Three LIFE projects further explore the importance of communicating, raising awareness and educating citizens about climate action
01/06/2023
LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050, LIFE Vía de la Plata and LIFE Shara are participating with CINEA in the 'Communicating to involve. Good practices for disseminating LIFE projects to citizens’ webinar.
The 'Communicating to involve. Good practices to disseminate LIFE projects to citizens' webinar brought together three LIFE projects on 23rd May to further explore the importance of communicating, raising awareness and educating citizens on climate action and sharing good practices. The event, organised by the LIFE Vía de la Plata and LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050 projects, was also attended by LIFE Shara, in addition to contributions by CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency).
It was Marisa Sánchez, Communication Adviser at CINEA, who opened the session with a presentation on the role of communication in LIFE projects. During her speech, Sánchez explained that proper communication of projects is key to increasing the chances of success and having a lasting impact, as well as obtaining more funding and investment for the project. On the other hand, proper communication "helps to solve societal challenges, and can influence local and regional policy", she insisted.
The communication adviser focused on the methodology followed by the European organisation in this context: establishing a strategy that will be managed by a person in charge of communication, and defining a work plan that will be fulfilled in specific campaigns to reach the target audience.
The session continued with the presentation of the three participating LIFE projects. On behalf of LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050, Iñigo Urrutikoetxea Alvarez, Ihobe's Climate Action technician, spoke about the C.7.1:Citizen training action with the participation of Naturklima and Tecnun. He explained that this action "aims to encourage citizen participation in climate action". The activities carried out within this action are aimed at children, young people and adults, with such diverse initiatives as Learning experience, an Escape box with climate change as the theme, or a Climate Goose, among others.
Urban Klima 2050 also envisages action plans for 2025 on citizen empowerment with respect to climate change with 'co-creation' as a key element and which will be shown in a wide range of actions, including information campaigns to debunk myths, the "Climate Influencers” communication campaigns, guided tours with citizens, school education to work on climate change in a cross-cutting way or the creation of citizen advisory councils, among other actions.
The coordinator of LIFE Shara, Ana Lancho emphasised the main objective of this project, which has now been completed: raising awareness and knowledge for adaptation to climate change. In order to achieve this goal, the project launched activities, such as the Adaptation. Fighting climate change', travelling exhibition, seminars and workshops to encourage citizen participation and disseminate the use of AdapteCCa (Platform on Adaptation to Climate Change in Spain), as well as media attention to disseminate the progress achieved.
The session was closed by Lorena Díaz, head of communication for LIFE Vía de la Plata, which she explained "is part of a city strategy, Salamanca". In order to disseminate the actions being carried out to convert the Vía de la Plata route into a green corridor, the communication team considers it essential to update the website and social media "to keep the public up to date and disseminate the activities". In addition, the project is also carrying out recreational activities to involve the population through citizen science activities, guided tours or workshops. Other tools are videos (awareness-raising, training, featuring citizens, or educational), as well as infographics, training or competitions. All of this aims to turn LIFE Vía de la Plata "into a project of continuity and to build an increasingly greener Salamanca", she concluded.
The recording of this online meeting is also available through this link.
