ACB Matchmaking: Teaming up for Alpine Climate Action!
On 15th and 16th September 2020, the first Matchmaking event of the Alpine Climate Board (ACB) took place. The main goal was to find implementers and create teams for the pathways in all ten sectors of activity of the Alpine Climate Target System 2050. By coming together from the entire Alpine region and beyond, the participants paved the way towards reaching climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps 2050.
The goal of the Matchmaking workshop was ambitious: bring together stakeholders from public administration, NGOs, science and the private sector online in order to create teams for implementing concrete measures towards climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps 2050. What the ACB first planned as a physical event in Bolzano (IT) in spring, was carried out in an online format in September with over 60 participants. Different rooms for the thematic sessions, networking opportunities and informal exchanges in an online evening event incorporated the characteristic elements of an on-site conference. Presentations, discussions, hands-on trying out online tools and relaxation through a yoga session and a guided website tour provided alternation and prevented square eyes.
In the spirit of the event, it was a moderating team that lead through the two half days of the Matchmaking workshop. The two keynote speakers explained and demonstrated what makes partnerships sustainable and successful (replay the keynote speeches here). Then it was time for the participants to get to the heart of the Matchmaking workshop: the thematic sessions. Small groups identified crucial stakeholders for the pathways, pledged their own contributions and looked for cooperation possibilities with others.
The main results in the different workshops demonstrated that there is no one-size-fits-all approach: in the energy sector, docking on to existing networks seemed to be the way forward. In the transport sector, framing existing processes in a new way or creating entirely new ones was what the participants agreed was necessary in order to implement the pathways. The thematic sessions also brought the realisation that it makes sense to merge efforts in the sectors Mountain Agriculture and Mountain Forests as well as in the sectors Soil and Biodiversity & Ecosystems.
What unified all thematic sessions was the recognition that the involvement of the private sector is crucial and that the matchmaking was a first step on a long way towards the ambitious goal of climate- neutral and climate-resilient Alps 2050. The ACB is currently working on these next steps: Among others, a webinar on the involvement of the private sector and financing opportunities is in the pipeline. Stay tuned!
More information on the workshop results: https://de.padlet.com/alpineclimateboard/ACB_matchmaking2020_followup
If you want to join the community of implementers, sign up here: https://alpineclimate2050.org/register/
