The exchange program ‘Local Authorities and Climate Change Adaptation: Capacity Building and Best practices’ took place under the EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA FINANCIAL MECHANISM (EEA FM) 2014-2021 (EEA FM 2014-2021) BILATERAL FUND. It was co-designed and implemented between 2023 and 2024 by Climate Change HuB and its founding partner Resilient Cities Catalyst, in partnership with the Norwegian Association of Municipalities KS, with the active support of the Norwegian Embassy in Athens and the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE).
The programme aimed to promote bilateral actions between Norway and Greece by enhancing relations between Norwegian and Greek municipalities and increasing peer-knowledge for the implementation of climate transformation actions, necessary change-management reform processes in local administration and the enhancement of environmental democracy at the subnational level.
The two partners of the programme, KS and Climate Change Hub (CCHub) are distinguished for their expertise and experience in building resilience to climate change at local level. Despite the differences between Norway and Greece in terms of location, the two countries face similar challenges in integrating sustainability and climate transformation actions, as well as SDG localisation actions, to adapt to the impacts of climate change. For instance, Kristiansand is considered as a pioneer in sustainability actions and SDG localisation in Norway. It is also the host city of the European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights.
The content and key objectives of the programme
The ‘Local Authorities and Climate Change Adaptation: Capacity Building and Best Practices’ programme included a series of bilateral e-meetings and webinars providing valuable knowledge to the participants within the framework of SDG localisation, resilience building and climate transformation, as well as two working visits to Kristiansand, Norway, and Athens, Greece.
The key objectives of the programme were to:
- Provide a space for reflection and co-creation between Greek and Norwegian associations, localities, and other stakeholders;
- Contribute to improving the design of the CCH action-mapping mechanism and municipal capacity-building programme by integrating knowledge and best practices from Norway;
- Explore the scalability of the model in a country outside the Greek context; and
- Share insights on how local leaders can contribute to addressing pressing challenges using existing tools based on international practices.
Considering the implementation period of the programme, the Climate Change Hub (CCHub) and KS successfully overcame numerous challenges and managed to successfully fulfill the programme agenda over a very short period.
On-site visits in Kristiansand and Athens
As part of the programme, two on-site visits were organised.
The Kristiansand visit
The first visit took place in Kristiansand, Norway on 18 and 19 November 2024 and was organised by KS with the support of the Climate Change Hub in the form of a study visit for representatives of the Greek local government and the Climate Change Hub. This contributed to enhancing relations between Norwegian and Greek municipalities by incorporating knowledge and practices from Norway and increasing peer-knowledge for the implementation of climate transformation actions and localise the SDG localisation at the regional level through exchanging best practices for climate action development.
Key Participants:
- Mr. Grigoris Konstantellos, First Vice-President, KEDE – Central Union Municipalities of Greece, Mayor of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni
- Mr. Grigoris Paxinos, Senior Advisor to the Mayor
- Ms. Maria Logotheti, Presiden, CCH GR
- Ms.Konstantina Karydi, Managing Director, CCHub
- Ms. Anne Romsaas, Chief Sustainability Advisor, KS
- Mr.Bjoern Rongevaer, Senior Advisor, KS
During the visit, a significant number of meetings were held with officials from the Norwegian local government, with a focus on the Kristiansand Region as well as some very interesting and insightful site visits: 1.a site visit to Odderøya sewage treatment plant & 2. a site visit to Climate Partner Glencore Nikkelverk
The Athens visit
In Athens, a final workshop and the closing event took place aiming to reflect on the programme’s outcomes and look forward to the future programming period of the EEA Mechanism.
Key Participants:
- Mr. Grigoris Konstantellos, First Vice-President, KEDE – Central Union Municipalities of Greece, Mayor of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni
- Mr. Bjoern Rongevaer, Senior Advisor, KS, Norway
- Ms. Maria Logotheti, President, CEO CCHub , Expert Minister Counselor ad honorem MFA GR, Senior Policy Adviser, ELIAMEP
- Ms Maria Fola, EEA Grants Advisor, Norwegian Embassy in Athens, GR
- Ms. Konstantina Karydi, Managing Director, Resilient Cities Catalyst, VP CCHub
- Ms. Ioanna Tzika, EEA grants Greece, National Focal Point
- Mr. Paul Nelson, Founding Principal, Resilient Cities Catalyst, Leadership Board, CCHuB
- Mr. Hans Eikaas, Sustainability Advisor, Kristiansand, Norway
- Ms. Ingvild Little, Sustainability Advisor, Kristiansand, Norway
- Mr. Argyris Paxinos, Senior Advisor to the Mayor, Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni
- Mr. Ryan Titley, Pathways2Resilience Co- Coordinator, Senior Advisor, Climate Resilient Systemic Change and Regional Innovation
The closing event of the programme in Athens
On the 5th of December, the concluding event took place with the active support of the Norwegian Embassy in Athens and the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE). The event was hosted at the premises of KEDE by the first Vice President of KEDE Mayor of Vari Voula Vouliagmeni Mr Grigoris Konstantellos.
The closing event included the moderated panel discussion titled “Environmental democracy, peer-2-peer learning, building capacity for resilience and climate change: A reflection on the program in the context of the future EEA Financial Mechanism and the ongoing initiatives on Resilience and Climate in Greece and internationally”.
Panelists:
- Mr. Paul Nelson, Founding Principal, Resilient Cities Catalyst
- Mr. Bjoern Rongevaer, Senior Advisor, KS, Norway
- Mr. Ryan Titley, P2R Co- Coordinator, Senior Advisor, Climate Resilient Systemic Change Regional Innovation
- Ms. Ioanna Tzika, EEA grants Greece, National Focal Point
Moderator: Mrs. Maria Logotheti, President and CEO, CCHuB
The closing event as a whole provided an opportunity for a meaningful and foresighted discussion with representatives from the Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, the Municipality of Athens, the Climate -Kic Pathways2Resilience Programme, the Bank of Greece, EYDAP, the founding partners of CCHub such as ELIAMEP (Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy), Resilient Cities Catalyst, and The Democracy & Culture Foundation, as well as representatives from Greek NGOs.
Summing up the key learnings of the programme, it has to be understood that SDGs are not simply a reporting mechanism; rather they function as a strategic framework for holistic decision making and monitoring of locally adapted programs. In addition, there is a significant need across countries to enhance leadership at the subnational level in regards to transformative action.