UDiTE AND VEOLIA HOST SUCCESSFUL HIGH-LEVEL WORKSHOP AT EU WEEK OF REGIONS AND CITIES 2022
An effective & functional territorial ecosystem is now at the heart of any local & regional development approach where the links between all stakeholders in the public, private & voluntary sectors are key to delivering successful outcomes if we are to respond to the 2021-27 financial opportunities & the targets set by the European Union and the Member States for 2030. The time of state driven top
down initiatives has long gone and has instead been replaced by the challenges of creating functional territorial ecosystems that take account of the economic and social dimension and respect the limits of the natural environment of that territory. Speaking to the workshop, Stephane Pintre, UDiTE President, underlined the important role that operational tools and guides can play in enabling #localgov CEOs to fully enage with their territorial ecosystem in a way that delivers local, national and European Union policies.
Our keynote speaker, Loig Chesnais Girard, President, Brittany Region and Member of the Committee of the Regions, spoke about the Breizh Cop,an initiative set up in the region in 2017 at the time of the COP21 to accelerate an integrated Breton green transition. It was the first region in France to do so. Since then, the process has involved an open and transparent dialogue with a wide range of citizens and organisation across the region that takes into account the actual situation in each territory and has led to 5900 commitments being made that are being monitored as opart of the BREIZH Cop.
Xavier Boivert, Vice President of SNDGCT and DG from the Commune of Mordelles in Brittany set out the concept of the local and regional ecosystem and underined how in the light the pandemic and climate emergencies the call for functioning ecosystems is growing. Interdependendecy between people and organisations locally is growing. The sense of responsibility is strong and whilst fragile smaller organisation are showing greater agility to work in new ways with their communities. Xavier underlined the critical role of local administrations play in delivering on EU policies on the ground by developing plans and projects, setting rules based frameworks and accessing funding that command the broad support of the local ecosystem. For the successful green transition of our territories a functioning territorial ecosystem is vital and the delivery of outcomes for the 2021/27 programmes & achieving 2030 goals depends upon it.
Mathilde Guyard from the Renaissance Ecologique introduced an innovative tool that can help inspire citizens commitment to place making locally. Through its 24 pillars the Fresco appoarch can help stakeholders visualise and identify with their local community, find their place within it and better understand the vision for tomorrow both in terms of positive impact projects on the 24 pillars of transition and the timescales for action. Matilde underlined the importance of the approach in terms of its adaptability to different territories, its potential to inspire citizens, its ability to federate different local interests from public, private and volunary sectors and finally its value as a cocreation process where by visions are develpped together with all actors in the local ecosystem.
Finally, Jeromine Albertini / Strategic Partnerships director, VEOLIA, UDitE main partner in EWRC 2022 a champion of the ecological transformation, will bring its rich experience & best practices that are delivering green transitions throughout Europe.