SMILE CITY provides realistic circular systemic solutions to support the evolution towards a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, toxic-free, circular economy by 2050. The contribution to C02 reduction works on two levels: - an intensive use of recycled materials in replacement of virgin ones, without decreasing the performance of final products; - the use of such products and applications to increase sustainable mobility. The project aims to integrate innovative systemic solutions in up to 100 km of cycling paths and implement 20 e-bike charging stations, developed using different types of recycled urban waste: construction materials, EoL tyres and EoL batteries from Electric Vehicles. The foreseen innovations include the creation of e-bike charging stations made of recycled concrete precast elements and PV panels equally produced with recycled materials, the installation of recycled rubber moulded products for urban furniture such as rubber bollard, lane dividers, and rubberized asphalt, which contributes both to increase sustainability and safety. SMILE CITY will thus assemble the technological state of the art of the different value chains involved to implement circular systemic solutions in 7 different EU and non-EU countries, backing the transition towards a regenerative, inclusive and circular economy at local and regional scale across Europe and therefore boosting interregional and cross-border cooperation. In addition, the project will also increase resource efficiency, reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy and reduce the negative environmental footprint related to current recycling techniques of the considered urban waste value chains. By supporting awareness raising and information spreading, SMILE CITY will engage both citizens and industrial leaders in the green transition towards climate-neutral solutions for Circular Cities, bolstering the market uptake of circular solutions through regional and local actions. Two partners are CCRI members.

SchoolFood4Change (SF4C) will create a shift to both sustainable and healthy diets on a broad societal scale by directly impacting over 3,000 schools and 600,000 school children in 12 EU countries, providing a replicable good practice across the EU and beyond. The SF4C specific objectives (SO) are: SO1: To innovate and roll out sustainable healthy food procurement, sourced from land, inland water and sea, in line with the EU Farm to Fork Strategy and the SDGs. SO2: Through innovative "planetary health diets & cooking", linked to the identity of the territory, train and empower cooks and urban food enablers in the cities. SO3: To ensure an enabling educational environment through the innovative "whole school food approach" which is a method about achieving a healthy food culture in and around schools, contributing to community-wide whole systems change, and impacting on education, sustainability, inequalities, communities and health. SO4: To assess the SF4C impact, demonstrate real life delivery ("business case"), particularly on health and behavioural change of vulnerable children, and prove that it can be cost-effective. SO5: To seek impact for all EU citizens, demonstrate swift EU replicability, also beyond schools, and engage with EC Services and projects on increased Farm to Fork impact toward 2030. All children go to school and are vulnerable to diet-related conditions and disadvantaged environments. SF4C views schools and children and young people (0-18 years of age) as catalysts for systemic change for the shift to sustainable and healthy diets of all EU citizens. The SF4C triple impact approach (SO1-3) will be implemented by 33 partners, mostly governmental partners that have the mandate over sustainable healthy school meals, including many pioneers from across the EU. SF4C has received official support from 10 EU Members States.

The scope of the project is to develop and test methods for designing and implementing innovative and sustainable Strategic Plans for Waste Prevention and Management in various urban contexts that will enhance urban environmental resilience and guarantee progress towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns together with improvements waste recovery and recovered materials use. Urban_Wins will define a data set, based on material flow indicators, capable of supporting and orienting decision making processes for urban waste prevention and management. Knowledge of the factors that influence the metabolism of cities will be improved together with the understanding of how those factors can be transformed in positive drivers of technological, non-technological and governance changes. The information set produced by the consortium will also focus on how a more efficient use of resources and a better management of waste can improve urban quality and citizens’ welfare, key points for urban stakeholders involvement, both in the planning and implementation of actions. The proposal reunites diverse actors such as cities, research institutes and universities, environmental NGOs, IT&C, technological innovation and waste management companies, professional associations that represent EU regions, sectors and levels of governance. The complex partnership guarantees that advancement in EU research in the field of urban metabolism and waste management strategies is directly linked to stakeholder engagement and mutual learning and contributes to the achievement of resource efficiency and waste management objectives. Urban_Wins analytical tools will be built on the base of datasets and experiences of 24 EU cities from 6 European countries and the Strategic Plans will be tested by 8 EU cities and will encompass regulatory measures, educational initiatives and sector specific actions.

<< Background >>The current climate crisis requires immediate and drastic action. The IPCC 1.5°C Special Report in 2018 clearly states that global climate neutrality has to be reached by 2050 to avoid irreversible effects and that a collective effort from all sectors of economy and society is needed. Through the European Green Deal and its Climate Law the EU is leading among the most ambitious positions on GHG emission reduction targets at international level: to reduce by at least 55% net greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach climate neutrality by 2050. EU’s role in climate change action goes beyond its frontiers and development cooperation and humanitarian organisations (NGDOs) have a fundamental role to play in this transformative effort. If many initiatives are targeting for profit economic sectors, much is still to be done to improve NGDOs’ climate footprint and enhance their influence in promoting climate neutrality. Building change implies building capacity through the diffusion of future-oriented competencies among current and future professionals of the sector. Innovative approach in Higher Education and cross-sectoral cooperation between NGDOs, climate experts and Universities becomes fundamental in this endeavour to build development cooperation’s decarbonisation and enhance positive climate practices among NGDOs.Most NDCOs lack tools and methodologies to improve their climate performance and to boost the climate-related potential of their programs and projects. Given the rising awareness on climate issues and the new and future requirements from DGs ECHO and DG INPTA, it is strategic for NDCOs’ public image and credibility towards national, EU and foreign institutions to monitor and improve their environmental and carbon footprint and enhance the positive climate value of their actions. NGDOs’ staff, Development Cooperation and Humanitarian aid (DC&H) unemployed and not yet employed professionals, students and academics from the sector and volunteers are usually sensitive to environmental and climate issues but they lack knowledge-based solutions tailored for their sector which they can use to address the gap of the climate and environmental impact of their professional activities, take practical action to improve it, implement the climate-related potential of projects and programs they conduct, thus becoming actors of change within their organization and multiplier actors in their sector. HEIs have a leading role in mainstreaming climate neutrality through education innovation including through the development of their potential as lifelong learning actors: international cooperation higher education still lacks dedicated programmes providing cutting-edge and practical competences so that future and current professionals can boost climate neutrality actions. To bring innovation into this field, HEIs need to develop cooperation with climate experts and NGDOs to provide climate change and carbon neutrality qualifications that meet the needs of the sector and tackle climate change challenges.<< Objectives >>The (e)mission (im)possible project aims to develop Higher Education qualifications in the field of climate action among development cooperation and humanitarian future and current professionals in order to boost NGDOs’ climate leadership.The project wants to enhance the access to flexible and recognised learning opportunities to build key climate neutrality competences and enable NGDOs professionals to become true agents of change. The MOOC will facilitate the access of a large number of DC&H professionals to flexible training opportunities to build key climate neutrality competences. The training scheme will provide a limited number of participants with high qualifications on climate neutrality and the methodological framework will build its replication. (e)mission (im)possible wishes to offer a flexible training opportunity, based on co-creation and work-based learning contents tailored on the actual needs and competencies gaps among DC&H professionals to provide certified (ECTS) and innovative competencies and skills that will be particularly required in future years.The project wants to test and certify an innovative lifelong learning pathway dedicated to climate neutrality competences in the development cooperation and humanitarian sector building a new profile: the DC&H climate neutrality strategist to lead climate action within NGDOs. Through the creation of a dedicated training scheme, the project aims to build a replicable model to upskill NGDOs staff so they can promote climate neutrality strategies in the sector.(e)mission (in)possible wishes to promote the diffusion and transfer of Higher Education qualifications on climate neutrality tailored for the third sector. With its methodological framework for implementation, the project wants to provide fundamental guidelines for the training scheme replication and promote advanced qualifications of DC&H professionals in climate neutrality outside the partnership. Finally, the project wants to foster the cooperation between HEIs, NGDOs, environmental and climate experts in mainstreaming climate neutrality qualifications in higher education. Partners cooperation in project development, implementation and management as well as in dissemination activities aims to enhance their cooperation inside and outside the project partnership. Through such cooperation, (e)mission (im)possible wishes to enhance the ability of HEIs, NGDOs and climate organisations to train and further develop qualifications on climate neutrality in the DC&H sector.<< Implementation >>Project activities are articulate around the preparation, the development and implementation and the promotion of 3 main results: R1. (e)mission (im)possible MOOC, R2. Climate neutrality training scheme and R3. (e)mission (im)possible methodological framework for implementation.Partners will develop and implement a MOOC that will provide DC&H professionals with key skills and competences in climate action.The MOOC will be structured in 12 modules of 1 video lecture of 15-20 min and 1 test to evaluate the acquisition of knowledge for a total duration of approx. 6 hours. Each module will offer additional resources for individual learning.Among the topics foreseen: the role of NGDOs in climate actions; emissions sources in development cooperation; office emissions reduction; enhancing climate action in projects; climate and environmental mainstreaming in project writing and management; climate benefits of health and education actions, food conservation and land and forest management; impact evaluation and emission reduction certification; carbon compensation; DG ECHO and INPTA new measures on environmental footprint.(e)mission (im)possible will also develop a training scheme for the development of NGDOs staff’s competencies on climate neutrality, including a Toolkit and a Training scheme for the transfer of skills and tools for DC&H professionals to become climate action strategists.The training scheme will include a description of the training path steps, training contents, work plan and ECTS credits system. It will include a toolkit composed of a climate impact calculation tool and its instructions for auto-evaluation of impacts in relevant sectors and a handbook on transformative climate neutrality strategy to provide learners with guidance to develop strategies for their organisations.Partner NGDOs will contribute to the design of the toolkit with key information on their usual activities, informing the database of each relevant sector, the expected outputs, functionalities and interface.The training scheme and toolkit will be presented and transferred to partners’ staff, including financial and communication officers, project coordinators, managers, logicians, fundraisers, in a Joint Staff Training Meeting. A workplace learning experience will follow over a period of 7 months during which staff members will further develop their competences by implementing their transformative climate neutrality strategy in their workplace, supported by tutors from A Sud, Iroko and Ecosistemi.Project methodological framework will provide key insights for the development of climate neutrality competencies among professional NGDOs and spreading of lifelong learning opportunities in this field. It will provide key tools and advice for the replication of (e)mission (im)possible HE flexible and lifelong training scheme: methodological approaches, learning contents, monitoring and assessment scheme, validation and recognition systems etc.Sound project monitoring, evaluation and management will be implemented to guarantee project success while dissemination activities, in addition to social media diffusion, foresee the realisation of multiplier events and webinars to engage targeted stakeholders (NGDOs, HEIs, Institutions, etc) more actively. Apart from the MOOC participants' recruitment, the dissemination of the methodological framework, in particular towards HEI, will be key for project’s follow-up.<< Results >>(e)mission (im)possible will design and test a Massive Online Open Course (R1) of 6 hours available in 5 languages (Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French) on climate neutrality competencies for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid professionals that will remain available for at least two years after project completion as an Open Educational Resource. Indicatively 1000 professionals, among which 500 NGDOs staff, 100 unemployed or not yet employed, 150 DC&H volunteers, 200 students and 50 academics are expected to access the MOOC flexible learning opportunity and its key competences in the field of climate neutrality. At least 400 of them, in particular 200 NGDOs’ staff members, 50 unemployed or not yet employed, 50 volunteers and 100 DC students shall improve their employability with new climate neutrality qualifications recognised by ECTS. As a snowball effect, new competences among current and future professionals of the sector will enhance the climate and environmental footprint of NGDOs and speed up the transition towards climate neutrality in the sector.The project will design and test an innovative work-based lifelong training scheme (R2) of 8 months to build DC professionals’ advanced qualifications towards climate neutrality, including an impact calculation and climate neutrality strategy toolkit transferred to 22 partners’ staff (5 NGDOs in 3 countries) through a Short Term Joint Staff Training Meeting. Thanks to this process of tailored work-based learning scheme, participants will build their capacities to develop transformative climate neutrality strategies in the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian aid sector. It will enhance their leadership and ability to be actors of change, developing 5 NGDOs transformative climate neutrality strategies, improving their organisations’ climate footprint and their public credibility in the field of climate action.(e)mission (im)possible methodological framework for implementation (R3) will facilitate the training scheme replication and the development of NGDOs qualifications in the field of climate neutrality outside of the partnership, thanks to 4 webinars, 6 multiplier events that will promote the methodological framework and the “NGDOs climate neutrality strategist” profile towards 300 NGOs, 100 representatives of national, EU and international institutions from the DC&H sector and 200 HEI academics.Thanks to the co-design experiences and tight cooperation developed through the project and the partnership, HEI, NGDOs and climate partner organizations will enhance their ability to promote the development of advanced competencies on climate neutrality in the DC&H sector. Moreover the 6 multiplier events, by engaging 225 people representing key stakeholders among which NGOs (50), institutions and public entities (10), academics (25) and climate experts (50), will further reinforce the cooperation between higher education institutions, development cooperation and humanitarian aid organisations, environmental organisations and climate experts outside the partnership.

"Both European institutions and citizens feel that climate action can revive the economy and create jobs. However, experts in education and training (Cedefop) point out a critical obstacle hindering the desired transition: the lack of skills. So an EU evolution towards a green economy and a high level of employment would be possible if innovative educational policies and training help young people, citizens, social actors, employees and political representatives to acquire the necessary competencies. The preliminary analysis conducted by the project partners (REPER21, Connected by Nature, Ecosistemi) in their networks of collaborators and beneficiaries (teachers / Romania, activists / France, environmental consultants / Italy) is consistent with this conclusion. The competencies on climate change are sporadic and precarious even among stakeholders in the field of education (formal and non-formal) that are supposed to develop them among various actors in their communities. The project goal is to develop the interdisciplinary and complex teaching competencies necessary for Education for Climate Change (ECC) of 36-time collaborators of the partners (aged under 30 or over 50 years) who carry out their activities in vulnerable communities (rural, small-industrialized cities, suburbs). The project aims working with these communities because their poor socio-economic situation does not only mean a lower standard of living for their citizens, but also reduced a capacity to adapt to present and future effects of a deregulated climate system. We are not all equal before the heat waves, floods, storms, droughts. Without developing competencies in the most vulnerable communities and regions, climate disruption (environmental factor) may gradually increase inequalities (economic and social effects) within Europe, thus weakening its cohesion. The project is innovative in its methodology. It offers an interdisciplinary and complex approach on competencies, which are defined as a combination of knowledge, attitudes and skills. The project is built as a cross intervention in the partner networks in order for them to offer each other their specific expertise (knowledge of teachers, the pro-active attitude of militants, the know-how of experts) but it also teaches all of the base for climate competencies. The premise of the project is that the fight for the climate must become an ""open cause"" for any type of actor in the field of education. The involvement of only some NGOs towards this cause remains largely insufficient to make a change.The project has interlocking goals:1. Capitalizing the best methods, tools and practices for acquiring teaching competencies on climate change by identifying, selecting, explaining and integrating them in a free educational resources (OER);2. Adapting the educational content of the OER to the specific educational activities of the 36 teachers, environmental experts and activists by creating 3 ""climate briefcases"" and using them to carry out 108 educational activities in vulnerable communities;3. Strengthening the partnership of the project and extending it to any actor of education (formal, non-formal and informal) active in vulnerable communities by developing an online community for climate change education.4. Ensuring an effective and responsible management throughout the project, conducting participatory assessments for each of its activities. The project uses ICT strategically both by the use of tools, but also by promoting a ""philosophy"" that encourages sharing and voluntary contribution. The project materialized these values in its ""open educational resource."" This output has the most permissive rights: free use, open for adaptation and distribution. Thus, it could be enriched, modified and distributed by partners, target audiences and others (exploitation) after the end of the project (sustainability)."