County-level Climate Protection Platforms
About this good practice
The Programme is governed by the Association of Climate Friendly Settlements (www.klimabarat.hu) and aims at both community building and awareness raising for the more active involvement of community to climate change related actions. MI6 (mi6.hu) runs three of these Platforms.
It provides a successful and operating example of broad engagement and coordination of stakeholders for the sake of promoting climate change. It is both a supplementary package of awareness raising and knowledge sharing services offered to public and an innovative cooperation model for engaging all types of local stakeholders related to climate protection and climate change mitigation.
The Programme requires that each county establishes a County-level Climate Protection Platform. Each Platform is required to carry out activities: at least two conferences, three workshops and four awareness raising actions or campaigns. These activities build links and trust among local players and provide a solid foundation for further actions, e.g. preparation of schemes or policy support, monitoring climate actions, etc.
Expert opinion
This is a good example of regional stakeholder mobilisation, bringing stakeholders into the process of elaborating climate protection action plans. Efforts at community building and co-design have clearly been successful, supporting the elaboration of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans in some cases. Particularly interesting is that this national programme sets a framework, but is not overly prescriptive. Whilst each county must fulfil certain actions (numbers of events, for example), there is scope for adaptation for regional context.
Resources needed
The Programme started in 2016 in all Hungarian counties. Sustainable operation was foreseen as a result of government commitment. Already established and operating platforms and financing available for the first two years of operation, funding not foreseen after 2018.
Evidence of success
The Programme started in 2016 and after two years of operation, it continues. The Platforms have been well managed in the last two years (regular meetings, meaningful discussions, etc.). Some platforms opened toward other related actions, such as SECAPs and there are plats to embed a SECAP Platform by the Virtual Power Plant Programme using this initiative.
Potential for learning or transfer
The idea and also the operational experience is fully transferable and also scalable. Chosing the right scale of transfer is crucial as it may yield too narrow or too broad partnerships, unable to operate with both flexibility and local knowledge and will to act.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Magyar Innováció és Hatékonyság Nonprofit Kft