Civic engagement as a driver for the ecological transition in Bourgogne-France-Comté Region

The POTEs* network (POTEs – Ordinary Pioneers of the Ecological Transition), was founded in 2017. Its goals are to give visibility to its members and their initiatives in order for them to spread, to spawn collective projects and to promote mutual assistance with the overarching aim of accelerating ecological transition projects.
The POTEs network brings together people from all walks of life, from all social classes, from all professional sectors and of all ages. It is an incredible melting pot of people who act on a daily basis to build a more sustainable, more desirable society.

Born from the political will of the BFC Region and co-coordinated with Energy Cities in partnership with ADEME (National Energy Agency) and the regional biodiversity agency, the POTEs network celebrated its seventh anniversary in 2024. The figure 7 is often associated with the perfect, finished and completed cycle! Whatever the case, the network has experienced 7 years of sharing, meetings, discussions and projects.

Over the past 7 years the network has expanded, starting with about fifty people to reach nearly 600 members today. Over those years, members have learned and built together to make this network what it is today: a forum and a source of knowledge and skills upon which everyone can rely.
Above all, these 7 years have seen inspiring encounters and human experiences.

The network has reached the perfect age to embark on an appreciative inquiry, a participatory process that relies on collective intelligence and nourishes bonds between participants. The objective of the appreciative inquiry is to take a look at the POTEs network, its history and its deployment, building on existing positive elements and creative thinking.

A sensitive and human network

Throughout the year, the facilitation team consulted the members of the network at meetings, via surveys, by organising workshops. Through three questions, it was able to get a picture of a sensitive and human network, a dynamic of sharing and mutual support, and the importance of local roots for the development of the network.

The ideas resulting from the appreciative inquiry helped to define the ingredients necessary for sharing this POTEs approach to inspire other regions and other territories.

Ingredients for succes

These ingredients include a political will, an inclusive working method, recognition, knowledge and promotion of the actions carried out by people and the setting up of collectives in the regions.

The POTEs are an asset for territories, eager to mobilize alongside them. By sharing their practices, the POTEs can be a source of inspiration for local policies and their residents. With their diverse profiles, POTEs can bring expertise and know-how to the development, implementation, or facilitation of local ecological transition plans.

Do you also want to bring together and showcase committed and motivated local stakeholders with the aim of gearing up the ecological transition in your region?
What are the ingredients that already exist in your area to initiate such a network?

We invite you to use the appreciative inquiry developed within the POTEs network and explained in this publication (in French). Try it out and share your experience!

* in French, POTE means friend, buddy