Background

As announced in the framework of the Green Deal launched by the European Commission, all economic sectors must commit to the ecological and solidarity-based transition. The associative structures are an important component of the economic and social fabric of the European Union and in 2010 represented more than 9 million workers.
They are essential actors in meeting the social inclusion requirement set out in the Green Deal, and help their members to become more autonomous and to cooperate with each other, making them key players in the success of the ecological transition.

The pre-project study conducted by APES in 2018 among 83 associations reveals that:

• 86% of the associations surveyed would like to take more account of the environmental impacts of their activities;
• 50% felt that they lacked knowledge about the means and methods to improve the ecological footprint of their activities;
• 50% of the associations interviewed wanted to be able to benefit from exchanges of experience; to benefit from support for the development of territorial projects in cooperation with other actors; to be informed and trained; to benefit from support for the implementation of environmental practices.

Goal

To respond to the problems identified, four innovative and complementary intellectual outputs will be produced during the 26 months of the project. This adapted training offer will make it possible to initiate and accompany the ecological transition of associations, both from a structural and individual point of view.

• Gallery of inspiring practices and portraits

This first production aims to identify and make visible the behaviours and actions that place the ecological transition and the reduction of the ecological footprint at the heart of the activity of associations, both internally and externally. The aim is to promote the inspiring good practices of associations that are working to initiate or strengthen their ecological transition, both at the structural and individual levels.

• “Objective Zero Carbon” playful supports

These materials will be used in a fun way to inform, raise awareness and obtain a shared level of consciousness and knowledge about climate change and the ecological emergency, and to stimulate the desire to act. This production will be based on two innovative games: 1. the game “Objective Zero Carbon”; 2. the game “Carbon Footprint”.

• A methodological guide to the ecological transition

This guide will enable networks and associative structures to be trained in order to more easily initiate a change in their practices that take into account the challenges of ecological transition. The objective of this production is to increase both the desire to act and the concrete capacity to act. The latter will make it possible to plan a step-by-step transition process.

• White paper for the associative ecological transition

This latest production adopts a problem-solution approach and is intended as a guide primarily for public authorities, but also for associations and citizens, in order to encourage, promote and facilitate commitment to the ecological transition.

Partnership

This project brings together 5 associations from 3 Member States:

• La Maison des Associations de Tourcoing (Coordinator, France);
• POUR LA SOLIDARITE-PLS (Partner, Belgium);
• Maison Régionale de l’environnement et des solidarités (Partner, France);
• Associacio per a la creacio i estudis de projectes socials (Partner, Spain);
• Acteurs pour une économie solidaire (Partner, France).

TEDDA at a glance

• Kick-off meeting, Lille, 27-28 January 2022
• A gallery of inspiring portraits, Dec. 2021 – Dec. 2022
• Playful tools for the “Zero Carbon Objective”, Feb. 2022 – Dec. 2022
• Methodological guide to initiate the ecological transition, July 2022 – June 2023
• White paper with recommandations, Nov. 2022 – Dec. 2023
• Public event, Barcelona, 20 October 2022
• Public event, Lille, October 2022
• Public event, Tourcoing, January 2023
• Public event, Lille, June 2023
• Final event, Bruxelles, 30 November 2023