RewildingAmsterdamProforestation: let forests grow oldHalt management and measure carbon and biodiversity gains The WILDCARD Horizon Europe project studies proforestation, leaving forests to mature without extraction, as a rewilding pathway that can store carbon and shelter rare species. What you can do - Read how WILDCARD assesses proforestation across Mediterranean and Alpine forests on their proforestation work page - Discuss where local woods could keep standing deadwood, old trees, and undisturbed understory - Follow project papers and the WILDCARD Rewilding Forum for stakeholder dialogue Why it matters Old forests are living archives, when we stop treating every stand as timber, climate and wild neighbours both benefit. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: WILDCARD: Assessing proforestation · WILDCARD project: Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme. © WILDCARD 2024.proforestationforestcarbonWILDCARDresearchEU
EnergyBrusselsHorizon Europe 100 climate-neutral citiesMission cities chart the path to 2030 climate neutrality In April 2022, 112 cities were selected for the Horizon Europe mission on 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030. Participating cities prepare climate city contracts covering governance, transport, energy, construction, and recycling, with 53 cities awarded an EU Mission Label as of October 2024. What you can do - If you live in a mission city, join public consultations on the climate city contract - Advocate for community energy and active mobility measures in your city's mission roadmap - Share replicable lessons from labelled cities with your local council How to participate - Check whether your city is listed at Climate-neutral and smart cities mission - Attend mission-city open days and citizen workshops Why it matters Mission cities are innovation hubs. Resident participation in contract design ensures fairness and keeps transitions community-owned. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: European Commission: DG Energy. © European Union.missionclimate-neutralcities2030innovationEU
CommunityBrusselsEnergy Transition Careers CompassDiscover clean-energy careers across Europe The Energy Transition Careers Compass is a digital platform developed by EYEN with tech partner Green Jobs Tree. It helps young people map skills, training paths, and job opportunities in the clean-energy sector, from community energy to grid modernisation. What you can do - Explore career pathways matched to your interests (engineering, policy, community organising, trades) - Use the compass to plan skills development before applying to local energy programmes - Share the tool with schools and youth groups in your city How to participate - Visit the Careers Compass via EYEN projects - Pair exploration with EYEN volunteer roles to gain practical experience Why it matters The energy transition needs builders at every skill level. A youth-focused careers map lowers the barrier from curiosity to paid work in local clean-energy projects. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: European Youth Energy Network (EYEN), Energy Transition Careers Compass.careersyouthskillsjobseducationEU
CommunityAmsterdamFree Introduction to Rewilding online courseLearn rewilding practice from 20+ countries Rewilding Europe and the Open University host Introduction to Rewilding, a free online course with eight modules, badges, and a completion certificate, no prior training required. What you can do - Enrol via the online rewilding course page - Work through modules on land, river, and sea rewilding with real European case studies - Draft your own personal rewilding action plan as the final module suggests How it works - Flexible self-paced study with interactive content and practitioner interviews - Designed for curious residents, students, land stewards, and early-career conservationists Why it matters Skills spread faster than slogans, a free course lowers the barrier for anyone ready to help nature lead locally. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: Introduction to Rewilding: Rewilding Europe · Hosted with The Open University (UK). Photo: Nelleke de Weerd / Rewilding Europe (all rights reserved; editorial repost).courseeducationOpen UniversityrewildingfreeEU
EnergyBrusselsFFRes: Fast and Fair Renewables task forceYouth-led advocacy for equitable renewables rollout FFRes (Fast and Fair Renewables) is a youth task force within the European Youth Energy Network (EYEN) that builds solutions at the intersection of young people and the energy transition. The programme won the European Climate Fund Award 2025 (E.ON foundation) for combining advocacy with practical policy work on fair renewables deployment. What you can do - Join EYEN as a volunteer and contribute to FFRes working groups on fair renewables - Follow FFRes outputs for replicable advocacy patterns your city or campus group can adapt - Connect local community-energy projects with EYEN's European network for visibility and peer learning How to participate - Apply via Join as a Volunteer on the EYEN site - Check open positions for solution-building and advocacy roles Why it matters Renewables expansion must be fast and fair. A youth-led task force that documents what works, and amplifies it across European capitals, gives local builders a template for equitable community energy. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: European Youth Energy Network (EYEN), FFRes project.renewablesyouthadvocacyfairnesstask-forceEU
EnergyBrusselsYoung Energy Consumers programmeYouth voice on fair energy access and consumer rights The Young Energy Consumers project places young people at the centre of debates about energy affordability, consumer protection, and fair access to clean technologies. EYEN coordinates peer learning between youth organisations across Europe. What you can do - Bring youth consumer perspectives into your local energy cooperative or municipal advisory board - Host a workshop on energy bills, efficiency, and rights using EYEN materials - Apply to EYEN volunteer roles focused on consumer advocacy How to participate - Learn more via EYEN, Our Projects - Contact EYEN at info@youthenergy.eu for partnership with local youth groups Why it matters Vulnerable households bear the highest energy burdens. Programmes that train young advocates create lasting local capacity for fair energy access. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: European Youth Energy Network (EYEN), Young Energy Consumers.consumersyouthaffordabilityrightsaccessEU
CommunityBrusselsCovenant of Mayors for Climate and EnergyLocal authorities committing to climate-neutral cities The Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy brings together local and regional authorities committed to cutting emissions, improving resilience, and expanding access to affordable clean energy. Close to 11 000 signatories develop sustainable energy and climate action plans in a joint effort to limit global warming. What you can do - Ask your municipality whether it has signed the Covenant and request a public progress report - Join or start a neighbourhood group that feeds input into your city's climate action plan - Volunteer with local climate assemblies linked to Covenant implementation How to participate - Explore signatory cities via Covenant of Mayors - Contact your city council sustainability office to propose concrete community projects Why it matters Cities drive most of Europe's energy use. When residents hold signatory councils accountable, national climate targets become neighbourhood action. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: European Commission: DG Energy. © European Union.citiesclimatemayorspolicylocalEU
EnergyBrusselsSmart Cities Marketplace Explore-Shape-DealMatch community-scale smart-city projects with support The Smart Cities Marketplace is the European hub for practical knowledge on sustainable urban mobility, efficient buildings, citizen-focused services, and integrated energy infrastructure. Its Explore-Shape-Deal process has matched roughly 130 projects with financing opportunities exceeding €615 million in private investment. What you can do - Explore case studies and replicate proven smart-city patterns in your municipality - Submit a local district or building project through the marketplace matchmaking process - Connect community energy or mobility pilots with marketplace advisors How to participate - Visit Smart Cities Marketplace and use Explore-Shape-Deal resources - Partner with your city innovation office to register a pilot project Why it matters Community-scale pilots need visibility and finance. A European marketplace lowers the barrier from local experiment to funded replication. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: European Commission: DG Energy. © European Union.smart-citiesmarketplacefinancemobilitybuildingseuEU
CommunityBrusselsYoung Energy Ambassadors programmeYouth voices shaping EU clean-energy policy The Young Energy Ambassadors initiative engages 18-35-year-olds from the EU, EEA, and Ukraine who are passionate about the clean energy transition. Each year a cohort of 30 ambassadors promotes EU energy policies among peers and represents youth at the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW). What you can do - Apply to become a Young Energy Ambassador when calls open each spring - Host a local EUSEW side event featuring ambassador materials - Bring youth energy perspectives into your community council or campus group How to participate - Follow the programme via Energy and youth and EUSEW - The 2026 cohort begins its mandate at EUSEW, 9-11 June 2026 Why it matters Intergenerational fairness requires structured youth participation, not token consultation. Ambassadors create a pipeline from local action to EU policy dialogue. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: European Commission: DG Energy. © European Union.youthambassadorsEUSEWpolicyadvocacyEU
CommunityBrusselsOpenPolicy Europe civic engagementUnderstand EU energy policy, then act locally OpenPolicy Europe is an EYEN project that helps young citizens navigate European policy landscapes and take informed civic action. It bridges Brussels-level energy debates with what residents can advocate for in their own municipalities. What you can do - Use OpenPolicy Europe to learn how EU clean-energy policies affect your city - Organise a local reading group or workshop using the platform's materials - Connect municipal climate plans with EU frameworks your council can access How to participate - Explore the project via EYEN, Our Projects - Join EYEN as a member organisation or volunteer to co-develop civic tools Why it matters Energy transition succeeds when citizens know which levers exist, local, national, and EU. OpenPolicy Europe turns abstract policy into actionable civic literacy. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: European Youth Energy Network (EYEN), OpenPolicy Europe.policycivicyouthdemocracyEU
RewildingAmsterdamRewilding principles: let nature leadEleven shared principles for a wilder Europe Practitioners across Europe co-created a set of rewilding principles that guide landscape recovery: letting natural processes shape land and sea, working at nature's scale, and building hope through action today. What you can do - Read the full Rewilding principles and discuss which apply in your watershed or valley - Start a local conversation: grazing, river dynamics, wetland recovery, or wildlife corridors near you - Share the principles with a land manager, park ranger, or councillor who stewards public green space Core ideas (paraphrased) - Letting nature lead: restored processes (flooding, grazing, predation) reshape places without a fixed end state - Working at nature's scale: enough connected space for species and processes to thrive - Building nature-based economies: livelihoods linked to living ecosystems, not extraction alone Why it matters Rewilding is a builder's invitation: less control, more curiosity, and landscapes where people and wild nature share the future. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: Rewilding Europe: Rewilding principles. Photo: Hans Koster / Rewilding Europe (all rights reserved; editorial repost).rewildingprinciplesnatural processesEuropelandscapesEU
CommunityAmsterdamJoin the European Rewilding NetworkConnect with 100+ field rewilding initiatives The European Rewilding Network (ERN) links action-focused projects across 30+ countries so members swap know-how on species comebacks, community engagement, and natural grazing. What you can do - Explore members on the ERN map and list - If you run a long-term rewilding initiative, apply via the network application form (contact ern@rewildingeurope.com) - Attend Rewilding Intros webinars and member exchanges listed on Rewilding Europe's channels What members gain - Peer connections across Europe, quarterly ERN Updates, and promotion through Rewilding Europe communications - Access to facilities such as the Natural Grazing Facility and European Wildlife Comeback Fund when criteria are met Why it matters Landscape-scale change spreads faster when practitioners learn from each other's wins and honest failures. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: European Rewilding Network · Rewilding Europe. Photo: Rewilding Europe / wildlife comeback programme imagery (all rights reserved; editorial repost).ERNnetworkrewildingEuropeexchangeEU
.png&w=640&fm=webp&q=80)
