Moving towards ambitions

Two key topics were discussed at today’s online thematic meeting held by the NBS4LOCAL partnership:

Almost each region could implement the local trainings, in most cases combined with awareness-raising events. The partners used diverse workshop techniques, but that’s not surprising, as the already available training materials had to be adapted to the local needs and circumstances. In addition to report about the basic information (when, where, how the trainings were held), we could learn interesting facts and conclusions about these events. Just taking a few examples:

• it can be worth to have participants from different levels of the policy system, as this can boost the interest (e.g. inviting the mayors and the state secretary – Hungarian example);
• living lab technique can bring the topic closer, which enables the participants to see NBS closely (e.g. modelling how fast the water flows on different surfaces – Spanish example);
• not only the general information about NBS is important for stakeholders, but also presentations about relevant financing schemes, which topic-combination can attract more participants.

In the second part of the meeting the actual status of the ambition plans was discussed. The partnership is now in that phase, when – based on the already implemented peer review visits - one or two good practices have to be chosen and incorporated into the regional policy to be influenced. And which are the TOP good practices?

• Give back to nature, Salla, from Finland
• Blue Deal Flanders, from Belgium
• Call for municipal applications and Green infrastructure guidance for municipalities, from Hungary
• URBAN GreenUP in Valladolid, from Spain

Of course, some finetuning as regards the adaptation of good practices is still needed, but in the upcoming phase of the project implementation the focus should be on the policy improvement, including also on the finalisation of the ambition plans.