CO-SUSTAIN

Description

CO-SUSTAIN focuses on fostering innovative, non-institutional political participation to accelerate climate action. The key objectives are to define and co-create new democratic pathways, to give local policymakers tools to support diverse forms of political participation, and to empower citizens to take meaningful actions towards a sustainable transition.

Democracies face challenges in establishing action on climate change. For example, in many democracies decision-making tends to be biased towards the short term, specific interests are prioritized over the public interest, and accountability mechanisms are weak. Even if successfully implemented, climate policies can be incomplete or have negative effects. For example, some can lead to job losses, and/or generate new vulnerabilities, inequalities, and injustices. Citizen participation represents an opportunity to address current socio-environmental challenges in a more democratic way.

In Western democracies, non-institutional participation has been on the rise. Non-institutional participation for climate transition often creates spaces to incubate alternative ideas and new forms of political participation. Empowering and supporting these forms of political participation will bring about radical changes that are necessary to accelerate a democratic climate transition. The new paths of democratic participation that CO-SUSTAIN explores will allow local institutions to support diverse and new forms of political participation, and thus empower citizens to act for a sustainable transition.

To develop a better understanding of the diverse forms of action and participation linked to environmental, political and social imperatives, CO-SUSTAIN will study 18 historical examples of involvement, civic engagement, formal political participation and activism in 6 European countries (Austria, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Italy and Poland). Drawing on the theories of deliberative democracy, sustainable transition and collective action, CO-SUSTAIN will employ a range of qualitative methodologies such as contextual and textual analysis, institutional ethnography and systems mapping to understand the dynamics of participation and its management, thus offering good practices to foster and support participation and action on climate change.

Good practices will be used to co-create solutions with a deliberative methodology in 4 case studies, one for each form of political participation. The results of the deliberations will be used to formulate recommendations on more democratic climate policies in Europe.

Ecoserveis participation

Ecoserveis is a partner in the project, leading 3 historical examples and a case study in Spain. This case study will work on strategies to create opportunities for people within the framework of energy communities, and in gender equality. Ecoserveis will also lead the analysis and policy recommendations derived from the research.

Objectives

The main objective is to define and co-create new democratic pathways that allow local policymakers to support new and diverse forms of political participation and empower citizens to act for a sustainable transition. This main objective is supported by 4 specific objectives:

Improve the capacity of democratic governance to address complex and long-term challenges
Improve the capacity of democratic governance to mobilize and involve citizens through participation
Improve public policymaking through recommendations to address the climate imperative in a democratic way
Foster international cooperation through a better understanding of the supranational challenges of the climate crisis.

Funded by

Collaborators/partners

Project scope

Team

Joana Mundo

CEO

Camila Canelas

Project manager and economic consultant

Nona Galvany

Social consultant

Laura Valdés

Communication technician and environmental consultant

Federica Giardina

Gestora de projectes i consultora social

Priscila Rivera

Consultora social

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