribution should be written in English
  • The remuneration for the writing of the chapter is EUR 500

We accept both individual and joint applications of maximum two authors to co-write the chapter. If you decide to apply with someone please send in only one joint application.

The writer(s) applying should:

  • Be interested and passionate about tactics, methods and narratives used by grassroots movements across Europe to achieve a socially just transition
  • Be determined in expanding their knowledge on the topic by doing research, following the work or contacting activists
  • (Possibly) have previous experience in writing extensive pieces
  • Feel comfortable in writing long texts in English

Timeline:

  • Send your application by 2nd April at 23:59 CET
  • You will be informed of the decision at the latest by 7th April (all applicants will be informed)
  • Start writing!
  • A first draft of the chapter should be sent in by the 7th of May
  • Wait for the feedback and comments of the FYEG Executive Committee
  • The final version of the chapter should be sent in by the 31st of May

 

Practicalities

To apply:

Please send the following to project.manager@fyeg.org by 2nd April @ 23:59 CET:

  • Your pitch for the chapter: a description of what you would like to write about (between 300 and 400 words)
  • A short mention of the structure and format you plan to use
  • A proposal for a concise title
  • Your CV (or CVs if two authors are applying)
Mar 01 2021
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Metals in the Energy and Digital Transition: The EU Facing an Uncertain Scenario

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[ENG]

 –  Información en español, más abajo.

 

There is no doubt that the climate crisis makes the energy transition to renewable sources indispensable. The 2015 Paris Agreement was a historic milestone, at least on paper, in terms of reducing emissions and boosting renewable energy. But some issues have not been sufficiently resolved, issues linked to the metals required for the “green” and digital technologies on which the energy transition is based.

In this context, will it be possible to guarantee a sufficient and clean supply of the metals required for a green and digital Europe? What does the EU propose to achieve its strategic autonomy? What are the keys that will allow us to look to the future with optimism?

 

Context:

The climate crisis makes it necessary and urgent to replace fossil fuels with renewables, but we must not forget one key issue: the “green” and digital technologies that will make this possible are based on non-renewable materials and require many more metals than fossil fuels, metals that are finite and, in many cases, scarce.

The distribution and scarcity of rare metals is altering the global geopolitical order and the European Union will be no stranger to its consequences. In the 21st century, the country that dominates their export and consumption is China, which also has a monopoly on a group of metals known as rare earths.

The West’s dependence on China is not limited to raw materials, but has extended to green and digital technologies, which complicates a situation of which the European Union is fully aware.

 

Speakers:

Henrike Hahn is a German Member of the European Parliament since 2019. As speaker for industrial policy and member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), she has extensive knowledge of the industry sector. Ms Hahn is the Green Shadow rapporteur for the own initiative report “A European strategy for critical raw materials”. She is a member of the delegations for relations with China and the United States. For many years she worked as strategy consultant for technology-oriented companies in Paris and Munich. Henrike is passionate about greening the industry and the social-ecological transformation of the economy.

Guillaume Pitron is a French journalist (Le Monde Diplomatique, National Geographic, etc.) and documentary maker. In 2018, he published his first book, “The Rare Metals War: The Dark Side Of the Energy Transition and Digitalization”. From Chinese rare earth metals, oil extraction in Alaska, to Sudanese gum arabic and khat trading in Djibouti, he focuses his work on commodities and on the economic, political and environmental issues associated with their use. He has authored around 100 reports, investigations and documentaries across more than 40 countries In 2017 he won the Erik Izraelewicz Prize for best investigative report of the year, awarded by the leading daily newspaper Le Monde, and the award for Best Economic Book of the year in 2018.

Richard Wouters is a researcher at Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks, the think tank of the Dutch Greens. His main interests are the circular economy, climate policy and technology. He’s leading the Green European Foundation’s project “Metals for a Green and Digital Europe”. Also for the Green European Foundation, he wrote the “Charter for the Smart City.”

The session will be moderated by Cárol García, who is a journalist and political scientist. She is a specialist in international relations and cooperation. She has worked in Senegal and Palestine and is currently communications coordinator at Alianza por la Solidaridad – ActionAid. She is a member of the board of trustees of Fundación Transición Verde.

Practicalities:

Registrations are now open – Próximos eventos: Los metales en la transición energética y digital (transicionverde.es)

Simultaneous interpretation Spanish-English will be provided for this event.

The ZOOM link and technical details will be sent to all registered participants on Monday 15th March. 

This event was organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.

 

[ESP]

Contexto

No hay duda de que la crisis climática hace indispensable la transición energética hacia fuentes renovables. El Acuerdo de París de 2015 supuso un hito histórico, al menos sobre el papel, en cuanto a reducción de emisiones e impulso a las energías renovables. Pero algunas cuestiones no han quedado suficientemente resueltas, cuestiones ligadas a los metales que requieren las tecnologías “verdes” y digitales en que se basa la transición energética.

¿Está garantizado el suministro de metales para hacer posible la transición ecológica? ¿Dónde y cómo se obtienen esos metales?. ¿Qué implicaciones ambientales y sociales tiene su extracción, transformación y posterior retorno como residuo? ¿Hasta qué punto está garantizada la salud y la protección del medio ambiente en las zonas mineras? ¿Cuál será el nuevo marco geopolítico mundial derivado de estas materias primas estratégicas? ¿Qué papel va a jugar la Unión Europea en esta nueva coyuntura? ¿Está dispuesta a cargar con los costes ambientales derivados de la transición energética?

Aunque no es fácil dar respuesta a estas cuestiones, no es menos cierto que el debate sobre cómo debe realizarse la ineludible transición energética no debe ser postergado. Si evitamos hablar o ignoramos los factores negativos que conlleva, volveremos a caer en los errores del pasado y no podremos realizar una auténtica transición verde.

Programa

Para arrojar luz sobre este complejo tema contaremos, durante la Sesión 16 de marzo (centrada en las repercusiones geopolíticas de la dependencia de estos metales y sus implicaciones para la Unión Europea), con los siguientes ponentes:

  • Guillaume Pitron, periodista de investigación y realizador de documentales, En 2018 publicó el libro La guerra de los metales raros: el lado oscuro de la transición energética y la digitalización
  • Henrike Hahn, eurodiputada alemana en el Parlamento Europeo y miembro de la Comisión de Industria, Investigación y Energía (ITRE) y de las delegaciones para las relaciones con China y Estados Unidos.
  • Richard Wouters, investigador en el Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks, think tank de Los Verdes holandeses. Dirige el proyecto de la Green European Foundation “Metales para una Europa verde y digital”.

La moderación correrá a cargo de Cárol García Toledano, miembro del patronato de Transición Verde. Periodista y politóloga. Coordinadora de comunicación en Alianza por la Solidaridad- ActionAid.

 

Informaciones prácticas

Inscripciones- https://survey.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8bQUJSjX71VYArs

Los detalles para la conexión se enviarán por email el 15 de marzo

Estas jornadas están organizadas por la Green European Foundation con la colaboración de Transición Verde y La Casa Encendida.

Mar 01 2021
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Metals in the Energy and Digital Transition: Limits and Impacts

By

[ENG]

 – para leer la descripción en ESP, vean más abajo –

 

There is no doubt that the climate crisis makes the energy transition to renewable sources indispensable. The 2015 Paris Agreement was a historic milestone, at least on paper, in terms of reducing emissions and boosting renewable energy. But some issues have not been sufficiently resolved, issues linked to the metals required for the “green” and digital technologies on which the energy transition is based.

In this session we will talk about the mineral limits of the energy transition and the implications that these limits bring with them. Are we willing to accept the impacts of mining for the benefit of the energy transition? What is the situation of the mining project in Cáceres? Does the current Spanish Mining Law of 1973 guarantee clean and responsible mining?

Context:

The technologies that make the energy transition possible are based on a wide variety of metals and huge quantities of them. Photovoltaic panels, wind turbines or electric cars would not exist without them. Tellurium, cobalt, copper, gallium, indium, lithium, nickel and zinc are some of these essential elements, all of which are at risk of being in short supply in the future, either because they are scarce in nature or because they are controlled by few countries.

Given this fact, a key question is how to supply the metals demand of the energy transition. In addition to diversifying imports, one of the EU’s objectives is to strengthen its strategic autonomy by increasing its internal supply capacity. In Spain alone, in recent years, applications have been submitted for several hundred new mining operations, which have been met with significant social protest. An emblematic case, due to its proximity to the historic centre of Cáceres, a World Heritage Site, and due to the environmental and social impacts that it may entail, is the San José de Valdeflores open-pit mining project for the extraction of lithium.

 

Speakers:

  • Alicia Valero is a chemical engineer and head of the Industrial Ecology group at the Research Centre for Energy Resources and Consumption (CIRCE Institute).
  • Juantxo López de Uralde is a Member of the Spanish Parliament for Unidas Podemos and president of the Ecological Transition Commission.
  • Santiago Martín-Barajas is a member of Ecologistas en Acción and expert on water, mining, energy, etc.

 

The session will be moderated by Cárol García, who is a journalist and political scientist. She is a specialist in international relations and cooperation. She has worked in Senegal and Palestine and is currently communications coordinator at Alianza por la Solidaridad – ActionAid. She is a member of the board of trustees of Fundación Transición Verde.

 

Practicalities:

Registrations are now open – Próximos eventos: Los metales en la transición energética y digital (transicionverde.es)

Simultaneous interpretation Spanish-English will be provided for this event

This event was organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.

 

[ESP]

Contexto

No hay duda de que la crisis climática hace indispensable la transición energética hacia fuentes renovables. El Acuerdo de París de 2015 supuso un hito histórico, al menos sobre el papel, en cuanto a reducción de emisiones e impulso a las energías renovables. Pero algunas cuestiones no han quedado suficientemente resueltas, cuestiones ligadas a los metales que requieren las tecnologías “verdes” y digitales en que se basa la transición energética.

¿Está garantizado el suministro de metales para hacer posible la transición ecológica? ¿Dónde y cómo se obtienen esos metales?. ¿Qué implicaciones ambientales y sociales tiene su extracción, transformación y posterior retorno como residuo? ¿Hasta qué punto está garantizada la salud y la protección del medio ambiente en las zonas mineras? ¿Cuál será el nuevo marco geopolítico mundial derivado de estas materias primas estratégicas? ¿Qué papel va a jugar la Unión Europea en esta nueva coyuntura? ¿Está dispuesta a cargar con los costes ambientales derivados de la transición energética?

Aunque no es fácil dar respuesta a estas cuestiones, no es menos cierto que el debate sobre cómo debe realizarse la ineludible transición energética no debe ser postergado. Si evitamos hablar o ignoramos los factores negativos que conlleva, volveremos a caer en los errores del pasado y no podremos realizar una auténtica transición verde.

Programa

Para arrojar luz sobre este complejo tema contaremos, durante la sesión 7 de abril (centrada en los límites en cuanto a disponibilidad de los metales y en los impactos locales que puede tener la intención de la UE de aumentar su autonomía en materias primas), con los siguientes ponentes:

  •  Alicia Valero, ingeniera química, dirige el grupo de investigación de Ecología Industrial en el Instituto CIRCE y es profesora en la Universidad de Zaragoza
  • Juantxo López de Uralde, diputado de Unidas Podemos en el Congreso. Presidente de la Comisión de Transición Ecológica
  • Santiago Martín Barajas miembro de Ecologistas en Acción y experto en agua, minería, energía, etc.

La moderación correrá a cargo de Cárol García Toledano, miembro del patronato de Transición Verde. Periodista y politóloga. Coordinadora de comunicación en Alianza por la Solidaridad- ActionAid.

 

Informaciones prácticas

Inscripciones- https://survey.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8bQUJSjX71VYArs

Habrá interpretación simultánea del inglés al español. Los detalles técnicos segiran por email el 15 de Marzo.

Estas jornadas están organizadas por la Green European Foundation con la colaboración de Transición Verde y La Casa Encendida.

Dec 09 2020
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In Search of a Green City

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About the event

What makes a city “green”? Planning, Mobility, Architecture, Climate and Energy, Waste,

Green Spaces, Biodiversity, Food System … Initiatives and commitments are multiplying, such as the Pact of Mayors for Energy and Climate, the Milan Pact, Circular Cities, Cities Without Pesticides, Green Cities Agreement, Declaration of Glasgow, among many others that can be voluntarily assumed by cities and municipalities to be more sustainable or ecological …

Do these commitments reach the public? How do they articulate with Spatial Planning? Are they transparent to the citizen? How do you know that such commitments have an effect?

In this webinar, the Green European Foundation and its partner Quercus will review some of these initiatives and discuss the ways that can safely take us towards greener cities. We will also go into two relatively recent approaches, that of local food policies and action plans for the biodiversity.

Programme

17:00 Welcome by Paula Lopes da Silva – Project Coordinator at Quercus

17:30 Raúl Gómez – Director of Fundacíon Transicíon Verde and member of Green European Foundation

18:00 Cecília Delgado – Architect, researcher and coordinator of the Food Network Cities Sustainable

18:30 Mário Carmo – Biologist, Specialist in Action Plans and Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystems

19:00 pm Meet and Greet with speakers

Registration

Participants can register via this link: EM BUSCA DA CIDADE VERDE

The event will be in Portuguese and Spanish.

——

This event is organized by the Green European Foundation with the support of Quercus and with the support of the European Parliament’s financial contribution to the Green European Foundation.

Nov 19 2020
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Towards a Fair and Low Carbon Tourism: Perspectives from Spain

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About the Event:

Tourism has positioned itself as one of the main engines of the Spanish economy, but the current crisis of COVID-19 – as the economic crisis of 2008 did before – has shown the fragility of the sector and has called into question the high dependence of the GDP on this activity. The pandemic should serve as an opportunity to seek alternatives to make tourism resilient to new economic, health and climate crises.

Tourism is also a sector that not only produces serious climatic and environmental impacts but these, in turn, affect it negatively. Water shortages, reduced climatic comfort, the loss of beaches or an increase in extreme weather events are some of the effects of global warming with direct consequences on tourism activity and which can seriously compromise its viability.

We should take advantage of the lessons learned during the pandemic to rethink a paradigm shift, a shift towards a fair, low-carbon tourism model that is prepared to face the major climate, economic and social challenges of our time and that is sustainable in the long term. Are we prepared for this?

Context:

This event is part of the Green European Foundation’s Fair and Carbon Free Tourism transnational project. This project aims to identify and create conditions for collective action against the detrimental social and environmental impacts of tourism. In many countries, tourism is a generator of GDP and fully employed in a growth oriented consumerist economy. However, there is an underestimated environmental and social impact of tourism.

Speakers:

  • Javier Benayas: Professor of Ecology at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and member of the Advisory Council of the Spanish Network for Sustainable Development. Town Planning and Sustainability Councilor in Soto del Real (Madrid).
  • Karima Delli: French MEP from the Greens/EFA group. Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism. In 2016 she was appointed vice-chair of the Commission of Inquiry into the Measurement of Emissions from Cars (the so-called Dieselgate).
  • Aurora Pedro Bueno: Director of the New Green Transition Chair at the University of Valencia. Consultant for the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since the mid-1990s and author of several publications on Tourism topics.

Moderator: Rosa M. Tristán, environmental and scientific journalist with 30 years of professional experience in different media (El Mundo, El HuffPost, El País, Público, RNE, …).

Practicalities:

Thursday, 3 December, 18:00-19:30

This is an online event, please register in advance via this link.

Simultaneous Spanish-English translation will be available.

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This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Fundación Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European parliament to the Green European Foundation

Nov 07 2020
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Just Transition – Let No One Be Left Behind

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About the Event:

The overflow of natural systems, the extremely rapid loss of global biodiversity or the impacts of climate change are not only a threat to some ecosystems, but to the global balance of the planet and, therefore, to ourselves as a species. Faced with this challenge, we cannot dissociate the search for natural balance from issues such as the future of employment or inequality which, while necessary to try to ensure that the necessary transition is fair, will require a broad social dialogue, as is already happening, for example, with coal mining basins.

In order to approach questions on a just transition, the Green European Foundation and Green Transition together with La Casa Encendidais bringing you thus webinar featuring Laura Martín Murillo, director of the Institute for the Just Transition (Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge), and Joaquín Nieto, director of the International Labour Organization in Spain; in which we will be able to learn about the current situation, the future perspectives and the most urgent issues both nationally and internationally in relation to the just transition. The moderation will be led by political analyst Cristina Monge and we will be welcomed by Dirk Holemans, Co-President of the Green European Foundation.

Context:

This webinar is part of the Green European Foundation’s Just Transition transnational project. The project looks into the question of transforming from an extractive to a regenerative economy in a just and equitable way to find the necessary support among the population. It seeks to show that the green family, including GEF in its specific role, is a leading actor in the development of future-proof politics and policies, developed in a sensitive way that keeps in mind local specificities.

Speakers:

  • Dirk Holemans, Co-President, Green European Foundation
  • Joaquín Nieto, Director of ILO (International Labour Organization) in Spain
  • Laura Martín Murillo, Director of the Just Transition Institute (Ministry for Ecological Transition)

Moderator: Cristina Monge, Political scientist, professor at the University of Zaragoza

Practicalities:

When: 19th November 2020 18:30 – 20:00 CET

Language: Spanish (simultaneous translation to English)

Register: https://transicionverde.es/encuentro-online-como-podemos-hacer-una-transicion-justa/

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This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation

Oct 12 2020
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Transformative Cities, Cities with a Future

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Context:

Part of the ‘Cities as Places of Hope’ series; a project launched in 2019 focussing on progressive city networks that are a key factor in the development for a positive narrative on the future of Europe.

About the Event:

The pandemic has had a massive impact on life in cities; during the lockdowns all around the world, we have once again been shown importance of liveable cities.

In this process, green areas that are accessible, comfortable and planned for everyone; cities accessible by bicycle and on foot; comfortable, climate-friendly and clean public transportation vehicles, a city management demonstrating the existence of social support and solidarity opportunities became prominent needs for green cities.

With presentations from our panel on the transformative policies that are part of our study, we will link these discuss how transforming cities squares with the Covid crisis and the climate emergency.

Speakers:

  • Dirk Holemans is co-chairman of the Green European Foundation (GEF), coordinator of the green think tank Oikos and editor-in-chief of the magazine with the same name. Previously, Dirk worked as a researcher and lecturer at various universities, was a member of the Flemish Parliament and for 20 years a councillor in the Belgian city of Ghent. His main interests are green economy, green cities and political ecology. He recently published “Freedom and Society”. Towards a socio-ecological society”.
  • Manuel Nunes is an archaeologist, teacher, freelance journalist, author and a member of several NGOs and, since 2013, deputy mayor and responsible for the Environment and Nature in the Municipality of Lousada. In the field of archaeology, he is a scientific consultant, coordinator of several research projects and has published dozens of scientific articles. As a journalist and author, he devoted more than 20 years to active environmentalism. He has published, in Portugal and Spain, a dozen books devoted to the dissemination and conservation of natural heritage. He is the founder and co-editor of the scientific journal LUCANUS, Environment and Society
  • María Sánchez has a degree in law and since 2011 she has been a councillor in the Valladolid City Council, currently working in the area of the Environment and Sustainable Development. She is the spokesperson for the Valladolid Municipal Group Toma la Palabra. She is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of AquaVall, a public water business entity following the municipalisation of the water cycle in 2017 and, from 2015 to 2019, she was Chairman of the Board of Directors of MERCAOLID (Valladolid Food Unit).

Moderator: Lidia Ucher is a journalist. Her professional activity is fundamentally linked to social communication from the field of international cooperation and the Third Sector of Social Action. She is an expert in communication 2.0 and influencing the Third Social Sector. Blogger, activist in social movements and 2.0 networks, author of the blog Comunicación para el Desarrollo and creator, promoter and dynamizer of the Comunicambio network.

Practicalities:

Where: Online platform – ZOOM

Language: Simultaneous translation will be available (English/ Spanish)

Registrations are open: https://transicionverde.es/jornada-online-ciudades-transformadoras-ciudades-con-futuro/

———–

This event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.

Sep 17 2020
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Green Transition for Europe

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Context:

COVID-19 has exposed the shortcomings of our public systems weakened for decades by those same policies that led to the 2008 economic crisis. From the impacts of climate change and the environmental crisis, there are important lessons for the future to draw: the first is that the global economic system is leaking through many holes that are costly to fix. The second is that living, as we have done up to now, against nature is incompatible with survival. Thirdly, the green transition is unavoidable and urgent, difficult and not without its sacrifices, but possible. Let’s make it happen together!

About the Event:

In this series of 4 roundtables, we invite you to reflect, together with high-level speakers, researchers, NGO leaders and politicians on how to seek realistic alternatives. If the green transition is necessary, as all the environmental and social indicators show, how can we implement it?

We will try to answer some of these questions in our sessions starting early October covering topics such as biodiversity and global change, decarbonisation, energy transition, agri-food systems, economy and taxation.

Programme:

October 8th
Biodiversity and global change

  • Fernando Valladares, PhD in Biological Sciences, research professor at the CSIC (Centre of Scientific Research), where he leads the group on Ecology and Global Change
  • Andrés Barbosa, manager of the State Research Agency’s Polar Programme and researcher at the CSIC (Centre of Scientific Research)

Moderator: Rosa Martín Tristán, journalist

October 15th
Decarbonisation of the economy and energy transition

  • Marie Toussaint, jurist and MEP in the Green/EFA Group
  • Pedro Prieto, Vice-President of the Spanish Association for the Study of EnergyResources (AEREN)
  • Giorgos Kallis, ecological economist and ICREA Research Professor at ICTA – Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Moderator: Marta Ojea, journalist expert on environment and energy

*Simultaneous translation (English-Spanish)

October 22nd
Present and future of the agri-food system

  • Olivier de Schutter, co-chair of IPES-Food and UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
  • Marta G. Rivera-Ferré, Director of the Chair of Agroecology and Food Systems at the University of VIC-UCC and member of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
  • Benoît Biteau, organic farmer and MEP in the Green/EFA Group

Moderator: Dolores Raigón, vice-president of the Spanish Society for Organic Agriculture

*Simultaneous translation (French-Spanish)

October 29th
Economy and taxation

  • Ernest Urtasun, MEP. Vice-president of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament (tbc)
  • Natalia Fabra, professor in the Department of Economics at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Moderator: Fernando Rodrigo, Fundación Transición Verde

*Simultaneous translation (English-Spanish)

 

Practicalities:

When: from 18:30h-19:30h CET on the following days:

  • Thursday 08 October
  • Thursday 15 October
  • Thursday 22 October
  • Thursday 29 October

Where: Online platform – ZOOM

Language: Spanish

Registrations are open: http://transicionverde.es/ciclo-transicion-verde/

*in Spanish

——-

“This series of events is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Transición Verde and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.”

Nov 27 2019
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Green Hub at COP25 (Madrid)

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About the Green Hub

The 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP25 will take place in Madrid, Spain, from the 2nd to 13th December.

A crucial event happening in a crucial year in the international discussion on climate change, COP25 will see many members of the Green political family travel from across Europe and the world to Madrid, to participate in Summit, the demonstration planned for the 6th, and a myriad of other activities.

To provide support for Green actors in Madrid during this important event, the Green European Foundation, with the support of Fundación EQUO, will establish a Green Hub: a meeting point which any member of the Green family can use, to rest and recharge, connect to the internet, meet other actors, have a coffee, leave some luggage, etc.

Come and join us at the Green Hub!

 Practical Info

Some information reagarding transport for those coming from different cities or countries:

  • Public transport in Madrid is very good; the easiest way to move about the City is the metro.
    Information about Metro de Madrid here: www.metromadrid.es/en .
    There are also suburban trains (in Spanish“Cercanías”), but we recommend you to use the Metro.
  • Metro Line number 8 (pink colour)  connects the Airport with the City and is also ideal for reaching the COP25 Venue via the Feria de Madrid metro station.
  • To travel on Metro de Madrid you need a “Multi Card” that can be purchased at Metro de Madrid ticket machines for 2,50 €. Once you have the “Multi Card” we advise you to load a 10-Journey Ticket (12,20 €) valid for Metro and city and intercity buses. Take into account that there is an “Airport Extra Charge” to enter or exit the “Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3” or “Aeropuerto T4” stations. This Extra Charge can be loaded on the “Multi Card” as well.

We also recommend you to install any of these apps that will aid you in travelling by public transport in Madrid:

Getting to the Green Hub 

The Green Hub can be found at  “Espacio Madrid 129”, Calle Ercilla, 46 Local 4.
Several Metro stations are well-placed to reach the Green Hub, the closest being “Embajadores” (Metro Line number 3 -yellow color) and “Acacias” (Metro Line number 5 -green color). On the map you can also find a big blue circle, which is the point where the Green March will start on the 6th.

The Green Hub will be open from 10:00 – 18:00, except on days with specific activities, in which cases it will be available until the event in question finishes.

To contact the Green Hub, you can reach Raul on +34 633679457, preferaby via WhatsApp or Telegram text message, or on 911666654.

 

Sep 17 2019
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The Leading Role of Cities in Fighting Against Climate Change (Madrid)

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Event Background

The role of cities is gaining prominence in the fight against climate change. The extreme severity of the environmental crisis would require urgent and courageous decision taking and action by government institutions at national, European and global levels, in the short, medium and long term, but on the contrary, the interference of economic powers is making this decision-making extremely slow and with little ambitious goals.

The municipalities, as institutions closer to citizenship, and citizen movements are getting many cities to take measures that are making them the forefront of the fight against climate change in the face of the paralysis of other institutions.

About the Event

This round table discussion will take place as part of the GEF transnational project Cities as Places of Hope in the European Union.

It will allow the speakers and guests to listen to and exchange on the different experiences of European cities and analyse the role that citizens can play in fighting a global crisis that threatens us all.

Speakers

  • Inés Sabanés, Councilor for More Madrid at the Madrid City Council
  • Júlia López Ventura, European Regional Director in C40
  • Rosa Fraga, Architect. Administrative Coordinator of the Platform for a New Energy Model (Px1NME)
  • Dirk Holemans, former Councilor of Ghent (Belgium), Director of the Think Tank Oikos, member of the board of the Green European Foundation.

Practicalities

This roundtable discussion is an open event. If you like to attend, please register your interest by contacting our partner at info@fundacionequo.es.

Round table organized by the Green European Foundation (GEF) with the support of Fundación EQUO and the collaboration of La Casa Encendida. 

 

Sep 16 2019
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Univerde: Capitalism in Front of the Mirror – the Socio-Environmental Response to a Predatory System (Córdoba)

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Event Background

The capitalist model of the 21st centuray has generated serious socio-evironmental crise, chiefly those of climate change and the degradation of biodiversity.

In the face of these challenges and the worryingly low levels of concern and action on the social and political levels, society must reflect on our future path to reverse the deterioration of the planet’s vital systems. The European Union needs to be a leader in the shifts to a more equitable and sustainable model.

About the Event

The 11th edition of the Green University in Spain, Univerde: Capitalism in Front of the Mirror – the Socio-Environmental Response to a Predatory System, will focus on the political and societal changes necessary to transition to a just and sustainable model. It will also explore the role of Europe as a leader in driving this change.

There will be particular focus on the topics of climate change, environmental refugees, geopolitics, conflicts over natural resources and Green policies versus the rise of the extreme right.

This event will allow for a political debate on the existing socio-economic model and the path forward, providing a space for exchange on good practices and real alternatives for a fairer, more equitable and respectful system for the planet.

Programme

FRIDAY 15
17:00 Welcome ceremony

17:30 Opening speech “Collapsing systems. Biophysical triggers of political situation”
• Nafeez Ahmed Mosadeqq, investigative journalist, author and academic

18:30 Break

19:00 Plenary Session “Understanding the system to change it”
It is increasingly clear that the capitalist system has ceased to increase the welfare of the majority
and is pushing environmental degradation to the limit. If we do not change course and overcome the
current social and economic model, the future will be seriously compromised. But to launch the
change we need to reflect on the system itself from different fields: political, educational, economic,
social …
Speakers:
• Antonio Campillo, philosopher and sociologist, professor of Philosophy at the University
of Murcia and former president of the Spanish Network of Philosophy
• Julio Anguita, teacher, politician and writer
• Lourdes Lucía, lawyer, editor, activist and co-founder of ATTAC Spain
Moderator: Manuel Bermúdez, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor in the Faculty of
Education Sciences at Córdoba University

SATURDAY 16
09:15 Parallel sessions
• Fake news and environmental crisis
Manuel Bermúdez, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor in the Faculty of Education Sciences at
Córdoba University
• Environmental migrations
Raquel Celis y Ana Ferri, CEAR Euskadi

11:00 Break

11:30 Keynote speech by Fernando Valladares, research professor of the Spanish Research
Council (CSIC) at the National Museum of Natural History (MNCN) and associated professor at the
Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid

12:15 Plenary session “Biodiversity under threat”
Capitalism and its excesses are having terrible consequences on the biodiversity and ecosystems of
our planet. The latest IPBES report alerts us to its very serious situation and the threat of extinction
of more than one million animal and plant species in the coming decades. This loss and
deterioration of biodiversity on a global scale also puts humanity at serious risk by subtracting
possibilities for future generations to enjoy a decent and healthy life.
Speakers:
• Victoria Reyes García, environmental anthropologist. ICREA Research Professor at the
Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA) at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
• Pilar Marcos, environmental biologist, coordinator of the Biodiversity Area of Greenpeace
Spain
• Alejandro Sánchez, biologist, regional deputy, member of the board of Fundación EQUO
Moderator: Rosa Tristán, journalist

14:00 Break for lunch

16:00 Parallel sessions
• Basic Income as a tool towards the ecological transition
Julen Bollain, economist and researcher, member of the Basic Income Network and BIEN
(Basic Income Earth Network). Member of the Basque Parliament by Elkarrekin Podemos
Jorge Pinto, research associate at the Centre for Ethics, Politics and Society (University of
Minho, Portugal) and co-founder of the Portuguese party LIVRE
Lucía Baratech, economist specialized in Ecological and Social Economics. Member of the
Basic Income Network
• The emerging social movements
Yetta Aguado, Koro López de Uralde y Tomás Castillo, activistas por el clima

18:00 Break

18:30 Plenary session: “The EU and the challenge of an unplayable ecological transition”
In this panel discussion we will try to address the real capacity and possibilities of the European
Union to make a fair ecological transition from the current social and political situation; resistance
to change and progress made; its role, responsibilities and obligations globally.
Speakers:
• Ernest Urtasun, MEP. Vice-president of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament
• Susana Borrás, Associate professor of Public International Law and International Relations
and coordinator of the Master’s Degree in Environmental Law at the University Rovira i
Virgili
• Marcos Castro, Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Malaga
• Juantxo López de Uralde, Ecologist. Member of the board of Fundación EQUO
Moderator: Lidia Ucher, journalist

20:15 Conclusions and closing

SUNDAY 17

10:00 – 14:00  Free visit to the archaeological complex of Medina Azahara, near Córdoba.

Practicalities

To register for this event, please visit the Univerde website (in Spanish), where you can also find more information on the event.

Registration fees:

  • €40 for registrations before the 31 October
  • €45 for registrations 1-11 November
  • €50 for tickets bought at the event
  • Reduced fees are available from €25 and €10

 

Feb 18 2019
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European Green Perspectives on Basic Income

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Throughout 2017 and 2018, the Green European Foundation transnational project Basic Income for all EU Citizens? focused on basic income and investigated the proposal’s potential in relation to employment, the recognition of work beyond paid work, and the gendered division of labour.

This collection of articles brings together experts on basic income from all across Europe, to debate and clarify different aspects of the topic and help develop proposals. The aim of the publication is to inspire the next steps in promoting the basic income discussion, one which encompasses some of the biggest challenges faced by society today.

In 2019, GEF will continue its work on basic income and contributing to transnational discussion with the project Basic Income – European Public Debate. 

Download

Available in Spanish

 

Oct 09 2018
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Chicken or Egg – Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) Congress Summary

By Uncategorized

Chicken or Egg – End Neoliberalism and Deliver Basic Income, or use Basic Income to End Neoliberalism?

Natalie Bennett was in Finland as part of the Green European Foundation’s expert group for a transnational project on Universal Basic Income, initiated in 2017.

In the framework of the “Basic Income for all EU Citizens?” transnational project, the GEF expert group, comprising Basic Income experts from Finland, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Serbia, and the United Kingdom, ateended the BIEN Congress to discuss the latest developments in the studies and application of the Basic Income models across Europe.

In addition to their participation in the conference, the expert group came together in a meeting organised by GEF to facilitate the development of the GEF Basic Income project.

GEF was present throughout the Congress, displaying and disseminating the outcomes of various GEF projects related to the topic.

 

Read the article in Spanish.

Jul 13 2018
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UBI - Basic Income

GEF at the BIEN Congress 2018 (Tampere)

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Context

In the framework of the “Basic Income for all EU Citizens?” transnational project, the GEF experts’ group, comprised of Basic Income experts from Finland, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Serbia, and the United Kingdom, will attend the BIEN Congress to discuss the latest developments in the studies and application of the Basic Income models across Europe. In addition to their participation in the conference, the experts’ group will come together in a meeting organised by GEF to facilitate the development of the GEF Basic Income project.

GEF will be present throughout the entire Congress displaying and disseminating the outcomes of various GEF projects related to the topic.

About the event

The 2018 BIEN Congress plans to build on the growing interest in Basic Income by inviting activists, stakeholders, policymakers, students and researchers to discuss the promises of Basic Income against the background of the need for a “new universalism”. The 2018 Congress is entitled “Basic Income and the New Universalism: Rethinking the Welfare State in the 21st Century”.

BIEN 2018 features a Film Festival with a dozen productions from around the world on the topic of Basic Income. The Film Festival will run alongside the congress and can be visited by Congress participants but is also open to the general public. The Congress language is English.

For more information about the conference and registration, visit the website of the BIEN 2018.

Jul 04 2018
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Univerde X Edition (Madrid)

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Context

66% of the world population will live in urban areas by 2050. Currently, already 73% of Europeans live in urban areas. There is no doubt that the future of humanity will be decided in cities and that they can be catalysts for the transformation we urgently need to face the multiple challenges, both socially and environmentally, that we see at the moment. Cities constitute the new political centre, tackling global problems on a local level: local governments and citizens’ movements are at the forefront of the fight against climate change or aid to refugees, and new forms of participation and democracy are being experimented with.

About the event

At this Univerde, which will already be the tenth edition of the successful Spanish summer school, we’ll reflect on the present and future of cities; about their role for the future of the planet and its inhabitants; about how our cities should be to move towards environmental and social sustainability.
In this context, we’ll discuss about climate change, citizen movements and commons, gentrification, water and food supply, the relationship between the urban and the rural. We will bring positive European experiences that can be replicated in other cities.

Programme

Saturday, September 8

08:45 – 09:30 Accreditation
09:30 – 11:15 Parallel Workshops:
  • Green urbanism for the 21st century
  • Cities of solidarity: immigration and cooperation
  • Political ecology and local political action
  • The policy against plastics
  • Education for the ecological transition in cities
11:15 – 11:45 Break
11:45 – 12:15 Opening Ceremony: Initial reflections on the city
  • Aurélie Maréchal, Director of the Green European Foundation
  • Javier Ayala, Mayor of Fuenlabrada
  • Florent Marcellesi, Member of the European Parliament for Greens/EFA
  • Monica Frassoni, Co-president of the European Green Party and Board member of Fundación EQUO
  • Juan López de Uralde, Co-spokesperson of EQUO and member of the Congress of Deputies for Unidos Podemos

12:15 – 14:00 Round table: Cities and citizens building future

Moderator: Mariano Baratech, Sociologist and Member of the EQUO Fundación’s board
  • Evelyne Huytebroeck, Member of the Brussels Parliament and Local Councillor in the Brussels commune of Forest, Responsible of the Local Councilors Network for the European Green Party
  • Julia López Ventura, C40’s Regional Director for Europe
  • Christina Monge, Political scientist and Associate Professor of Sociology at the Unversity of Zaragoza
14:00 – 15:45 Lunch break
15:45 – 17:30 Parallel Workshops:
  • The city of the future vs. the field of the past
  • Women who “paint” cities to inhabit them
  • Re-municipalisation of basic services: water
  • A more just, supportive and sustainable Europe: the role of EQUO in the European Parliament
  • Re-naturalisation of our cities

17:30 – 18:00 Break

18:00 – 18:45 Keynote speech: Anthropocene and bioregion
  • Fernando Prats, urbanist architect. Advisor of the Complutense University of Madrid for the Global Change Spain 2020/50 programme
18:45 – 20:30 Round table: City and territory. The road to a sustainable coexistence
Moderator: Ana Sabaté, former Professor of Human Geography at the Complutense University of Madrid
  • Marco Marangoni, Member of the research team of EStà – Economia e Sosenibilità
  • Alejandro Sánchez, Member of the regional parliament of Madrid
  • Irene Lorite, Architect and Urbanist, Advisor in the municipality of Cercedilla (Madrid), Member of Ahora Movilidad

Sunday, September 9

9:45 – 12:00 Parallel Workshops:
  • Latest lessons on citizens’ participation
  • Make your city a seed
  • “With you”: The positive presence of the wolf in our environment
  • Bullying in a digital world – cyberbullying
  • Energy transition in the administration: reality or fiction
  • Visit to the agricultural park of Fuenlabrada
12:00 – 13:45 Round table: Green cities – egalitarian and sustainable
Moderator: Ana M. Álvarez, Local councillor of Parla (Madrid)
  • Neus Truyol, Councillor of Ecology, Agriculture and Animal Welfare of the Palma de Mallorca City Council
  • Inés Sabanés, Councillor of Environment and Mobility of the Madrid  City Council
  • Jean-Claude Englebert, First Deputy Mayor of the municipality of Forest (Region of Brussels-Capital)

13:45 Closing Ceremony

  • Ruth Pascual, Local Councillor of Fuenlabrada
  • Marta Santos, Co-spokesperson of EQUO
  • José Larios, President of Fundación EQUO

Stay tuned for updates on our website and get more information via info@fundacionequo.es.

Apr 12 2018
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Transforming the society from the City of the Commons (Vitoria-Gasteiz)

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Context: European cities as the key element of transnational governance

More and more cities across Europe and worldwide are organising themselves through initiatives such as Eurocities, Fearless Cities, Fabcities and many more, to work together in areas such as climate policy, renewable energy or urban economy.

Especially cities with progressive governments are spearheading this development and are becoming the key factor of transnational governance.  Oftentimes the respective initiatives start from the bottom up and there must then be a fertile ground provided by local administrations so they can flourish. Those new types of relationships between the public sphere and the commons can become the key drivers within a transformative city model that will ultimately help us achieve more just and ecological societies.

About the event

This conference aims to serve as a collective reflection on the urban governance of cities and the limits and functions of the cooperation between administration and an active citizenry across Europe. Experts from Italy, Belgium and Spain will share their experiences and best practices that are implemented in other cities. It will be organised in conjunction with a conference of the New Economic and Social Innovation Forum (NESI), that will be held the following day, on 9 May, at the same venue.

Draft Programme

17:30 – 17:40 OPENING Óscar Fernández, Member of EQUO and Councillor of Vitoria-Gasteiz

17:40 – 18:30 KEYNOTE “OSTROM IN THE CITY: PRINCIPLES AND DESIGN PRACTICES FOR URBAN COMMONS” Christian Iaione, Associate professor of public law at Guglielmo Marconi University of Rome, visiting professor of governance of the commons at LUISS Guido Carli where he directs LabGov.

18:30 – 20:45 ROUNDTABLES: THE NEW EUROPEAN CITIES OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE COMMON SPHERE

1. Citizens’ initiatives

  • Culture and political thought in Madrid, Iñaki Alonso, vice-president of the Teatro del Barrio cooperative
  • Urban gardens in Zabalortu, Susana Cantero, activist and member of Zabalortu Association
  • Energy cooperatives, Erika Martínez, Communication Manager of GoiEner

Moderated by: Borja Izaola, architect, anthropologist and consultant

19:30 – 19:45 BREAK

2. Initiatives of local administrations

  • The experience of Ghent, Dirk Holemans, councillor of Ghent and member of the board of the
    Green European Foundation
  • B-MINCOME project (Barcelona), Lluis Torrens, Director of Planning and Innovation of the Social Rights
    Area of the Barcelona City Council
  • Manage waste creating citizen value (Madrid), Reyes Montiel, Director of the Environment and Mobility Department of the Barcelona City Council

Moderated by: Maritxu Díez, journalist

20:45 – 21:00 CLOSING AND CONCLUSIONS Xabi Marrero, spokesperson of EQUO Araba

This conference will be simultaneous interpretation Spanish-English throughout the conference.

Register now by following this link and stay tuned for updates by following us on Facebook or Twitter to learn about our other activities.