{"id":2780,"date":"2024-06-12T02:07:41","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T02:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=2780"},"modified":"2024-06-12T02:07:41","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T02:07:41","slug":"the-bottom-up-brussels-green-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2780\/the-bottom-up-brussels-green-revolution\/","title":{"rendered":"The bottom-up Brussels green revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Belgian region\u2019s environmental and social conditions for research funding offer a possible model for the EU.<\/p>\n

By<\/em><\/strong> Anthony King<\/p>\n

In the EU and Belgian capital Brussels, Barbara Trachte reflects the strengths of a third governmental layer in Europe: its numerous regions.<\/p>\n

Trachte is secretary of state of the Brussels-Capital Region responsible for the economic transition and scientific research. The first member of Belgium\u2019s French-speaking Green party to be put in charge of an economic portfolio, she shows the scope for bottom-up EU policy changes.<\/p>\n

Setting an example<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trachte helped put in place a Brussels law that, starting in 2024, has made regional subsidies for research organisations, companies, public administrations and civil society conditional on respect for social and environmental standards. She believes the EU should do the same for its\u00a0\u20ac95.5 billion research programme known as Horizon Europe.<\/p>\n

\u2018Sometimes you need a revolution \u2013 or at least a mini revolution,\u2019 Trachte told Horizon Magazine.<\/p>\n

She said that Europe\u2019s regions have a key role to play in advancing the continent\u2019s transition to a net-zero economy.<\/p>\n

With the EU seeking to become climate neutral by 2050 under the\u00a0European Green Deal<\/a>, Horizon Europe has placed increasing emphasis on projects to hasten the switch towards clean energy and away from fossil fuels and to ensure the process is socially fair.<\/p>\n

Already the third-biggest part of the EU budget, Horizon Europe would have even greater impact on green and social matters across the continent by following the example set by the Brussels-Capital Region.<\/p>\n

In a nutshell, \u20ac50 million of subsidies granted annually by the region for research and innovation require recipients to respect a do-no-harm principle and have a positive impact on the environment or social equality, according to\u00a0Stephanie Lepczynski, who is Trachte\u2019s policy adviser.<\/p>\n

\u2018We are showing the way and we hope that this can influence the European Commission by encouraging it to put environmental, social and governance criteria into the eligibility of Horizon projects,\u2019 Lepczynski said at the European Research and Innovation Days<\/a> event in Brussels on 20-21 March 2024.<\/p>\n

Secrets to success<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gender and transborder-cooperation requirements currently in place for EU funding help ensure greater diversity in research teams and produce scientific results that better reflect the make-up of society, according to Lepczynski.<\/p>\n

She said that social and environmental conditionality in Horizon Europe would force researchers systematically to check that they\u2019re acting for the common good and help ensure that funding advances EU green and social goals.<\/p>\n

Trachte said such conditions will also be merited in the successor programme of Horizon Europe, which runs for seven years through 2027.<\/p>\n

\u2018I wish for the next EU framework programme to decide the same \u2013 to have a greater impact and make a bigger contribution to the objectives of the European Green Deal,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

For Trachte, EU projects can have the most impact where academic, industry, government, civil society and the environment interact.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0is known as the \u201cquintuple helix\u201d approach to innovation. It has led governments increasingly to prioritise public involvement in innovation processes.<\/p>\n

\u2018This ensures that research is rooted in society and geared towards finding solutions to today\u2019s major societal challenges such as climate degradation, growing socio-economic inequalities or democracies,\u2019 Trachte said.<\/p>\n

Mission driven<\/strong><\/p>\n

She singled out as particularly important the five Horizon Europe \u201cMissions\u201d:\u00a0adapting to climate change, fighting cancer, restoring oceans, cleaning up soil and establishing 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030.<\/p>\n

\u2018The five Missions are a very innovative tool to make the societal challenges stand out \u2013 in particular the triple crisis of climate, biodiversity and pollution and the health challenges related to it,\u2019 Trachte said.<\/p>\n

In Brussels, the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission<\/a>\u00a0was notably successful in bringing\u00a0together regional and local administrations\u00a0as well as other partners from the private sector.<\/p>\n

\u2018The enthusiasm created behind the Missions has mobilised many different actors,\u2019 Trachte said.<\/p>\n

The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission.<\/em><\/p>\n

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