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Exhibitors at ENCORE 2021
Please see below a list of the exhibitors at ENCORE 2021.
The Virtual Exhibition showcases inspiring projects and initiatives which respond to the conference themes of Climate Action, Ecosystem Services and Circular Economy for a Green and Sustainable Transition.
Welcome to ENCORE 2021, Tullamore, Ireland
EMRA Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly
The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly is one of the three Regional Assemblies of Ireland, working with key stakeholders at an EU, national, regional and local level to support effective regional development in Ireland. Its role is very broad and includes preparing, adopting and implementing regional spatial and economic strategies; participating on EU operational programme monitoring committees; identifying, participating in and coordinating certain EU projects; and supporting Ireland’s delegation to the EU Committee of the Regions.
Welcome to Tullamore and County Offaly
The historic town of Tullamore in Co. Offaly is the ‘virtual’ venue for our conference and gives its name to the outcome document of ENCORE 2021, the ‘Tullamore Declaration’. Co. Offaly is located in the heart of Ireland’s Midlands, the region at the centre of Ireland’s Just Transition programme. With the cessation of peat harvesting in the region, Co. Offaly is at the forefront of the transition process which is seeking to move our economy and society into a low carbon future.
We invite you to watch the welcome address from Ms. Anna Marie Delaney, the Chief Executive of Offaly County Council. In her address, Ms. Delaney outlines a number of inspiring projects and local initiatives which have been delivered in Offaly and across the Midlands region.
You can also watch the two videos in which Professor John Feehan sets out the story of the Midland Raised bogs over the past 12,000 years, and a video by Dr Catherine Farrell of the INCASE project and Trinity College Dublin who introduces some of the ecology of Co. Offaly’s peatlands: “Bog and Fen
Finally, you can watch “Offaly: Space to Discover” to give you a taste of Co. Offaly, and plan a visit in the future!
YouthCORE
YouthCORE is the youth forum of ENCORE, the Environmental Conference of the Regions of Europe. It comprises young people from European regions who come together to share their experiences and develop a common message of what future they want for their regions. This year, the YouthCORE delegates have been meeting in a series of workshops to discuss ENCORE topics, share experiences from their respective regions and to build a common message of what future the youth delegates want in their regions.
At the first meeting in March 2021, delegates got to know each other and were introduced to ENCORE and the conference themes of Ecosystem Services, Climate Action and Circular Economy as well as Just Transition. During the second YouthCORE event in May 2021, participants formed a common position on the current situation in their areas and began to identify initiatives that would be good for the future. During this May workshop, participants created a board with examples of work being done in their regions within the Conference themes. YouthCORE delegates also created a WordCloud of environmental solutions. This work can be viewed in this exhibit stand.
Projects and Initiatives in the Eastern and Midland Region, Ireland
All-Ireland Pollinator Plan
The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and its framework is about all of us, from farmers to local authorities, to schools, gardeners and businesses, coming together to try to create an Ireland where pollinators can survive and thrive. It was developed in recognition that the decline of pollinators is a serious problem which requires immediate attention to ensure the sustainability of food production, avoid additional economic impact on the agricultural sector and protect the health of the environment. The Plan was developed on a voluntary basis and without funding by a fifteen-member steering group comprising experts from universities, relevant government departments, local authorities and interest groups.
The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is an exemplary resource which can be easily transferred to other regions with a view to raising awareness of the economic, environmental and social value of the regulating services provided by pollinators. The first Plan covered the period 2015-2020 and a new version has been developed for 2021-2025.
Care-Peat
Restoring the carbon storage capacity of peatlands
Care-Peat is working to reduce carbon emissions and restore the carbon storage capacity of different types of peatlands in North-West Europe. The main goal of Care-Peat is to set up and demonstrate how by using innovative technologies for new restoration and carbon measurement techniques and the involvement of local and regional stakeholders help on carbon footprint reduction. There are two pilot sites in Ireland for CARE-PEAT (Cavemount bog and Cloncrow bog) both of which are in the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly area.
Important outputs of Care-Peat are the publication of a management and decision support tool and a set of socio-economic models concerning the best options for peatland restoration in regard to carbon storage.
ECIU
The Carbon Intensive Regions in Transition project was conducted through the challenge-based learning framework of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU) in co-operation with the Eastern & Midland Regional Assembly. Students from Dublin City University (Ireland) and the University of Twente (the Netherlands) produced a report on the Midlands Region of Ireland as affected by the Just Transition.
As part of their submission, the students produced a video report tailored to ENCORE 2021 and an infographic which outlines their approach to the challenge. You are invited to view both here.
Irish Natural Capital Accounting for Sustainable Environments (INCASE)
Funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency, INCASE is a pilot project to apply natural capital accounting principles in Ireland using the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounts-Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) to map the stocks and flows of ecosystem and geosystem services, highlight challenges, knowledge and data gaps, and recommend a framework for natural capital accounting. As the video explains, the purpose of these accounts is to support more informed decision-making by policymakers, land owners & managers and a range of other stakeholders, by integrating economic and environmental themes. The INCASE Feasibility Report was published in July 2020 and the project, covering four Irish catchments including the Figile located in County Offaly, runs from 2019-2023. The video ‘Introduction to Natural Capital’ has had over 9,400 views on YouTube since its release in July 2020.
Meath County Council
Meath County Council is the authority responsible for local government in County Meath. The day of this Encore Conference brings Meath County Council one day short of when we started our SDG journey. On the 5th anniversary of the goals, the 25th September 2020, we included the Sustainable Development Goals under the remit of the Climate Action Team, to create an SDG culture and align the goals with our activities. Talking about climate through the SDGs creates a more inclusive narrative and ensures nobody get left behind. These videos outline just some of our work and leadership in climate action and the SDGs and as Ireland’s first EU Climate Pact Ambassador. We hope you find them enjoyable and useful and are happy to connect with delegates should they require more information.
Natural Capital Ireland
Natural Capital Ireland (www.naturalcapitalireland.com) is a not-for-profit organisation which leads the conversation on natural capital in Ireland. It comprises organisations and individuals from academia and public, private and NGO sectors interested in the development and application of the natural capital agenda in Ireland. The long-term mission of NCI is to value, protect and restore Ireland’s natural capital and ecosystem services. NCI is doing this by: 1) organising high profile events, seminars, webinars, lectures and meet-ups to promote informed public and private sector decision-making; 2) producing and sharing resources on their website and via social media channels to support the adoption of natural capital concepts in public policy and corporate strategy; 3) connecting NCI members with experts, and; 4) advancing the natural capital agenda in Ireland by participating in original research to assist in the establishment of a national natural capital accounting standard. This includes the INCASE project (also featured in the virtual exhibition) which is piloting natural capital accounting in Ireland. NCI also contributes to draft policy and discussion frameworks at the national level.
Offaly County Council
Co. Offaly is the ‘virtual’ venue for ENCORE 2021. We invite you to watch the welcome address from Ms. Anna Marie Delaney, the Chief Executive of Offaly County Council. In her address, Ms. Delaney outlines a number of inspiring projects and local initiatives which have been delivered in Offaly and across the Midlands region. This exhibit contains videos and brochures which demonstrate the wide ranging actions which have taken place in Co. Offaly which cross-cut the conference themes. In particular we draw your attention to the work of Offaly County Council, Green Offaly and Offaly Comhairle na nÓg (Offaly Youth Council).
Peatlands Climate Action Scheme
Bord na Móna have permanently ceased industrial peat production on all their peatlands. In line with the company’s accelerated decarbonization strategy, and the availability of government funding, Bord na Móna has committed to ambitious enhanced peatland decommissioning and rehabilitation improvements, targeting over 30,000 hectares in over 80 Bord na Móna bogs. This Peatlands Climate Action Scheme has been developed to optimise ecosystem service benefits of peatland rehabilitation and restoration, particularly carbon storage and the reduction of carbon emissions. In addition, the scheme will also benefit biodiversity and water (water quality and catchment management), as well as providing space for local communities and people to enjoy the outdoors. Bord na Móna are in Year 1 of this scheme and to date have commenced rehabilitation measures on sixteen bogs. We will be commencing the stakeholder engagement process for the Year 2 bogs in the coming months and we invite all those interested in this project to visit our website or contact us.o. Offaly is the ‘virtual’ venue for ENCORE 2021. We invite you to watch the welcome address from Ms. Anna Marie Delaney, the Chief Executive of Offaly County Council. In her address, Ms. Delaney outlines a number of inspiring projects and local initiatives which have been delivered in Offaly and across the Midlands region. This exhibit contains videos and brochures which demonstrate the wide ranging actions which have taken place in Co. Offaly which cross-cut the conference themes. In particular we draw your attention to the work of Offaly County Council, Green Offaly and Offaly Comhairle na nÓg (Offaly Youth Council).
Quantitative Greenhouse Gas Impact Assessment Method for Spatial Planning Policy (QGasSP)
European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON)
QGasSP - Quantitative Greenhouse Gas Impact Assessment Method for Spatial Planning Policy
The purpose of this analysis is to identify a robust method that will allow planning authorities at national, regional, and local levels to quantify and forecast the influence of spatial planning policies on GHG emissions in a consistent manner. The expected outputs will include a web application and modelling tool, which will aid Member States in meeting their GHG emissions targets. The project will examine how competent planning authorities can prioritise climate mitigation strategies and enhance the effectiveness of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process, which can provide alternative scenarios to inform decision making and build political will for climate action.
More information on ESPON QGasSP is available here: https://www.espon.eu/QGasSP
URBACT
URBACT facilitates the sharing of knowledge and good practice between cities and other levels of government. The purpose is to promote integrated sustainable development and improve the effectiveness of regional and cohesion policy. The main mechanism that URBACT uses to achieve its objectives is through co-financing exchange and learning networks that typically run for 30 months and involve six to twelve cities, depending on
the type of network. Each network focuses on a specific theme or challenge. URBACT’s mission is to enable cities to work together and develop integrated solutions to common urban challenges, by networking, learning from one another’s experiences, drawing lessons and identifying good practices to improve urban policies. The main target participants include practitioners, city managers, elected representatives and stakeholders from other public agencies, the private sector and civil society.
More information on URBACT is available here: https://urbact.eu/
Projects and Initiatives from across Europe
Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection
The ministry provides the Bavarian State Minister of the Environment and Consumer Protection with expert assistance in fulfilling their tasks as a member of the Bavarian state government. The ministry’s goals include maintaining the biodiversity, habitat diversity and recreational value of our landscape; protecting soil, air and water from pollution; reducing CO2 emissions, adapting to the consequences of climate change and carrying out research; and managing our waste by waste prevention, preparing for re-use and further recycling to waste disposal.
Bavaria is pleased to share information on 3 initiatives relevant to the ENCORE Themes:
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Blühpakt (Flowering Pact) - a political and social response to the disappearance of native insects. Blühpakt advises and awards best practices for businesses, enterprises and public authorities on how to create pollinator friendly spaces.
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REZ Centre for Basic Materials Efficiency (REZ) - The REZ is the central contact point for resource efficiency topics in Bavaria. It offers advice and shows examples of best practice with special consideration of small and middle enterprises of the industry.
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Der wilde Wald (The wild forest) – The Bavarian Forest National Park was Germany’s first national park, and it continues to provide a space for nature for hundreds of species. Together with the neighbouring Šumava National Park in the Czech Republic, it forms the largest single forest reserve in Central Europe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI29hLciD4s
CATCH
Water sensitive Cities: the Answer To CHallenges of extreme weather events
CATCH stands for 'water sensitive Cities: the Answer To CHallenges of extreme weather events'. The overall objective of CATCH is to demonstrate and accelerate the redesign of urban water management of midsize cities in the North Sea Region in order to become climate resilient cities that are sustainable, liveable and profitable on the long term.
This will be achieved by the joint development of decision support tools that will support midsize cities to formulate long term climate adaptation strategies. The design of the tools is based on the specific needs and characteristics of midsize cities. The tools will be tested in the formulation, execution and evaluation in 7 pilots cities Zwolle (NL), Vejle (DK), Oldenburg (DE), Norwich (UK), Herentals (BE), Enschede (NL) and Arvike (SE).
CATCH addresses the special needs of midsize cities to deal with climate change adaptation and the resulting extreme weather events. In the North Sea Region 80% of the population live in urban areas of which a majority lives in midsize cities. Due to its scale, limited resources and expertise and tight connection with the surrounding region, midsize cities face a number of specific challenges to deal with climate change adaptation compared to large cities.hree part mini-doc series on Irish farming produced as part of the People’s Transition research
Central Denmark Region
Central Denmark Region is one of five regions in Denmark.
Denmark is organised at three political and administrative levels: the national (government), the regional (5 regions) and the municipal level (98 municipalities). Each region is led by a Regional Council, consisting of 41 politicians elected every four years.
The regions' responsibilities are within the areas of health, psychiatry, social or regional development. The region must secure the overall strategy and at the same time top quality services; be it in the personal educational contact at institutions or when a patient needs nerve fiber surgery.
Central Denmark Region is also responsible for regional development within the areas of public transport/mobility, education, culture and environment (soil contamination, groundwater protection and raw materials planning).
Ecostructure
Climate Change Adaptation through Ecologically Sensitive Coastal Infrastructure
Ecostructure brings together five leading universities in Wales and Ireland to research and raise awareness of eco-engineering solutions to the challenge of coastal adaptation to climate change. Ecostructure aims to promote the incorporation of secondary ecological and societal benefits into coastal defence and renewable energy structures, with benefits to the environment, to coastal communities, and to the blue and green sectors of the Irish and Welsh economies. The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA) is represented on the International Steering Committee of the project.
Next2Met
Next2Met is an innovative interregional exchange project which aims at increasing attractiveness - for knowledge, opportunities, and capital - of territories located close to metropolitan areas through soft digitalisation measures. The project brings together 6 regional and local actors and 1 Advisory Partner – from Finland, Austria, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland and Poland – sharing this common challenge and working together to implement policy solutions. By focusing on the strengths of territories surrounding metropolitan areas, Next2Met aims to overcome the current bottlenecks to attracting and retaining knowledge, people and capital. Compared to capital regions, ‘next to met’ areas are confronted with a lack of tools and critical mass of research, development and innovation, and therefore struggle with keeping experienced small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as highly-qualified people in the region. Through the project, partners will improve policy instruments, through interregional learning processes, so that public policy supports an increased attractiveness of its territories. Digitalisation, cooperation and specialisation are the cornerstones that this project aims to support.
Noord-Brabant (Netherlands)
The Province of Noord-Brabant is one of the regions of the Netherlands. The provincial administration takes initiatives on an economic, social and cultural level and coordinates actions. It is primarily concerned with spatial development, accessibility and mobility for the region, regional economic policy, and the culture and regional identity. Here you can view some of the work being done in Noord-Brabant
North Rhine Westphalia
Competence Network Environment Economy
We will virtually travel across Europe to show good practices from SMEs and different sectors. We will provide room for exchange on how to become circular and on success factors for a transition. You will get to know pioneers and exchange with like-minded companies on how to overcome the barriers you face. And – fingers crossed – we will hopefully be able to meet in person at the end of our travel in November 2022 at the Circular Economy Hotspot in Bottrop, North-Rhine-Westphalia (Germany).
PROGRESS
PROmoting the Governance of Regional Ecosystem ServiceS
PROGRESS is a 2019-2023 Interreg Europe project funded by the European Regional Development Fund (1,4 M €). PROGRESS brings together 6 regional partner organisations from across the EU – Ireland (EMRA), Italy, Spain, Latvia, Romania and Hungary to improve Operational Plans at regional or national level and other strategies dealing with the protection and valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The approach is based on policy learning and capacity building across the partner organisations and relevant stakeholders under 4 strands: measurement of cost & benefit of ecosystem services, integration into policy and planning, innovative payments for ecosystem services and landscape sustainability governance.
Southern Denmark
In 2020 the Region of Southern Denmark adopted a new Climate Strategy setting ambitious climate targets for the geographical area and for the organization, i.e. the hospitals and institutions run by the region. The region aims to reduce climate gas emissions by 70 pct. in 2030, promote a circular economy as well as adapt to future climate changes.
Värmland County
C5a - Cluster for Cloud to Coast Climate Change Adaptation
The North Sea Region is facing a significant increase in the frequency and severity of floods in response to climate change. Flood management approaches need to urgently adapt to this new reality to keep people safe, the environment healthy and our economies prosperous. To respond to this challenge the project 'Cluster for Cloud to Coast Climate Change adaptation' (C5a) wants to deliver a cloud 2 coast approach for the management of flood risk. Combining the outcomes of seven Interreg North Sea Region projects, C5a can ensure an approach that is both evidence-based and practical. C5a has 10 partners from 6 countries and runs from 2019 to 2021. The project is co-funded by the North Sea Region Programme 2014 - 2020.
Västra Götaland (Sweden)
Project name: LIFE Lophelia
LIFE Lophelia will create the conditions for more coral reefs. Today there are only two small living coral reefs in Sweden. There were more coral reefs in the past, both in Sweden and in the rest of Europe. The coral, Lophelia pertusa, is a reef-building cold water coral that forms spectacular ecosystems. More than 1,300 different species have been observed in these coral reefs. It is just as impressive species richness as in tropical coral reefs.
We will design, produce and place artificial reef structures in the sea. Then the coral larvae get something to settle on. They need hard surfaces that protrude from the seabed to thrive. In this way, we will restore previously known areas with dead and living corals in the Natura 2000 area of Kosterfjord-Väderöfjord.
Virtual Alpine Observatory
Since 19 April 2012 the “Virtual Alpine Observatory“ (VAO) has been operating as a network of European High Altitude Research Stations based in the Alps and similar mountain ranges, and now includes ten countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Georgia, Italy, Norway, Slovenia and Switzerland). This cross-border and interdisciplinary cooperation has made it possible to address in great depth scientific problems relating to the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and cryosphere systems, and also the possible impact of environmental influences on health.
Wallonia Region (Belgium)
Project Name: Yes We Plant
Is it a crazy gamble to want to plant 4,000 km of hedges or 1 million trees before the end of the legislature? Yet this is the objective set by the Walloon Government for citizens, associations, farmers, companies, schools and public organisations. Hundreds of participants have already decided to commit themselves to saving biodiversity in Wallonia. Wallonia supports the planting of living hedges, linear coppices and tree alignments. The maintenance of pollarded trees and the planting of fruit trees are also subsidised.
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