Local governanceAbout
The Climate Pact is one of the strategic pillars of the proposed European Green Deal. If properly designed, this new instrument could be a game-changer in shaping new democratic, social and economic models for collective climate action in Europe.
At the moment, the aim is still very vague with the broad intention to “give citizens and all parts of society a voice and role in designing new actions, launching grassroots activities, sharing information and showcasing solutions.”
With the launch of this new mechanism and the opening of a wide consultation on March 4th, the European Commission essentially aims to reconnect with disillusioned citizens who are demanding more climate action through ambitious political commitment, dialogue and concertation.
The Problem
The climate crisis cannot be solved by the same political and economic system that we have inherited from the industrial revolution. Everywhere around the world, infrastructure and services, livelihoods, food and energy systems are being threatened by extreme weather conditions or predatory use of resources. Experience is showing that solutions to these problems cannot be managed top-down by central authorities. They require citizens, academic institutions, local economic actors, government and civil society at large to join forces in order to devise common solutions that would genuinely leave no one behind.
The Solution
“Protecting our way of life”, the name of a new EU Commissioner’s portfolio, should actually be changed to reinventing our way of life. Devising a new societal pact, based on a reformed set of values and standards that redefine our relationship to our local ecosystem and our respective responsibilities and commitments in addressing the climate threat. Whether at territorial, social or economic level, this would also help us give new meaning to the word “cohesion”, one of the most valued aim of the European project.
Read our concrete proposals in this position paper!
