The recent COP26 climate conference saw further declarations that Europe will phase out coal by 2050. One of the challenges that remain is planning for the future of regions built on coal economies, a task that the Climate Community Lab initiative is already tackling. The initiative aims to support residents of these regions in transitioning away from fossil fuels.
The initiative is still open for participation in workshops that will develop ideas for a post-coal future. It is open to all, and the best ideas stand a chance to receive a grant of 30,000 euros.
The CEE Community Lab project’s goal is to support local communities and individuals actively fighting climate change. The lab has also become an incubator for actions, offering competitive opportunities for financial and advisory support.
This year, EIT Climate-KIC, along with partner organizations like 4CF, the University of Warsaw, and Impact Hub Prague, is focusing on ideas to support the transformation of carbon regions towards a sustainable future.
Activists and institutions from Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic will collaborate to create various development and change scenarios in their regions and actively participate in the transformation process. Planned meetings are open not only to institutions and local governments but especially to activists, local community leaders, and NGOs. Representatives from Silesia and Lodz Voivodeships, Valea Jiuli region in Romania, and Pohornicka Krajina in the Czech Republic are already participating in the program.
„Effective and appropriate transformation of coal regions cannot be achieved without the participation of their residents. The future of these places is in their own hands,“ says Joanna Sabat, ecosystem developer for Central and Eastern Europe at EIT Climate-KIC. „Sustainability, moving away from fossil fuel-based economies, the future of cities and regions dependent on coal require active communities and successful local projects, which we want to support financially and materially through the community lab.“
The first step to securing a grant is to participate in a free interactive online seminar called Futures Literacy LAB, which took place on November 18, 2021.
Participants sought answers to questions about what life will look like in their region after 2050. They compared prepared future scenarios with available alternative visions. The main goal of the webinar was to develop the ability to create alternative scenarios and use them to see new transformation possibilities today.
The second step to participating in the CEE Community Lab and securing a grant is to participate in the three-day intensive online workshop IdeaLab 2021, scheduled for November 24-26, 2021. During this workshop, ideas will be created and developed, with support from EIT Climate-KIC.
In conclusion, the Climate Community Lab initiative is a crucial step towards supporting the transition of coal regions towards a sustainable future. By engaging local communities, activists, and institutions, the initiative aims to create a more environmentally friendly and resilient future for these regions. The workshops and seminars offered provide a platform for collaboration and innovation, ultimately leading to positive change in these areas.