Transforming local economies to ensure sufficiency and social justice

Empowering local players, making wise use of our resources and living within our planet’s boundaries requires sound, democratic decision-making processes.  

We, at Energy Cities, are driven by a desire to strengthen the role and skills of local governments to ensure local communities’ well-being and to accelerate the transition to climate neutrality. The Energy Cities Hubs are the community spaces dedicated to our members that:   

• Activate local leaders to deliver living spaces that are accessible to everyone  
• Empower local communities to decide on their own future  
• Inspire a learning community of cities engaged in future-proofing their economies  

Our 5 Hubs, launching in April, will be a new way of structuring the activities of our network. Stay tuned in the coming weeks to find out more! Today, we’re exploring the Resource-wise & socially just local economies Hub.

What is the “Resource-wise & socially just local economies” Hub about?  

We cannot continue to aim for growth and reduce CO2 emissions and resource consumption at the same time. We need to rethink the notions of “prosperity” and “growth”. As a matter of fact, in a context that is no longer of abundance and unconstrained expansion, this requires a way of life that is compatible with planetary boundaries and meets decent living conditions for all.

Are you looking for ways to translate the concept of sufficiency at local level? To lead initiatives that foster new economic models and ensure social justice? Are you wondering what local governments can do to foster changes in consumption and production patterns and local circular approaches? Then the Resource-wise & socially just local economies Hub is for you!

Through alternatives and new narratives, we will inspire cities to rethink local social and economic models based on local resources, while ensuring societal solidarity and equity.  

Concretely, what does it mean? 

Through a series of activities that we will provide within this Hub, we will: 

• Make sure that our members are up to date and informed about the latest EU policy developments through policy briefs for local policy makers with key updates on major EU policy files
• Organise discussions between local political leaders and key EU policy makers on concrete proposals in support of cities’ climate transition 
• Help our members build their capacities in order to facilitate their transition journey. We will achieve this with training, coaching, tools and peer-to-peer exchanges 
• Facilitate our members’ access to EU funding with info sessions, matchmaking events and project ideas labs. We will also run competitive calls for funding on specific topics. 

Ready to join the Resource-wise & socially just local economies Hub? 

As our member, you can join and benefit, free-of-charge, from all the activities of our five Hubs, aligned with our intervention systems and impact targets. By joining our Hubs, you become part of our learning community of local practitioners with different backgrounds and fields of expertise: political representatives, technicians and city officers, all sharing the same vision: reaching climate neutrality by 2050. Interested in the Resource-wise & socially just local economies Hub? Get in touch to pre-register here.  

We launched our Hubs during our Annual Forum in April and we will keep you posted in the coming weeks.