After 24 months of intense collaboration, the 15 partners in the European Platform for Urban Greening have formalized their partnership by signing a joint binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement was recently signed in Aarhus, Denmark during a public event that was attended by representatives from the Danish National Agency Erasmus+, and interested parties from the United States, among others.
The signed Memorandum of Understanding confirms the partnership’s vision to contribute to climate resilience, biodiversity and the health and well-being of all city-dwellers with urban greening. It strengthens our goals to boost innovation, knowledge exchange and the development of sustainable green cities across Europe.
This MoU will also form the basis for expanding the partnership with like-minded organizations, both in the countries of the current parties, as well as across Europe. In case you are interested in joining the platform, please contact project coordinator Mr. Jan Jeronimus.
The Need for Urban Greening
Systematic and expedient urban greening is part of the solution to a number of the problems that continued urbanization poses to European societies. It is about countering the consequences of climate change in the form of droughts and floods, about maintaining and recreating living opportunities for plants and animals in urban areas, about increased biodiversity and about creating green oases for the joy and benefit of the city’s inhabitants.
Strong, Transnational Network Collaboration
The MoU sets out the framework and content for a strong, transnational urban greening network collaboration between all stakeholders in the sector, including the green and blue VET institutions, business partners such as companies and professional associations, plus authorities such as municipalities and NGOs.
The purpose is to ensure rapid transfer of professional knowledge and skills, market needs, applied research and effective official processing by the authorities when it comes to climate adaptation, restoring biodiversity and increasing the well-being of all city dwellers through urban greening. The provision of close cooperation between widely different stakeholders is also expected to contribute to the recruitment of highly demanded young people into the landscaping industry – and thus contribute to combating the skills shortage that characterizes many industries these years.
Centres of Vocational Excellence
The European Platform for Urban Greening, which is co-financed by Erasmus+, is one of half a dozen EU-supported projects, which aim to support the development of so-called Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in the partner countries, as well as the development of transnational cooperation through an international platform. Only through cooperation and continued high prosperity, can Europe maintain and further develop its position in the world – and contribute to the global development with European norms and values.
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