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Third El-Practice Newsletter
Welcome to the third newsletter of the EL-Practice project, which provides an update on the project's progress and initiatives. The last few months have been an intensive time spent working on microsessions and the online platform.
One of the main activities of the project in the last semester was the staff training (C1), which took place in Graz, Austria, from June 26-30, 2023. The training program aimed to provide project partners with a space to collaborate, exchange valuable insights and share best practices in areas such as the education platform and energy and sustainability-related fields.
El Practice C1 short-term staff training in Graz, Austria
In the last month, from June 22nd to June 26th, 2023, project partners gathered in Graz, Austria, for a short-term staff training (C1). At least two partners from each organization participated, representing the partner countries, namely Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and the host - Austria. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss all the assumptions of the implemented project and a space to exchange information on the challenges related to creating a platform and an online course in the field of sustainable energy use among young adults.
The project partner meeting of the Visions2045 project
The second project meeting of the Visions2045 project was held in Sofia, Bulgaria on June 21 and 22, 2023. The event was attended by representatives of organizations from Poland, Germany, Slovenia and Bulgaria.
During the meeting, the project partners had the opportunity to present the effects of the activities carried out so far and share experiences from cooperation with schools. The carbon footprint audits and the first meetings with stakeholders were presented in individual countries. The results of the project achieved have been summarized. The planned work schedule for the next year made it possible to adjust activities involving schools so as to be able to prepare well and substantively for all locally planned events, taking into account national realities.
Visit of Mayors of Eastern Europe in Poland
From May 22 to May 26, 2023, a five-day study visit of Mayors of Eastern European countries (Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Moldova) took place: in two marvellous member cities of the Association - Bielsko-Biala and Cieszyn. The visit was aimed at exchanging experiences, getting to know local development initiatives and establishing new contacts, thus strengthening cooperation between cities. The meeting was held as part of the City2City program implemented as part of the Covenant of Mayors initiative.
3rd meeting of the Local Advisory Board within the S3UNICA project
On Monday, 19.06.2023, a meeting of the Local Advisory Board established within the framework of the international S3UNICA project took place, which this time was held in the online format. This was the third meeting with representatives of the City of Bielsko-Biala and local universities and high schools.
Schools with a vision - first steps towards climate neutrality
Four schools - SP1 and SP5 from Minsk Mazowiecki and SP8 and SP10 from Zamosc participating in the VISIONS2045 project ("Schools as Drivers to Climate Neutrality in Cities”, funded by EUKI) have already learned about their carbon footprint and are preparing to develop an action plan which implementation will help them to move towards climate neutrality.
Sustainable development of cities and municipalities on the way to climate neutrality - Jadwisin 2023 seminar
Nearly 70 representatives of cities and municipalities met on 11 and 12 May in Jadwisin during a seminar on 'Sustainable development of cities and municipalities on the road to climate neutrality', organised by the Association of Municipalities Polish Network 'Energie Cités'. Participants had the opportunity to listen to experts from, among others, from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, the National Centre for Climate Change IOŚ or the Renewable Energy Development Forum, as well as participants of the debate on the successes and barriers in the energy transition of cities and municipalities, and to take part in good practice sessions held in small groups.
International meeting of the OwnYourSECAP project in Vienna
The second meeting of the Own Your SECAP project took place in Vienna, Austria on the 25th and 26th of April.
During the first day, the project partners held presentations on the progress of each task in the project. They discussed about each work package and the next steps and actions to be taken in the coming months. While the partners discussed current and future activities, representatives of the project municipalities visited places that provide an interesting example of the measures implemented by the city for energy transition and climate protection. They were guided by an architect and lecturer at the University of Vienna, who explained the selected sites in detail. Among other things, he used the example of several buildings on Geblergasse Street to show the potential of unrenovated buildings, both from an energy and social perspective. Then the group visited the Smartblock Geblergasse (a project that won a state award in the field of architecture and sustainability) to demonstrate how the potential of existing buildings, in which apartments have been expanded and completely renovated during a comprehensive renovation, can be realized. Representatives from the municipalities also saw the Seestadt Aspern in Vienna, one of the largest urban planning projects in Europe, with numerous examples of protection and adaptation to climate change in new development areas in a small space. The day ended with a joint dinner.
Final meeting of the S3UNICA project in Trieste
S3UNICA (Smart SpecialiSation UNIvercity Campus) project funded by the Interreg Europe program is slowly coming to the end. A final dissemination event was held on April 20, 2023. Project partners and representatives of the target regions had the opportunity to meet in person in Trieste and at the same time participate online, those who could not join.
The entire event was organized under the theme Regional Policies for Energy Efficient Buildings and aimed to promote the project results and disseminate the outcomes of the Regional Action Plans to a wide range of stakeholders and local decision-makers. The Action Plans are one of the main achievements of the S3UNICA project, so each of the partners had the opportunity to share their activities planned and implemented within its framework.
Covenant of Mayors 2023 conference in Brussels - the role of cities as leaders in the EU energy transition
How European cities are turning the energy crisis into an opportunity to drive Europe towards a climate-neutral and just future?
On March 30, the 2023 Covenant of Mayors Conference in Brussels brought together high-level representatives of EU institutions and Mayors from cities across Europe.
Nine mayors showcased what their cities are doing faced with the two big crises of today: the energy and climate crises. The exchange highlighted how cities’ response to the energy crisis is setting an example for Europe’s long-term efforts in matters of energy and climate. Panelists shared long-term solutions that will accelerate a profound social and energy transformation and the support that European institutions and national governments can provide to local governments in this process to reach common objectives.
