EU Decarbonisation in Times of Crises: Exploring Social Innovations and Enhancing an Equitable Twin Transition

EU Decarbonisation in Times of Crises: Exploring Social Innovations and Enhancing an Equitable Twin Transition

DeCrises addresses the complex challenges of the European Union (EU)'s twin transition that is reshaping society, the economy, and infrastructure at every level of governance. Through four case studies from the EU and European Economic Area, our primary goal is to pinpoint the gaps in the existing Multilevel Governance (MLG) framework guiding the twin transition and propose solutions that pave the way for an equitable transition. While the EU committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, recent global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, have added complexity to the twin transition. This underscores the importance of cross-border collaboration and coordinated strategies at various levels of governance. DeCrises focuses on five objectives: To conceptualise a bottom-up MLG framework to foster citizen participation and stimulate social innovation and collaboration for an inclusive twin transition; To develop a robust MLG implementation strategy to translate the vision of a just twin transition across all levels of governance within the EU; To develop an understanding of community-led social innovations as drivers of twin transition and their role in MLG processes; To identify strategies to enhance regional and intra-regional collaboration and resilience; To facilitate and establish channels of collaboration and knowledge exchange between a diverse set of actors and explore ways to enhance policy instruments at various levels of governance. Transitioning to a green future requires significant changes to institutions historically tied to fossil fuels and limited levels of digitalisation. We focus on a shift from top-down decision-making to a more inclusive, democratic approach involving various levels of governance, including governments, businesses, and civil society. Our project provides comprehensive policy recommendations for improvement of MLG to strengthen democratic governance in the EU and ensure a just twin transition.