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ECOLISE calls on members to sign the “Liège Declaration on Adaptation to Climate Change”

On 9 Feb the official communication about the “Liège Declaration on Adaptation to Climate Change” was published (PDF here), after the first non-state actor European Summit on Adaptation, organised by Climate Chance and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024 / Walloon Region Ministers of Climate and Environment in Liège, Belgium/ Wallonia.

The event involved nearly 1.000 participants from more than 20 countries. Nina Klein represented ECOLISE, who were a co-organiser and a member of the steering group, as well as supporting the coining of the declaration. ECOLISE is now reaching out to its members and partners on the #10Theses to read and sign the declaration:

ECOLISE was invited to speak in the closing panel, which can be watched at the Summit video (from 40,50 mins). You can see ECOLISE photo album from the event here.

Nina Klein from ECOLISE participates at the European Summit on Adaptation, Feb 2024 (Photo Climate Chance)

The Liège Declaration was adopted by more than 75 non-state organisations and their networks. They collectively agree to:

Call on all political levels as well as the non-state actors to make adaptation a key priority in policy-making, to integrate a culture of prevention and resilience at all levels of governance and to produce climate and environmental risk assessments to inform and strengthen future adaptation plans.

Nina and ECOLISE extend a big thank you to Anne-Kathrin Schwab of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Germany and to Josué Dusoulier of the Réseau Transition Belgium for contributing to this event as speakers, and to ECOLISE council member Justin Stevens and Anne for contributions to the Declaration.
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Josué Dusoulier of the Transition Network Belgium (Réseau Transition Belgium) and Anne-Kathrin Schwab of the Global Ecovillage Network Europe (GEN) Germany. (Photo Climate Chance)
Josué Dusoulier of the Transition Network Belgium (Réseau Transition Belgium) (Photo Climate Chance)

In the run up to the event, ECOLISE contributed to the Declaration with the message that adaptation needs to be community-led and community-based, holistic (adressing the triple planetary crisis), that community-led initiatives need to be involved in the governance of adaptation and resourced adequately. We followed the Time for Collective Action Manifesto in this messaging  and conveyed our message to our audiences in two workshops (no. 1 on Decentralisation and transborder cooperation , no 4. on New risks and information) with around 60 – 80 people present per workshop. ECOLISE was invited to take part in the closing panel with > 800 people present.

The event was a great networking opportunity, with direct access to the Belgian Ministers of Environment and Climate (handing over the Time for Collective Action Manifesto), to MEPS (Saskia de Bricmont who will follow Philippe Lambert & other MEPs present; as well as with strong collaboration with actors like the IPCC Wallonia (Jean-Pascal van Ypersele), the Walloon Region / Belgium (cabinet of Climate Minister Henry) and Climate Chance as one of the main organisers. Around 800 – 1000 non -state actors  from 20 nations were present.

FYI: Belgium holds the presidency in European Council until mid 2024, and will push the topics of adaptation & resilience, just transition and circular economy. The European Environment Agency (EPA) will publish a report on the impacts of the climate crisis on Europe in 2 – 3 weeks, and EU Environment ministers will meet in March and discuss both the Liège Declaration and the EPA Report.

Media posts about the declaration:

Nina Klein from ECOLISE participates at the European Summit on Adaptation, Feb 2024 (Photo Climate Chance)
European Summit on Adaptation, Feb 2024 (Photo Climate Chance)
ECOLISE were a co-organiser and a member of the steering group for the European Summit on Adaptation
SIGN THE DECLERATION HERE

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