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WG Green Hydrogen kick-off meeting

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The AER working group on Green Hydrogen is organising its kick-off meeting on 13 March 2023 from 09:30-11:30

The proposal for this working group is led by Catalonia (ES). It is supported by Burgenland (AU), Lower Austria (AU), Valle D’Aosta (IT), Flevoland (NL), Maramures (RO), Värmland (SE), Västra-Götaland (SE), Fribourg (CH), and Denizli (TR), Kosice (SK)

This meeting will be open to AER members only

During this first meeting, AER members interested in sharing experiences and knowledge on the topic of Green Hydrogen will:

  • get to know each other (pitch on the region)
  • share why the topic matters for them now
  • share how the working group would create value for them: what they expect, how they would like to contribute
  • define activities for the coming months

The group will also agree on who should be the Chair of the Working Group

More information on how to set-up a working group at AER here.

For any questions, please contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius

Context: scaling up the renewable hydrogen economy

There is significant work to do to scale-up production and demand. At present, hydrogen makes up less than 2% of Europe’s energy mix and is still largely produced from fossil fuels. Producing clean hydrogen from renewable sources like wind and solar is expensive, and while technology has improved and come down in cost, there remain challenges connecting hydrogen production to energy grids and securing enough investment to make it viable.

Regions have a key role to play in scaling up the renewable hydrogen economy across Europe. As noted in a 2020 opinion adopted by the Committee of the Regions, green hydrogen “has the capacity to promote regional and local development because significant parts of the value chain can be established in regions and municipalities”. With the right level of private and public investment, European regions can lead in the creation of self-contained “hydrogen hubs” that link all elements of the value chain.

Regions have a crucial role in facilitating, supporting, and developing collaborations for the deployment of green hydrogen.

By cooperating and sharing experiences and best practices, regions can inspire each other inter-regionally to the best possible solutions in several areas.

Picture by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash

Bio-based Innovation to Decarbonise the Construction Sector

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On 6 December, the day before the AER Bureau, the AER Working Group on the Bioeconomy is organising a workshop on “The Bioeconomy & the New European Bauhaus“, which will look at bio-based innovation in the construction sector.

Bio-based innovation: a catalyst for change

The bio-based sector or bioeconomy, is a catalyst for systemic change. Indeed it opens new ways of producing and consuming resources while respecting our planetary boundaries. It contributes therefore directly to achieving the economic, social and environmental goals of the European Union’s Green Deal.

Massive impact in the construction sector

The construction sector has a considerable environmental impact, during the whole life cycle of buildings (construction, use, demolition) as well as the life cycle of construction materials.

In this context, bio-sourced construction materials, if managed in a sustainable way during their whole life cycle, have a major role in the decarbonisation of the construction sector. The development of technological innovation, value chains and skills ecosystems require however intense collaboration across sectors.

Creativity, sustainability, inclusion: it’s possible!

The New European Bauhaus is a creative and interdisciplinary EU initiative that connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces and experiences. 

The New European Bauhaus was launched by President von der Leyen in September 2021. It adds a cultural dimension to the Green Deal and accelerates the green transition with change on the ground that combines the values of aesthetics, sustainability, and inclusion.

Mutual learning to accelerate the development of the bioeconomy

The ambition of the AER Working Group on the Bioeconomy is to create a community amongst European regions to share challenges and opportunities. The activities organised by the working group are also laying the ground for future partnerships and projects.

The workshop “The Bioeconomy & the New European Bauhaus” will therefore look at:

  • European strategies supporting the decarbonisation of the construction sector
  • Societal challenges, the territorial approach
  • Technical innovations in bio-based materials, which are being explored and implemented in the regions
  • The state of play in the regions.

The programme of this workshop is available on the event webpage. As places are limited, registrations will be taken on a first-come first-served basis.

Share your experience!

It is still possible to propose policies and practices you are proud of in your region to be presented at the workshop on 6 December. Your experience matters and is interesting for other regions: this is what the mutual learning community is all about! If you would like to share your region’s experience in the decarbonisation of the construction sector via bio-based innovation, please get in touch with AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius.

More information on this topic

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Proposal for a Working Group on Bioeconomy adopted

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The Executive Board which took place on 23 March 2022 adopted the proposal for the creation of an AER working group on the Bioeconomy.

The proposal is led by Innlandet (NO) and is supported by Lower Austria (AU), Gelderland (NL), Värmland (SE).

Skills & knowledge at the heart of the development of the Bioeconomy

It is estimated that the bioeconomy contributes to almost 9% of the EU-27 labour force and 4.7% of the EU-27 GDP1. As a concrete operationalisation of the bioeconomy, more than 2,300 bio-based plants have been mapped by the Joint Research Centre across Europe.

To fully reap the economic, social and environmental benefits of the bioeconomy, dedicated bioeconomy strategies, investments and innovation are required at all levels in the EU. That is why the updated European Bioeconomy Strategy of 2018 states the need for the development of national and regional bioeconomy strategies.

However, this needs heavy investment in knowledge, competency, and know-how and collaboration with vocational education and the industry. There is a need to recruit, train, retain skills, in particular in rural areas, where the industries are located.

Proposed activities

The main goal of the working group is to share knowledge, experience, and best practises. Other activities may be included, such as:

  • Arrange events in Europe through AER, on the topic of the bioeconomy, with a “glocal” focus
  • Develop policy briefs, best practices, and research/insight.
  • Develop small scale projects and large-scale projects such as CoVE

The Working Group is open to all AER members

If you are interested in collaborating with this working group, please fill in this short questionnaire so we know you better and can contact you. Working groups are exclusively for AER members. If you have any questions, you can contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Exchange Johanna Pacevicius.

Next steps

A first meeting will soon be convened and announced on the AER website, to get to know each other, specify interests, identify joint activities, agree on collaboration, and chose a Chair for the working group.

The proposal, which was adopted by the AER Executive Board can be found here.

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Registrations open! Bright Ideas- The Role of Regions in Improving Energy Efficiency

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Eva Hallström, Chair of the AER Working Group on Energy and Climate Change invites all AER members and friends to join an event on the role of regions in improving energy efficiency. Regions will share their experience, challenges, and enablers. This event is co-organised by Värmland (SE) and Viken (NO)

Energy Efficiency: how to achieve the transition in the industry?

This webinar aims to build a platform for discussions regarding the EU’s work on energy efficiency, focusing on the green transition within the industry. It will be an opportunity to share ideas, experiences, and best practices.

Experiences from the Bioeconomy Region

Värmland and Viken are both members of the “Bioeconomy Region”, a leading region of the forest bioeconomy.

To achieve climate goals while making use of the full potential of the forest bioeconomy, the rate of development and innovation needs to be faster. This is why the Interreg project «The Bioeconomy Region» was created in 2017 by a number of actors in inner Scandinavia

Both regions will share how they support improved energy efficiency in fields as diverse as production, construction or logistics.

Synergies with the Green Deal

The industry will play a central role in the transition to improved energy efficiency and carbon neutrality in Värmland, Viken, and in Europe as a whole. this is why synergies between the European Green Deal and the EU’s Industrial Strategy are needed.

This webinar on energy efficiency will also be an opportunity to gather inputs and testimonies, which will contribute to the work being developed by the AER Task Force on Climate.

Find the programme and link for registrations on the event webpage

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Activity Report ’20: “Achieving Agenda 2030”

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The Assembly of European Regions is proud to present its annual Activity Report 2019 – 2020.

This theme of this year’s report is “Achieving Agenda 2030“, an expression of AER’s commitment to supporting its member regions in localising and delivering upon the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the Member States of the United Nations by resolution A/RES/70/1 of the General Assembly of 25 September 2015.

The cover page of the report, designed by Habile Studio, incorporates indicators from the SDG Index Score from the EU Sustainable Development Report as well as statistics reflecting the regional populations of AER member regions.

The 2020 Activity Report is unique in that it also presents AER’s newly adopted long-term Political Priorities for the period 2020 – 2025.

The year 2020 also marks the 35th Anniversary of both the Assembly of European Regions and its regional youth mobility programme – Eurodyssey. Some members of the AER Executive Board even contributed to the report on this occasion to share their experiences of what they consider to be the added-value of belonging to an interregional network like AER.

The period June 2019 to June 2020 has been action-packed, in particular with the formation of a new European Parliament and College of Commissioners.

The last year has not been without its challenges – the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Assembly and its membership to temporarily rethink its operations and transition to online meetings and events. A COVID-19 Hub was also established to keep members up to date with the latest developments at EU level and to disseminate funding opportunities to aid regional recovery strategies.

The major international conference “Agenda 2030: Transforming Regions, Changing the World” also had to be postponed until 2021 but we look forward to continuing our work with the SDG Taskforce in the run to up next year’s event.

You can read the Activity Report in full below:

Click here to download the Activity Report.

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Localising Agenda 2030: how regions can help meet the SDGs

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Last week, on 24 June, the online conference ‘Localising Agenda 2030: how regions can help meet the SDGs’ took place from 14:30 until 16:00 pm.  This event, the first of a series of events focusing on SDGs leading up to our final conference taking place in Strasbourg in June 2021, aimed to emphasise the importance of local actions in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The event gathered 64 attendees via the Zoom platform and 50 others followed the live web-stream.

With the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, citizens have seen quick responses and actions from both regions and cities. The crisis has exposed inequalities and the role of regions for sustainable recovery and action for a more fair and resilient society can no longer be postponed. Together with national authorities, regions now have a moral responsibility to advance the achievements of the SDGs, namely by focusing on health and wellbeing and financial recovery through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Through this webinar, we had the opportunity to hear our speakers tell us more about the importance of regions. The webinar was moderated by Dharmendra Kanani, Director of Insights at Friends of Europe. The panel debate included five speakers.

The first speaker, who opened the discussion, was Magnus Bertnsson, President of the Assembly of European Regions (AER). He started the discussion by stating that yes, progress in achieving the SDGs had been made in Europe, but with COVID-19 appearing, there is a higher need for action and efforts to reduce inequalities must be accelerated. Local and regional authorities are among the main actors to achieve a more fair and resilient society which stresses the importance of a multilevel and a multilateral approach. Europe, post COVID-19, has the opportunity to create something new and to rethink what kind of society people want to live in. 

The second speaker, Aziza Akhmouch, Head of the OECD Division for Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development, shared a more analytical and factual approach to the importance of regional development policy. She stated that 65% of the SDGs could not be achieved without local and regional governments. While national governments are ultimately accountable in their performance to the UN, this does not mean that regions cannot be held liable. 80% of the regions from OECD countries, about 600 regions, are far from having reached the targets which shows why it is equally important to attribute an agenda to both national and local governments. The localisation of the SDGs is crucial.

The next speaker, Raffaele Cattaneo, Minister for Environment and Climate of Lombardy (IT); member of the Regions 4 Steering Committee, reflected on the need for a transformation in today’s economy. As a result of the public health crisis, economic recovery, alongside jobs and public health have become the top priority where a few months ago, climate used to be at the top of the agenda. Indeed, a lot of resources are now moving from green deal to health care systems. There is a need for a discussion between citizens and EU institutions to reset our priorities and transform our economy which will require clear political decisions as well as responsible production and consumption.

Wallis Goelen, Senior Expert at the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, emphasised the efforts of the EU Commission in order to respond to the needs of regions and cities as a result of COVID-19. She stated that the current cohesion policy measures respond to 11 SDGs out of the 17 existing while fostering regional development. However, she also stressed the importance of capacity-building and the use of place-based strategies which will now be at the forefront in the Commission’s new priorities.

The last speaker of this webinar, Damià Calvet, Minister of Territory and sustainability of the Government of Catalonia, representative of UCLG-Global Taskforce, explains the importance of regions in liaising national and European interests on SDGs and other topics. Regions have the capacity to empower a wider network of actors to bring change and achieve sustainable development together. According to him, sustainable development cannot be achieved without greater input from regions. Moreover, the contribution of the Global Taskforce Regions has a great importance in bringing regional and local authorities in order to unify forces and reach Agenda2030. 

It is key to reiterate the need to give a more relevant role to regions. Whereas local governments are doing a great process in developing sustainable strategies and are very vocal about it, regions seem to be more silent. The COVID-19 crisis has opened the “pandora’s box” and has shown how many processes and involvement are needed from regional governments in order to achieve a sustainable and equally developed global society. AER as a regional network has assumed the role to raise awareness and to call into action its member regions to engage in achieving a global society that leaves no one and no territory behind.

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Agenda 2030: Now More Than Ever

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The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN in 2015 has always been of great importance. From Poverty to Education through Health and Climate Action, and many more areas, the SDGs offer a broad range of activities needed to improve societal and environmental issues. 

However, recently, life has taken an unusual turn and the achievement of the SDG goals has gained significance. With the appearance of COVID-19, many areas have been affected or have shown to be needing improvement. Whether it is on a national or a local level, the crisis showed us that improvements have to be made in acting long-term and in a sustainable way. The health sector is not the only one that took a hit during this crisis but so did the economic sector, affecting many other areas such as employment, poverty, education, etc..

This crisis revealed the weaknesses in our systems and now gives us the opportunity to rethink and rebuild stronger bases for the future. Therefore, Now More Than Ever, it is time to act together on sustainable solutions which include each and every stakeholder and sector.  During this crisis, we have seen that in extreme situations, extreme measures could be taken and citizens were willing to implement them to make a change. There are lessons to be learned from the past months and behavioural changes that can be made towards common objectives. 

The relevance of the SDGs continues to increase as time passes by. However, there will be new challenges to face on the road to their achievement. There needs to be an active approach towards them and the different stakeholders involved will have to coordinate in order to be as efficient as possible. The emphasis needs to be put on finding long-term sustainable solutions rather than short-term fixes that will only result in later issues in the future. The danger we are facing now is that governments turn to short-term solutions in order to quickly fix what the crisis has caused. Instead, now is the best time to review our approach to SDGs.

The crisis will give opportunities to work on the tactics and the means to the final goals. Local and regional involvement more specifically will be increasingly required, hoping for inclusive multi-level governance. Acting at the level closest to citizens means acting faster. The 10-year window that is left is our opportunity to act. All stakeholders involved need make an effort to achieve SDGs, not one-by-one, but as a whole. Because they are interconnected, the issues connected to one another should be worked on simultaneously. 

AER strongly believes that the achievement of these goals is necessary and urgent which is why the SDGs form the basis of its work, not only in the Bureau Taskforce, but throughout our work in policy, programmes and projects. The upcoming webinar on 24 June is the first event of a one-year-long action plan to stimulate action around SDGs. The action plan will end with a two-day conference in June 2021. In doing so, AER is partnering up with other organisations and institutions to unite our actions and reach as many stakeholders as possible.

Now More Than Ever is the time to act, to rethink and to rebuild together.

→ link to event page

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Territorial approaches: the governance of Abruzzo for rural areas

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To facilitate continuous knowledge flow between regions a series of articles and interviews is being published on the topic which was to be discussed in Covasna: “Territorial approaches to regional development”, with a particular focus on urban-rural divides. Indeed, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Spring Committee Plenaries of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in Covasna were cancelled.

The Committee Plenaries provide an opportunity for our member regions to come together, exchange ideas and experiences and initiate joint projects.

Nicola Campitelli, Regional Minister for Urban Planning, Abruzzo (IT), and AER Committee 1 Vice President for Rural development, Energy and shares here the experience from his region. Rural development has never been more current and the post-COVID-19 economic recovery will require ambitious territorial approaches.

Breath-taking landscapes and huge protected areas

The territory of the Abruzzo region, according to the National Institute of Statistics altimetric classification, is 62.8% mountain, 14.8% internal hill and 22.3% coastal hill. Almost all of the territory belongs to rural areas, while only 0.9% is urban and peri-urban areas. The percentage of agroforestry area in rural areas is 76.3% and the forest area is 438.590 ha, that is 40.6% of the regional surface. The extension of the regional protected areas, 58 sites under the Habitats EU Directive, is 36.3% of the regional territory, first place at national level, thus highlighting the importance of the Region in safeguarding biodiversity.

One metropolitan area and many small towns


Abruzzo has 1,312,507 inhabitants, half of which (54.4%) reside in intermediate rural areas, about a quarter in areas with development problems (26.8%), 12.9% in urban and peri-urban areas and 5.9% in rural areas with intensive and specialized agriculture. The population ,with the exception of the Pescara metropolitan area, is distributed heterogeneously among the many small towns that characterize the Abruzzo region (which counts 305 Municipalities).

Territorial approaches for sustainability & inclusion

This situation requires territorial planning and involves natural, demographic and cultural resources, thus representing a priority component of an effective local development strategy.

The following priorities are at the core of the entire 2021-2027 planning of the Abruzzo Region:

  • quality work
  • territory and natural resources for future generations
  • homogeneity and quality of services for citizens
  • culture as vehicle of economic and social connection.

The focus of the regional planning, therefore, is a sustainable and intelligent growth of the entire territory.

Post-COVID-19 economic recovery should be anchored in sustainable development principles

The newly allocated funds for the restart following the lockdown for Covid-19 has to suit the criteria and guidelines of sustainable development, the circular economy and climate change, to set up a possibly lasting development strategy. Therefore, the 2030 and 2050 planning has to be maintained in all Europe: reduction of energy costs, energy self-supply and sustainable development; this will allow economic security and stable economy recovery.

It is therefore necessary to confirm the use of financial sources for interventions in energy savings and in reducing pollution emissions, in line with the 2030 objective, supporting companies that are already structured and able or, enabled, to develop virtuous activities. Otherwise, there is a high risk of not being able to be competitive and exit the market. Agriculture itself must be developed according to sustainable production systems: techniques that reduce the consumption of raw materials and increase the sequestration of CO2.

Furthermore, the restart has to take place by activating local businesses, e.g. energy efficiency intervention on public and private buildings. This way many local companies and professionals will be activated and the management costs of the buildings and the related services will be reduced, promoting the immediate pollution reduction that, according to new researches, also could be a carrie of viruses . This action is the sole credible strategy, adopted today across Europe: the 2030 strategy. It is therefore essential to finance virtuous enterprises and immediate intervention programs.

A strategy focused on sustainable and inclusive smart growth


In relation to the activities already running in the Abruzzo Region, the Rural Development Program (PSR) represents one of the tools to support the growth of agriculture, forestry, rural areas and is concentrated, as all regional planning, on sustainable and inclusive smart growth. The Plan is implemented in coordination with the National Rural Network, through which Italy joins the European Rural Network (REE), which integrates all activities related to the rural areas development for the 2014- 2020 period.

Participation the essential element for success

The Abruzzo rural development program proposes interventions aimed at encouraging different local actors and at strengthening the bottom-up approach of local communities, in order to create a development based on the resources of the territory, in response to the specific needs of local areas and aimed at stimulating the aggregation of different skills and professionals.

The PSR has been developed also through the participatory process, promoting the participation of stakeholders, local authorities, associations, and agri-food, forestry and environmental operators. In the 2014-20 period, specific policies have been addressed to the less developed rural areas, by integrated planning tools and services to the population, also in connection with the national strategy for internal areas. To achieve the inner areas strategies goal, measures have been promoted to create and develop short supply chains ( even for sustainable use of biomass in food and industrial production) and local markets and to support promotional activities.

The bottom-up approach is also the basis of all regional planning of strategies and interventions for the Climate Change and sustainable development governance, which promotes the coordination of all regional planning and actions. All the municipalities of Abruzzo, and therefore also the municipalities of the rural areas, are coordinated by the Region in the processing of SECAP (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan) according to a district logic, that are also homogeneous climatic areas. All 305 municipalities have joined the Covenant of Mayors and are monitoring their Energy Action Plans (SEAP) to upgrade SEAPs into SECAPs. In particular, as part of the JOINT_SECAP (Interreg Italy-Croatia) project, two pilot areas have been identified, one of which is represented by 4 municipalities in the internal area (Penne, Elice, Castilenti and Castiglione Mr. Raimondo) . These municipalities under the coordination of the Region and the involvement of experts, have carried out a territorial analysis of the risks and vulnerabilities with the goal of a joint SECAP, identifying pilot actions to be implemented to make territory more resilient and to guarantee sustainable development.

Protection and sustainable management of natural resources

The regional Sustainable Development Strategy, moreover, being implemented with other Italian regions, identifies parks and protected areas as key players in the implementation of sustainable development policies; a specific agreement is foreseen, aimed at implementing the ecological network, supporting the rebuilding processes in the internal areas and implementing the ministerial guidelines on VIncA (Environmental Impact Assessment).

Many municipalities in the rural areas have also committed to a voluntary strategic and planning tool that pursues the protection, the correct management of water resources and the enhancement of river territories, together with the protection from hydraulic risk, contributing to local development: the River Contracts.
These contracts provide the implementation of open and inclusive participatory processes, which allow the sharing of purposes, duties and responsibilities and define a shared Action Program. River Contracts suite and even improve basin plans and programs. 20 river contracts are running in the region. Among these, the Feltrino river contract was included by the Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea (MATTM) in the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PNACC) as a “pilot project / good practices / noteworthy initiative”.

Powering effective local collaborations

A further initiative promoted under the Rural Development Plan are the GALs (Local Action Groups), made up of several municipalities, that could get Regional dedicated fund to develop renewable energy supply chain, supply chain innovation, social inclusion and sustainable tourism actions. Cooperation between Municipalities is also carried out through the initiative BORGHI In RETE – ABRUZZO, the union of several Community Cooperatives, under the regional law n.25 /15. They are local businesses set up by the inhabitants of villages and are developed, in particular, in the internal areas and in the most fragile economies at risk of depopulation, with the aim of developing economies with human and environmental value.

Multimodal connectivity

Among the sustainable mobility initiative carried out in the Abruzzo region, the municipalities of the Rocche highlands, in line with the energy and climate objectives of the European Union are activating an interesting project related to the multimodal access to the Ovindoli and Campo Felice ski facilities by energy vehicles (hydrogen powered) with zero environmental impact, thus contributing to the green and economic development of inner areas.

What about you?

If you would like to share your experience, know more about strategies in other regions or initiate a joint project with regions in Europe, contact the AER Secretariat!

Pictures: courtesy of Luigi Filice https://www.luigifilice.com for Regione Abruzzo

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Global Sustainable Development Report: Is it already too late?

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On Monday 23rd February representatives from AER attended a Webinar on the 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report.
The webinar was organised by the UN DESA (Department of Economic and Social Affairs), presented by Astra Bonini and Stephanie Rambler and focused in particular on which transformation is needed to attain the sustainable development goals.

As we currently are lagging far behind in progress on the Global Sustainable Development Goals, it is important to highlight the need for all cities and regions to play an active part in achieving these goals.

Overview

The 2019 report was a product of a group of scientists with a diverse background, nominated by UN member states and appointed by the Secretary-General. It aims to be a tool to help develop policies for advancing towards the SDG goals.


The report concludes that it is time to sound the alarm bell. Looking at the table above (1-1 in the report), it is clear that most goals will be impossible to reach by 2030 if we continue along the current trend, with key systemic challenges facing both biodiversity loss, climate change and income inequality.

Another major issue mentioned in the report is that no country has managed to achieve social thresholds without significant environmental impact, shown in Figure 1-9. This clearly shows what was a major point highlighted in the webinar, namely the interconnection between different sustainable development goals, where progress along one goal can have adverse or positive effects on another goal. An example of it would be:
In order to achieve Goal 2, Zero Hunger, more land would need to be allocated to agriculture and food production. This would negatively affect Goal 15, Life on Land, but at the same time have a positive effect on Goal 1, No Poverty, and Goal 3, Good Health and Well-being.

Entry-points and levers

Recognizing this tradeoff effect between goals is especially important as policies are implemented to address sustainable development goals. The report highlights 6 entry-points where action can have a positive effect on several points:

  • Human wellbeing and capabilities
  • Sustainable and just economies
  • Energy decarbonisation with access
  • Food systems and nutrition patterns.
  • Urban and peri-urban development
  • Global environmental commons

Further on, a set of four levers are identified which can be used to bring about the necessary transformations set forth by the entry-points, namely governance, economy and finance, individual and collective action, and at last science and technology. One action can enact upon several levers at once, and the report highlights that there needs to be cooperation between government, the private sector and academia in the development of policies.

Harnessing science for knowledge-based transformation

At last, the webinar highlighted some surprising aspects, and especially how scientists from poorer countries opened the eyes of scientists from richer countries. Institutions in poorer countries do not always have access to paid journals, and as such, it is important for science related to the SDGs to be open-access.

The scientists also highlighted that the agenda needs to be enacted at a local level, and therefore the science also needs to work on the local level. This makes it crucial for research to also be conducted locally, not only internationally. The research should still be made available internationally in order to enhance knowledge-sharing and experience exchange.

The presentation from the webinar can be found here.

Photo by Sam Balye on Unsplash

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#COP25: The Way Forward

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This years’ edition of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) has failed to meet expectations – it is now time to work towards a successful COP26.

AER President Magnus Berntsson was present at the COP25 in Madrid during the last week of the conference. AER was accredited observer status to this years’ conference following the networks increased work connected to climate and environment issues.

During his stay in Madrid, the AER president met with several EU representatives, including the European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans. The European Green Deal is seen as a central component to EU’s ambitions of becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050. 

Magnus Berntsson also met with Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate for Energy – a Directorate that will be heavily involved in the European Green Deal.

In both meetings, the AER President reiterated the need to actively include regions if the European Green Deal and the overall transition to a sustainable society is to be achieved. Further meetings to discuss the details of how AER and regions are ready to make the European Green Deal a success are planned for 2020.

AER reaffirms its commitment to the Paris Agreement and the UN Agenda 2030, as a network whose values and priorities are based on sustainability. This commitment will be especially important when we enter 2020 – the decade of delivery – when society only has ten years left to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Going forward, AER will play a key role in providing a platform for regional actors to come together to deliver on the SDGs. The network will also apply political pressure to widen the territorial scope of the localisation of the SDGs to include a regional perspective. This theme will be further developed during the AER conference in Strasbourg 24-25 June “Agenda 2030: transforming regions, changing the world”. 

AER is a member of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency, which has represented networks of local and regional governments at UN climate negotiations since 1995.

AER and LGMA are now preparing for Glasgow and COP26. Together, they have published a press release calling for a “MULTILEVEL ACTION COP26” with a roadmap to Glasgow. Read the statement in full HERE.

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AER selected for the European Youth Event 2020! Apply now!

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We are eager to announce that the European Parliament has granted AER to participate in the European Youth Event 2020 in Strasbourg! (Keep reading to join us in this exciting adventure…)

What is EYE2020?

From 29 to 30 May 2020, the European Youth Event will bring thousands of young people coming from all over Europe to Strasbourg (FR). The event is aimed to make young people active agents of change in the European democratic life rather than passive beneficiaries, by engaging in debates, workshops, hearings and digital activities on a very diversified range of topics. All the activities are co-created with partners, youth organisations and the participants.

The EYE2020 is the perfect opportunity for youth to share their thoughts, concerns, hopes and meet and inspire each other. And on top of that, some participants will also be able to present the most impactful ideas directly to the Members of the European Parliament.

If you want to find out more, take a look at the tentative programme or just visit the webpage of the EYE2020!

What are the selection criteria?

  • Be aged between 16 and 30 years old representing a regional or local youth entity.
  • Hold EU citizenship and residency. Citizens and residents from candidate countries are also eligible for sponsorship.
  • A clear explanation of your motivation and how you plan to employ the soft skills gained and the takeaways.
  • Proof of experience in youth work or related-initiatives you have carried out.
  • Proof of a mandate or person of reference supporting your application from the organisation/region you stand for.
  • young people with disabilities, from rural or remote areas and from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds will be prioritised.

AER and YRN members, particularly those coming from remote areas in Europe, have priority.

And the financial conditions?

The financial contribution is calculated on the basis of the following 2 elements per sponsored participant:

1. An amount depending on the distance calculated as follows: €0.045/km considering the most direct road return journey between the common point of departure of the group (town/city) and Strasbourg. If there is no common point of departure, it will be calculated based on the average travel distance.

2. Thanks to the sponsorship provided by the European Parliament, the selected youth delegates will benefit from free half-board (breakfast & dinner) accommodation in shared rooms from 28-31 May 2020. Lunch is not included and will be at the expense of the participants.

N.b.: Participants from non-EU territories, EEA or neighbourhood countries canNOT be part of the sponsored group.

Apply now!

If you are a young activist aged between 16 and 30 years old representing a regional or local youth entity and meet the aforementioned criteria, you then cannot afford to miss the fantastic opportunity of taking an active part in the EYE2020 in the name of AER!

Submission deadline:
22 January 2020

Only the 20 best candidates will be confirmed to form the AER’s delegation to the EYE2020 following the submission deadline.

Contact us!

For any questions related to AER’s participation to the EYE2020, please do not hesitate to contact Andrés Muñoz at the AER Secretariat:
e: [email protected] / t: +32 (0) 2 400 10 54

Photo credits: @European Parliament

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European Week of Regions and Cities – Regions have much to say

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From 7 to 10 October, AER attended the annual European Week of Regions and Cities organised by the European Committee of the Regions and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO). The purpose of this four-day event is to bring local, regional, national and EU representatives interested in regional and urban policy from all over Europe together and give them the opportunity to exchange good practices and share their experiences.

Every year, the different workshops follow a series of red threads related to the current European situation. This year the three main topics were: “A Greener Europe”, “A Europe Closer to Citizens” and “The Future of the EU and the roles of the Regions and Cities”.

In this context, AER organised a side event entitled “REGIONerating Europe”, participants had the chance to get to grips with the main challenges facing Europe and to examine different strategies implemented at the European, national and regional level to regenerate the European project and bridge the gap between citizens and the EU institutions. 

As the largest network of regions in wider Europe, AER had the opportunity to learn more about how regions designed their strategies on specific topics. The different workshops covered a range of issues of interest to AER, including localisation of SDGs, cohesion policy and youth empowerment. 

SDGs go Local

AER is committed to localising the UN Sustainable Development Goals by promoting good practices among regions. The different workshops addressing this urgency proved the regions’ willingness to mobilise citizens and take action to address these challenges. Although across Europe regions face different realities, the common idea is to guarantee an inclusive, resilient and sustainable future to all citizens. The first thing needed is to increase awareness among citizens. Secondly, it is crucial to give space to the monitoring process: in order to develop more effective strategies, review processes have the same importance as the implementation itself. SDGs’ localisation is a complex issue, but regions demonstrated that through collective action improvements can be achieved.

Stronger Synergies for Cohesion Policy

Cohesion policy is one of the major EU tools to enable regions to implement the 2030 Agenda, but how we can bring citizens closer to Europe and vice versa? In line with AER priorities & its ongoing project Together For Cohesion, workshops on cohesion policy highlighted the advantage of supporting local and regional governments to develop and deliver better policy through experience sharing and cooperation. Citizens frequently feel distant from the European context, therefore, throughout some workshops, different organisations presented communication campaigns on cohesion policy. The aim is to bring citizens closer to EU. As this is a priority for AER, EU regions week provided an excellent opportunity to see how similar projects can be promoted in different ways across Europe.

Stay Updated for YOUth

AER has constantly supported youth engagement at the European level, consequently, the European Week of Regions and Cities provided the opportunity to better understand the different strategies implemented by regions on this issue. As mentioned previously, there are various realities in Europe and when it comes to youth it is even harder to find common definitions, but what facilitates countries’ cooperation are their common objectives: improving youth participation, mobility and work. Focusing on the latter, youth unemployment is one of the main concerns for young generations, youth-led organisations and local governments. The only way to improve the situation is to involve them in this process, youth work is not static therefore all the stakeholders have to stay updated. 

All the topics mentioned above are high up on AER agenda, therefore the European Week of Regions and Cities was a good opportunity to learn more about practical actions as regards localisation of SDGs, cohesion policy, youth empowerment and much more.

At this point, jointly action and common strategies are crucial, for this reason, AER wants to make sure to promote this exchange of good practices and achieve together with regions our common goals.

Photo credits: European Commission 

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AER meets Commissioner for Environment

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AER President Magnus Berntsson and Secretary General Mathieu Mori met on 10th April 2019 with Karmenu Vella, EU commissioner for environment, maritime affairs and fisheries.

This meeting followed the publication of the second Environmental Implementation Review (EIR) package. This review is a tool to improve implementation of EU environmental law and policy. It aims to address the causes of implementation gaps and try to find solutions before problems become urgent.  

An agreement was found on the need for these reviews to have a better regional approach at a time when localising SDGs are a key concern for all local and regional leaders. Further meetings to discuss this point will take place.

This meeting was also an opportunity to exchange on how best to reach out to regions when it comes to environmental policies and opportunities for regions.

For that purpose, please see the following articles on environmental initiatives :

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