Project Sponsor: Barcelona Provincial Council
Beneficiaries of the project partners:
- Three local authorities located in the areas where the project actions will be developed: the Environmental Policies Consortium of Terres de l’Ebre (COPATE), County Council of Alt Penedès(CCAP) and Montseny Natural Park.
- A partner with wide knowledge on climate change: the Catalan Office for Climate Change (OCCC), which will bring awareness on climate change in these territories.
- Four socioeconomic partners that promote and extend actions within the economic and productive system: the Barcelona Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation (CCB), the Trade Union Confederation of the National Labour Commission of Catalonia (CONC), General Workers’ Union of Catalonia (UGTCAT) and the Farmers’ Union of Catalonia (UPCAT).
DIPUTACIÓ DE BARCELONABarcelona Provincial Council (DIBA) is the governing body of the province of Barcelona. It covers 311 municipalities and 5.4 million people (74% of the population of Catalonia and 13% of that of Spain). DIBA’s mission is to provide technical, financial and technological support to municipalities. Since 1975 environmental protection has been a main priority and since 2007 many efforts have focused on facing climate change, both for mitigation and adaptation. This strategic line has remained constant in subsequent legislatures. Since 1993 DIBA developed the Local Agenda 21 program, which reached 206 municipalities and 5 million citizens. The methodology of social participation was validated and climate change was placed right on the agenda of citizens and public administrations. On 2008 DIBA engaged in the Covenant of Mayors becoming the first Coordinator and promoting the involvement of 210 municipalities and 96% of the provincial population. At the same time, DIBA has promoted and financed the completion of 212 action plans for sustainable energy (PAES) in the municipalities of the province of Barcelona. In 2014 DIBA joined the Mayors Adapt, becoming the first Coordinator and promoted the engagement of 8 municipalities. At the same time, DIBA has promoted and financed the development of 7 local plans for adaptation to climate change (PLACCS). In 2014 DIBA promoted the setting-up of the Covenant of Mayors Club of Catalonia, as a space for collaboration between public and private stakeholders to address the problems of climate change. DIBA chairs the Network of cities and towns for sustainability, which in its XIV assembly (18.03.2014) approved the declaration entitled “To adapt to climate change effects on the territory and the coast” joined by 21 municipalities. DIBA has led or participated in a large number of projects of prevention and adaptation to climate change: Gesmopoli, Imosmid, Euronet 50-50, SeapPlus, Mayors in action and Serpente, among others. |
CONSELL COMARCAL ALT PENEDESThe County Council of Alt Penedès (CCAP) implemented in 2010 the supramunicipal Agenda 21 for Alt Penedès area. This provided the municipalities of the region with an effective, specific and operational tool, which established a participatory model for a sustainable use of resources, as well as local policies for mitigation and adaptation to climate change and energy management. The CCAP has placed energy and climate change at the core of its sustainability policy and has promoted energy audits of various municipal buildings, among them: municipal buildings, schools, sports halls and municipal offices. The CCAP created in 2013 the position of regional energy manager, which is attached to the regional office of energy. The energy manager and energy office provide support and advice on energy efficiency and optimization of consumption, in technical and economic fields, to all the municipalities of the region. This governance structure of sustainability (Local Agenda 21) and energy (energy manager and energy office) have created the knowledge and capacity to deal with the management of climate change adaptation following a participatory methodology and involving all actors in the territory. The CCAP has included adaptation to climate change as a central part of its sustainability policy. |
CAMBRA OFICIAL DE COMERÇ, INDÚSTRIA, SERVEIS I NAVEGACIÓ DE BARCELONAThe Barcelona Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation (CCB) promotes economic and business activities in Catalonia and the sustainable development of the region. It has a close relationship with public and private bodies on environmental issues concerning companies’ socio-economic environment. CCB has a Working Committee on Environment and Sustainability devoted exclusively to this field. It proposes corrective measures to the public administration when environmental regulations concern the interests of companies or affect their development. It also follows-up the development and implementation of regional, national and European legislation, and encourages and empowers companies to implement it. CCB develops studies on Catalonian state of environment, existing infrastructure, future scenarios and how the different programs meet the forecasts. CCB works with companies to help them innovate, incorporating sustainable criteria in their business as an element of competitiveness, and provides support and advice to companies on environmental and energy issues. In 2007, CCB promoted the creation of the Enterprise and Climate Foundation to collaborate with companies in responsibility tackling climate change. CCB leads the SHAAMS (ENPI CBC MED) project, with the aim of improving public debate on solar energy and its potential. This objective is achieved through cooperation between public and private stakeholders that promote common strategies in the Mediterranean basin. CCB is involved in the project MED Green Initiative (ENPI CBC MED), focusing on youth of universities and schools, with the aim of developing a comprehensive environmental system for waste integral management through the exploitation of innovative technologies and sustainable methods, with the support of an awareness campaign and a communication program. |
CONFEDERACIÓ SINDICAL DE LA COMISSIÓ OBRERA NACIONAL DE CATALUNYAThe Trade Union Confederation of the National Labour Commission of Catalonia (CONC), also identified as CCOO of Catalonia is the trade union organization with the largest number of workers’ representatives in Catalonia. Since many years, CONC has included the implementation of policies and planning to reduce environmental impacts and to ecologically improve natural systems in the fight for classic labor rights. CONC believes that effective implementation of sustainable development principles is an essential progress in social and workers’ welfare. CONC is working in two areas: social and institutional work in favor of reducing and possibly adapting to impacts, and awareness-raising of workers’ representatives through training and advising them on environmental management of goods and services production. CONC has included into its organizational chart a Department of Sustainability, which is a continuation of the former Department of Environment. CONC is a pioneering union implementing this organization. CONC has long experience publishing information and awareness materials on sustainability, mobility and occupational health. Among them it is worth mentioning 31 issues of the magazine Infomovilidad, which in 2010 became Infosustainability, reaching today 51 issues, various guides on prevention and occupational health, 5 sustainability notebooks and more than 50 information brochures. For this purpose, it uses both paper and online means, always with the aim of keeping the information of workers up to date and raising their level of awareness. |
CONSORCI DE POLÍTIQUES AMBIENTALS DE LES TERRES DE L’EBREThe Enviromental Policies Consortium of Terres de l’Ebre (COPATE) is a very young institution: it was founded on 17 October 2014. COPATE integrated the environmental protection activities that were previously done by different entities of Ebre region and has joined them into a single entity. COPATE takes action, following consolidation and homogeneity criteria, on: waste management, sanitation, public health, natural environment, biosphere reserve and energy efficiency. COPATE overcomes the fragmented action on environmental protection and works with an integrated and transversal vision, which aims at promoting sustainable, social and economic development of the territory. The creation of COPATE allows the Catalan regions of Ebre to better face the impact of climate change, knowing that it is one of the most vulnerable areas and that will require a greater adaptation effort. The commitment is even bigger considering the condition of biosphere reserve given to this territory. COPATE is made up of the county councils of four territories: Baix Ebre, Montsià, Ribera d’Ebre i Terra Alta. |
GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA, OFICINA CATALANA DEL CANVI CLIMÀTICThe Catalan Office for Climate Change (OCCC) is the technical instrument of the Government of Catalonia to promote and coordinate mitigation plans and strategies of climate change in Catalonia in accordance with European commitments. The OCCC is responsible for: a) Coordinating the development of Catalan inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, b) analyzing the evolution of carbon markets and support policies for emission reduction activities under the European Market emissions trading (ETS) and the use of the flexibility mechanisms, c) promoting research activities on climate change in the Catalan scientific community, d) Identifying areas and activities most at risk in front of climate change, and d) Considering measures to put in place in order to adapt to climate change. The OCCC has drafted the Catalan Strategy for adaptation to climate change (ESCACC, 2013-2020) to reduce the vulnerability of socio-economic sectors, such as agriculture, health, tourism, forests, energy and natural systems (water, biodiversity, forests, deltas and the Pyrenees mountains). This strategy was approved by the Government of Catalonia in November 2012. |
UNIÓ GENERAL DE TREBALLADORS DE CATALUNYAThe General Workers’ Union of Catalonia (UGTCAT) was born in Mataro and held its first congress in 1888. It is a historical entity committed to rights and at the same time representative of the workers in Catalonia. UGTCAT is an autonomous and plural union that fights for social welfare following democratic values, both pillars of its action model. The main scope of UGTCAT is the action in the labour field, but it works also in other areas such as the environment, risk prevention, education and training, employment, social policy, culture, cooperation and housing. Since 1998 UGTCAT has developed environmental awareness campaigns and training sessions for workers to ensure their active participation in the environmental management of enterprises. UGTCAT has participated in several projects of sustainable mobility and considers this right a key factor, being necessary to adapt mobility infraestructures and behaviors to climate change. To this end UGTCAT has a sufficient number of delegates with appropriate training and has the ability to raise and train a significant number of members and affiliates. UGTCAT has produced a remarkable set of awareness materials, information, advice and union action in the field of environment and sustainable mobility, which enable it to address the problem of adaptation to climate change. UGTCAT stands adaptation to climate change in the path of transition to a model of development that respects the environment, is socially equitable and solidary with the entire planet. Since 1998 UGTCAT involvement with the environment has been constantly growing. |
UNIÓ DE PAGESOS DE CATALUNYAThe “Unió de Pagesos de Catalunya” (Farmers’ Union of Catalonia) -UPCAT- is an agricultural professional organization, which was founded in 1974 and was legalized in 1977. Its mission is to safeguard professional and social interests of agricultural family farms, being the main interlocutor of these interests in front of the government and all agrarian stakeholders in Catalonia. UPCAT develops tasks such as internal debates, development of proposals, dialogue, structuration and dissemination of relevant facts, both from the farmers’ sector outwards and from outwards into the farmers’ sector. Climate change has been a field of action over the last few years, focusing on what can be done in the agricultural sector. In 2003 the campaign “Fem vida. Comptem amb el medi ambient” (“Make Life. Take environment into account”) was launched, which included different dissemination materials: Three handbooks (Environmental handbook for farmers (2003 and reprinted on 2005), Energy handbook for agricultural sector (2007) and Handbook on water efficiency use for irrigation (2009)), some factsheets “Make Life” (several dossiers were published during 2006-2011, which collect useful information for farmers on new production techniques, new management practices and technologies to improve issues related to environmental care and protection). In 2006 and 2007 UPCAT organized conferences on renewable energy, and in 2007 organized a seminar on climate change and agriculture in order to assess what kind of measures are most feasible in this sector. In the X Congress (Feb 2008)UPCAT passed a resolution focused on strategies to undertake in the agricultural sector in order to tackle climate change. UPCAT has taken part in the participation process of the Catalan Strategy for Adapting to climate change (2012) and the drafting of the Catalan law on Climate Change (2014). |