Celebrating 10 Years of the European Day of Sustainable Communities
This September marks a special milestone: the 10th anniversary of the European Day of Sustainable Communities (EDSC). For ten years, communities across Europe have come together to celebrate local action, demonstrate practical solutions, and show that the transition to a just and sustainable future starts where people live, work, and collaborate.
What began as a shared celebration of local action has grown into a Europe-wide movement, connecting citizens, community initiatives, municipalities, civil society organisations and policymakers around a common belief: the transition begins in our communities.
From 21 to 27 September 2026, ECOLISE and its partners invite citizens, community-led initiatives, local authorities, and organisations across Europe to join this 10th anniversary edition, supported by the Funding Fairer Futures project.
A Decade of Community-Led Change
Over the past ten years, the European Day of Sustainable Communities has grown into a Europe-wide movement that shines a spotlight on the people and initiatives building resilient, regenerative, and inclusive communities. From community energy and agroecology to participatory democracy, circular economy projects, and affordable housing, thousands of local initiatives have demonstrated that sustainable transitions are already happening on the ground.
The 10th anniversary is an opportunity not only to celebrate these achievements but also to strengthen the dialogue between communities and decision-makers at a crucial moment for Europe’s future.
More Than 70 Policy Dialogues Across Europe
This year’s campaign will feature more than 70 local, regional, and national policy dialogues, bringing together community leaders, policymakers, researchers, and civil society.
These conversations will explore how European and national policies can better recognise, support, and scale community-led solutions across key areas of transformation. By bringing together local experiences, knowledge and perspectives, these dialogues will help ensure that communities have a meaningful role in shaping policies for a fair, resilient and sustainable Europe.
To support this, we have developed a toolkit on how to organise a policy dialogue—a step-by-step guide to help anyone, anywhere, plan and host a dialogue in September, whether you are new to this or already engaged in community-led advocacy work.
These conversations will feed into a broader effort to amplify community voices at the EU level, culminating in a policy event in Brussels in November 2026.
10 Stories. 10 Topics.
To celebrate a decade of the EDSC, we will also launch a special storytelling campaign featuring 10 inspiring stories across 10 key topics that embody the three core values of the New European Bauhaus – beauty, sustainability and inclusivity. This year’s EDSC topics are: Renewable energy, Biodiversity, Climate adaptation, Circular economy, Food, Agriculture, Ecological lifestyles, Water management, Housing and sustainable building, and Culture & Arts.
Each story will highlight people and initiatives that are turning bold ideas into everyday practice, demonstrating how communities are responding to today’s social, environmental, and economic challenges with creativity, solidarity, and determination.
Together, these stories illustrate a simple but powerful message: when communities are empowered, they become drivers of transformation.
Stay tuned to our Instagram account to follow all the campaign content!
Join the Celebration
Whether you are organising a policy dialogue, participating in a local event, sharing your community’s story, or amplifying the campaign online, there are many ways to be part of this anniversary edition.
To introduce the 10th anniversary campaign and explain how you can get involved, we hosted a webinar presenting the different opportunities for participation, including the policy dialogues, storytelling campaign and other ways to engage.
From 21–27 September, let’s celebrate ten years of collaboration, innovation, and community action. As we look back on this journey, we also look forward to the many ways communities will continue to shape a more sustainable, just and resilient future.
