Decarbonising the global economy is the primary means of tackling global warming. However, it also implies a disruptive change process which can be costly for social groups already at risk. The social impact of adaptation and mitigation policies has become clear and there is a growing need to reconcile social justice and environmental sustainability goals. Cities have a clear role to play in achieving these goals.

There is a pressing need to identify practical ‒ and just ‒ policy solutions able to inspire locally driven low-carbon transitions in EU cities. Recognising the urgency, the UIA has led a two-year policy review (2021-2023) to explore a sample of projects run by cities to support just transitions so that no one is left behind.

The review identifies city-level good practices. It teases out useful policy insights to help urban policy practitioners and managing authorities with the challenges of making Just Transitions a reality in their territories. In this regards, the study focuses on three main key topics: It

• Skills for a Green urban future.
• Accessible and Affordable Green City for All.
• Democratic and Green Transitions.

Marcelline Bonneau is the Lead Expert for the “Make the transition affordable for all” sub-activity.

Client: Urban Innovative Actions

More information here

• Establish a territorial diagnosis based on indicators, linked to EU priorities
• Identify opportunities for action in relation to 2021-2027 European priorities and those of Schaerbeek
• Updating data for The Local Sustainable Development Plan in order to support project holders developing relevant projects
• Suggesting thematic priorities for the College of vice-mayors and mayors

Client: Administration Communale de Schaerbeek

The FoodWaste Mission is a mentoring project to support Brussels citizens to reduce their foodwaste. Marcelline is involved for waste measuring part of the activities, following up on the work from FoodWasteWatchers.

More on the project’s website.

Partners: FoodWin

Funding authority: Bruxelles environnement

In order to tackle most of these issues, Lille will create an innovative device: a collective kitchen that articulates various actions towards the district’s population:

1. Providing a shared space to socialize. There you may cook, eat, meet people, and make new experiences (including an audio-visual studio, and a vertical agriculture demonstrator);

2. Organizing workshops, mostly against waste and malnutrition;

3. Creating a virtuous ecosystem of training and job opportunities: crash courses, and meeting with employers on the one hand; restaurants and food processing activities on the other hand.

Most part of the innovation lies within the fact that, contrary to the usual public equipment, the kitchen will respond to an original collective governance. Furthermore, it will be financially autonomous while receiving part of the benefits from private activity operating in the vicinity.

A dense prefiguration program will anticipate, during the first 2 years of the program, the inauguration of the building.

Marcelline is the Expert of this project, capitalising on its experience as well as providing pieces of advice and recommendations.

More information on the project here.

Funding Authority: Urban Innovative Actions