The cities of Espoo, Mannheim and Umea join forces to push forward their Local Green Deals

May 30, 2022   |   Freiburg, Germany

The cities of Espoo (Finland), Mannheim (Germany) and Umea (Sweden) have joined forces in ALLIANCE, a recently started EU-funded project accelerating the transformation towards sustainability through the concept of Local Green Deals. The cities’ common ambition is to develop a new approach for delivering sustainable change, based on the principles of good governance, policy integration, partnership with local stakeholders, and action. Coordinated by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, this project will run until May 2024.

Together with their local SME organisations and social economy partners, Espoo, Mannheim and Umea will constitute a “Local Green Deal Leadership Group”, a platform to exchange good practices, challenges and learnings.

Local Green Deals (LGDs) are the local response to the European Green Deal. LGDs aim at turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities. As the European Green Deal is not immediately applicable at the local level, it needs to be adapted through LGDs. Within the ALLIANCE framework, cities and SMEs will develop prototype deals that can be replicated in other cities and towns around Europe.

The EU-funded project is helping to accelerate the transformation towards sustainability through the Local Green Deals

IMAGE: ICLEI Europe

The ALLIANCE cities will start by mapping key actions for stakeholders to contribute to an LGD. Once the mapping is finalised, the next step will be the organisation and implementation of a Knowledge Exchange sprint, an event where cities and stakeholders will share practical experience to develop and implement the LGD-related approach. In total, there will be three sprints, each of them taking place in one of the participating cities. Within these workshops, concrete examples and best practices will be shared. The second and third sprint will specifically focus on drafting the cities' LGD roadmaps and will aim at concretising Memoranda of Understanding – the actual deals – with their city stakeholders.

The project focuses on a series of priority sectors indicated in this European call: innovative and collaborative models for the green transformation of business and SMEs, green infrastructure, local sustainable value chains, green and social procurement, innovative urban governance, and stakeholder engagement.

A site visit in Mannheim on 24 May, 2022

IMAGE: ICLEI Europe

As members of the Intelligent Cities Challenge, Espoo, Mannheim and Umea are front-runners in the development of Local Green Deals and have already started mobilising their SMEs, and regional and local economic operators to lead the green and digital transition. In ALLIANCE, Mannheim counts with the support of the local NGO Starkmacher, and Umea, with the local SME Coompanion Västerbotten. The project co-ordinator, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, is author of the Local Green Deals Blueprint.

Group photo of the consortium partners

IMAGE: ICLEI Europe

A group of cities and SMEs and social economy organisations will be part of the observers’ group, to learn from the ALLIANCE experience and be ready to replicate and adapt its approach. The ALLIANCE consortium will produce a good practice booklet to inspire others interested in pushing forward the Local Green Deals. Furthermore, all the knowledge gathered throughout the lifetime of the project will be synthesised in a policy and recommendations paper targeting European policymakers.

(Website under construction: www.localgreendeals.eu)

About ICLEI Europe

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125 countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. ICLEI Europe provides members in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and West Asia with a voice on European and international stages, a platform to connect with peers, and tools to drive positive environmental, economic and social change. ICLEI Europe works closely with an extended network of local and regional governments and partners on a broad range of topics.