Local Authorities for Sustainable Development (DEAR project 2015-2017)

Climate Alliance’s project, “EYD2015: The future we want – Local Authorities for Sustainable Development”, focused on the European Year for Development 2015 (EYD2015) and now serves to heighten citizens' awareness of development issues as well as promote active engagement with major development debates.

Via the project, the 16 project partners from 10 European countries, will give citizens and politicians a deeper understanding of global interdependencies by calling into question European overconsumption of natural resources and showing the way toward more responsible and globally fair consumption habits.

To reach these goals, the project focuses on two main activities during the three years.

The first is the Europe-wide awareness raising campaign “A good life is simple”, developed by the project consortium, which showcases positive examples to follow in daily life. A progressive approach urges people to integrate climate action into their lives and become active in the fields of mobility, nutrition, consumption and energy.

The second main activity will bring indigenous ‘counsellors’ to Europe, making use of their wisdom to evaluate pressing European challenges. Our indigenous partners are living since thousands of years in their own sustainable development model in the rainforest and there is a lot we can learn from them in terms of our own consumer habits, resource efficiency and forest management. How can we translate their knowledge into our life and culture and how can this translate this into concrete recommendations towards national and European policy makers?

A third branch of our activities focuses on education and community evolvement towards different target audiences (from primary schools to adults) on the decentralised development cooperation and the addressed future challenges. Practically, activities will include implementation of learning platforms on unsustainable impacts on natural resources, sustainable mobility tools for young students, competitions between schools and new educational materials resulting from exchanges with indigenous communities.

Finally, a horizontal part of the project focuses on the policy implications and conducts advocacy work towards the European institutions. This includes direct meetings between partners and members of the European Parliament, exchanges with the Committee of the Regions and other key stakeholders (DG Devco, EESC, Platforma, NGOs).

Detailed information about the project and its aims

The partner organisations and municipalities:

    Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM) - Luxembourg

    Climate Alliance Austria

    Climate Alliance Hungary, Reflex

    Nadace Partnerstvi, Czech Republic

    Focus Eco Center, Romania

    kate, Germany

    OroVerde, Germany

    IMRO, Hungary

    Anatoliki, Greece

    City of Munich, Germany

    City of Bonn, Germany

    City of Cascais, Portugal

    City of Daruvar, Croatia

    City of Tigru Mures, Romania

    City of Zoersel, Belgium

    City of Wels, Austria

    ... and Climate Alliance as lead

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  project meeting in Cascais, Portugal