Embracing the role of cities and regions in protecting democracy at Energy Cities Annual Forum

The third edition of Grafting Cities will be hosted by Guimarães on 28, 29 and 30 April under the theme ‘Nurturing the roots’, which aims to highlight that cities need strong bases to defend democracy and develop effective sustainable strategies. The programme includes a debate on local democracy and other moments to connect with leaders and cities’ representatives.

Building strong and stable foundations in cities and regions

At a time when the upcoming EU budget foresees fewer resources to feed our cities’ roots, and when democracy itself faces difficult challenges, it is more crucial than ever to ensure that cities have strong, resilient roots for ambitious energy and climate policies. It means ensuring adequate funding, building local capacity, giving citizens space to express their needs and actively participate in shaping their cities, creating supportive frameworks for sustainable projects, and establishing a virtuous circle of local action.

The theme of the forum, ‘Nurturing the roots’ highlights the importance of the right conditions for cities to grow and succeed, especially strong local democracy. This will be treated on April 29; the day will start with a conversation of our President and the Mayor of Leuven (BE), Mohamed Ridouani with the Vice-Mayor of Cascais (PT), Luís Almeida Capão, who is responsible for the portfolios of Environment, Climate and Citizenship. They will speak about the role of municipalities in rethinking the transition as a path to empower citizens to take the the reins of their own future.  

In the afternoon the debate on ‘Reviving local democracy’ will gather Mohamed Ridouani and Benedek Jávor, Head of Representation of Budapest to the EU. They will focus on the following questions:

• How can cities and communities keep the political space they need to shape their own future?
• How can they provide essential services and ensure a good quality of life for their residents?
• How can democracy remain strong and active during difficult times?

On April 30, we will organize the Mayors’ Club Session a space reserved to elected representatives to discuss shared issues and topics behind closed doors. The theme of this edition will be ‘Local energy transition for strong local democracies’ to analyse how cities and regions can strengthen local democracy while supporting and delivering the energy transition. The discussion will focus on how local elected officials need to overcome concrete obstacles, especially around infrastructure: long permitting procedures, limited grid capacity, difficulties in disconnecting from the gas network, and complex relations with DSOs, while also fostering citizen participation.

Connecting, building partnerships and getting inspired

The programme offers different moments to connect with local elected representatives, EU and city officials and other stakeholders to share experiences and get inspired. The first day, Tuesday April 29, will begin with a networking cocktail where you will discover Energy Cities work and you will meet your partners for the next two days. The second day will be devoted to the six thematic journeys, where you will meet local actors in the morning during the site visits and in the afternoon, you will collaborate with other peers during the thematic workshops. The day will conclude with a convivial moment to share learnings and refresh before the debate on local democracy. In the evening, you can enjoy and relax at the gala dinner.

The third day, on April 30, the Cities’ stories session will be a platform where cities and regions will present their success stories so you can discover the amazing developments that are taking place in Europe and beyond. The session will also include a round of presentations where municipalities can share a challenge they are dealing with, which then will be discussed with all attendees in round tables. It will be followed by a Matchmaking Session, reserved to Energy Cities members, which will start with expert insights from CINEA representative Michele Sansoni and EUI representative Anke Möllers, who will present the latest open calls under the LIFE Programme and the European Urban Initiative (EUI). Following the presentations, the session will split into two groups for an interactive matchmaking round. If you would like to benefit from these exclusive sessions for members, join the network.

Register now and don’t miss the chance to participate in these sessions and forge new partnerships to keep advancing in the green transition!

Registrations close on April 7.