Awareness and Education as tools to spread change: the story of the Kaindorf Eco-Region

In 2007, in the small Austrian municipalities of Ebersdorf, Hartl, and Kaindorf, one man decided to act. After listening to a climate scientist warn that the world was dangerously close to a tipping point, Rainer Dunst realized the government was doing little to respond to the crisis. So, he walked straight to the mayor and shared his vision: a region that could become net zero in CO₂.

That spark lit the Kaindorf Eco-Region, now a network of 6,500 people, three municipalities, including schools, farmers, businesses, and households. Together, they began weaving sustainability into everyday life: from heating and mobility, to agriculture and education. What started as a vision became a movement, built not by politicians in distant capitals, but by neighbours who believed in a different future.

At first, nobody from outside the Eco-Region believed them. People resisted change, skeptical of being told to take the bus, renovate homes, or replace oil heating. It felt like outsiders were trying to disrupt their daily lives. The first years were uphill, full of doubt and hesitation.

The weight of climate change was already pressing on this rural region. Farmers saw drier soils, residents faced rising costs of heating and fuel, and young people wondered what kind of future awaited them. The frustration was clear: Why should a small community try to fix a global problem that governments and industries ignored?

And yet, behind that frustration, there was also quiet determination. People began to ask: What if we could prove that change is possible?

The breakthrough came in 2011. Kaindorf decided to become Austria’s first plastic-free region – and they did. Every shop replaced plastic bags with paper ones. Every household received a reusable shopping bag and joined a stamp reward game. It was playful, collective, and powerful. One woman carried her worn-out bag long after it had broken just to keep collecting stamps.

But as important as their work was Kaindorf Eco-Region willingness to present its decisions, processes, and results through awareness and educational events to other audiences and communities as a way to spread change. Suddenly, the Eco-Region was on national TV. Pride replaced skepticism from the others, and a sense of shared purpose began to spread.

Other projects followed: a humus-building program that rewarded farmers for storing CO₂ in soil; partnerships with schools to make climate action part of daily learning; more than 500 local climate protection projects. Together, these initiatives showed that ecology and economic success can walk hand in hand. 

The story of the Kaindorf Eco-Region is a reminder that community-led initiatives can light the path when policies don’t move fast enough. What began as a few neighbours dreaming of a CO₂-neutral region has grown into a living example of what Europe needs: resilience, creativity, and cooperation rooted in place.

Yet, Kaindorf is not alone. Across Europe, thousands of communities are stepping up—whether through permaculture gardens, energy cooperatives, local sharing economies, or climate adaptation projects. Together, these initiatives show that sustainability is not an abstract goal but a daily practice, built on values of equity, justice, and inclusion.

Kaindorf’s journey is part of a wider movement across Europe where communities are already adapting to a changing climate. Their work echoes the questions now facing EU leaders: how will the forthcoming European Climate Adaptation Plan support and scale such grassroots solutions?

That is what the European Day of Sustainable Communities (EDSC) is all about. Every September, ECOLISE celebrates and showcases local communities from Lisbon to Ljubljana, from small villages to big cities, and shares how they are creating more sustainable, fair, and joyful ways of living.

In 2025, during the week of September 22nd, communities like Kaindorf will join voices in local and national dialogues on food, water, biodiversity, housing, energy, climate adaptation, and the circular economy. Their stories and lessons will travel all the way to Brussels, where they will inform EU-level decisions this November at ECOLISE’s policy event on November 5th. The ecological and social transition cannot be delivered top-down; it grows from the ground up.

This EDSC, we invite you to listen, to learn, and to stand with us. Add your voice to this movement for resilience and justice. Together, we can reshape Europe.

This is not only Kaindorf’s story. It is the story of Europe’s communities, proving every day that living well and protecting the planet can go hand in hand.