A Guide to Deep Dives on the Green Deal for Rural Regions

PoliRural is a H2020 funded CSA whose purpose is to explore and prototype innovative approaches to ‘future oriented collaborative policy development for rural areas and people.’ The project is based on a series of regional Foresight initiatives in 12 regions. Namely Apulia in Italy, Belgian Flanders, Central Bohemia of the Czech Republic, Segóbriga of Spain, Central Greece, County Monaghan in Ireland, Häme of Finland, Galilee in Israel, Gevgelija-Strumica of NM North Macedonia, Mazowieckie of Poland, the rural regions of Slovakia and Vidzeme planning region of Latvia. With support of the PoliRural project each of the regions is undertaking a strategic Foresight exercise, each of which provides a living laboratory environment in which to explore the use of innovative tools and resources to facilitate the Foresight process. The new tools include the use of text Mining as a productivity tool for the Foresight leadership team and the use of System Dynamic Modelling as a support for the exploration of policy options. The resources include a series of inventories and guides on timely topics of importance for the development of rural regions, subregions, and communities. This ‘Guide to Deep Dives on the Green Deal for Rural Regions’ is one of several resources provided to leadership teams of the 12 regional foresight initiatives. It builds upon important messages of the European Commission and Committee of the Regions transmitted during the 2021 Sustainable Energy Week and the 2021 EU Week of the Cities and the Regions, emphasizing the need for each region of Europe to develop its own region-specific recovery and resilience plan. The guide does not cover all aspects of the Green Deal. It focuses on energy projects, building renovation and the transformation of mobility systems, including the electrification of farm machinery. The final guide in the series will address the issue of bio-diversity, eco-system services and the carbon economy based on the emergence” of voluntary carbon markets. This guide is intended as support for the development of strategic conversations on key issues that require a region or community specific response based on a collaborative approach involving local stakeholders and beneficiaries of local development programs