EGD4cities takes inspiration from existing initiatives, aiming to implement a general concept and approach to greening human capital and economy referred to the wider approach to
sustainability introducing skills linked to the transition to a circular and greener economy. Τhe project has the specific objective to enhance the required green skills for workforce by
improving its technical capacities, knowledge, values and attitudes to develop and support sustainable social, economic and environmental outcomes in business, industry and the community. More specifically, this project aims to provide a training material for local authorities’ staff on how to put the European Green Deal into practice at the local level, and respect the UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts", SDG 11 "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable", as well as to relevant targets of other SDGs. Also, a pilot training course will be held for testing and making adjustments on developed material.
Generally, the project is meant to get involved local authorities which are in charge of a variety of environmental services related to noise or air pollution, waste disposal, consumer education and protection, or city planning which directly affect the health of local citizens and impact the environment.
The project's specific goal is to capacitate local authorities’ staff and NGO leaders for change engagement, developing green sectoral skills and fostering leadership skills, creativity, socio-educational and professional development, through Local Authorities’ and NGOs’ action. Its specific objectives are to help these target groups to keep up-to-date with science and policy on EU level, as well as to enhance their competences in various sustainability-relevant sectors by improving and extending the supply of high-quality learning opportunities for adults, under the perspective of lifelong learning.
Under the EGD4cities an Assessment Methodology for valorizing / creating European Green Deal local policies (IO1) will be developed in order to enhance local authorities' staff role on assistant provision of climate change. Also, a "Transformative Mindset Course on EGD4cities" (IO2) will be created by the partnership to increase and deepens the knowledge and competences of local authorities’ staff working in the decision-making positions how to resilience climate change in local level.
Moreover, "Peer to Peer Success Stories videos" (IO3) will play an important role on the project's implementation as they will motivate the target group, encourage them to change
attitudes and adopt a new mindset, inspire people and organisations to become involved and encourage sustainable behaviors.
As a last action, the partnership has the objective to develop a "Virtual Think Tank" (IO4) where information and resources about environmental actions in local levels and training opportunities will be shared, in order to increase the capacity and skills of stakeholders to handle each individual request for assistance and consultancy on environmental and climate changing sector.
As a result, the project expects to create clear and tangible benefits for all stakeholders involved, by support a sustainable improvement of their basic skills and competences on leadership, citizenship, green actions and social change for the environment, the regions and local communities. Furthermore, EGD4cities will promote the well-being of citizens, providing coherent response to the challenges facing the environmental sector by complementing and adding value to existing initiatives. The consortium declares that the EGD4cities project will have both international and local impact on social cohesion, integration and inclusion, with benefits and more opportunities for all.
