Join us on 23 June for day 2 on Going Green to dive into how diaspora can drive effective green actions and participate in forward-thinking discussions on how to build resilient communities in line with international and European commitments…#diaspora4future

The EUDiF project is capitalising on the fact that over the years diaspora has enabled considerable change in the development of countries of heritage. Today, globally transitioning to a greener and more sustainable economy is central to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a key objective of the European Green Deal. SDGs 12 to 15 emphasise the need to take urgent responsible action to combat climate change and environmental degradation. At the European level, the EU is committed to engage with third countries on crosscutting climate and environment issues.

In this context, and knowing the success of diaspora efforts to reduce poverty, create jobs and develop key sectors, how do we tap into and maximise potential of diasporas to catalyse green transitions? At EUDiF, we see diaspora engagement as a possible support axis between the EU and partner countries to jointly develop and implement green solutions in areas such as renewable energy, green job creation, water management, climate resilience and sustainable finance. It goes almost without saying that diaspora contributions in terms of remittances, innovation, capacity development, networking and advocacy are a powerful asset in advancing green agendas.

At the Future Forum’s Going Green day on Wednesday 23 June, we explore the emerging trends of diaspora engagement for green transitions and offer four sessions (with two in parallel) to discuss insights on the role and the potential of diaspora in “going green”:

• 10:15 – 10:45 (CEST): Going green – Kick-off
• 11:00 – 12:30 (CEST): Diaspora 4 green: A research agenda
• 11:00 – 12:30 (CEST): Diaspora partnerships for climate resilient communities .
• 13:30 – 15:00 (CEST): Diaspora 4 green: catalysing action.

Going green: Kick-off. To launch the day, Kishore Reddy, EDD Youth Ambassador and Co-Founder of Youth for Sustainable Impact in India will discuss with M. Stefano Signore, Head of Unit, Unit F.1 – Climate Change and Sustainable Energy; Nuclear Safety, DG INTPA. The discussion will include DG INTPA’s vision on the implementation of the Green Deal with partner countries and the potential role that can be played by the diaspora at different levels. We will also hear about Kishore’s grassroot level initiatives on green economy and climate resilience and look into how to find synergies between grassroot initiatives and global strategies to better achieve common goals.

Diaspora 4 green: A research agenda launches our latest case study on mobilising diaspora for green transitions. During the session, panellists will explore ideas and approaches to build the blueprint of the case study. Expect discussions on how to build partnerships with diaspora and how to facilitate diaspora engagement in the green economy to drive inclusive green transitions in countries of heritage. This session offers a space for multi-stakeholder exchange of practices, opportunities and recurring challenges in terms of diaspora engagement for green transitions. EUDiF’s research partners: FORIM and Juliette Darlu and Guillaume Quelin from GRET, will present initial thoughts on the research, among others.

Diaspora partnerships for climate resilient communities explores the interaction between diaspora engagement and climate change induced mobility. It aims to kick-start the conversation on how diaspora communities can support countries of heritage to building climate resilient communities through disaster risk reduction and management, building back better and the creation of alternative livelihoods. The session gathers a panel of diaspora organisations hailing from climate change-vulnerable countries, in particular small islands in the Pacific and the Caribbean, and experts on climate change induced mobility, including EMRU (www.emru.ch).

Diaspora 4 green: Catalysing action, the last session of the day, brings you emerging trends in diaspora-led or supported green actions. EUDiF will host leaders in diaspora green actions such as Fridah Ntarangwi, founding and managing partner at Zidicircle and Achsuthan Thiruketheeswaran co-founder of Comdu.it. Looking at a variety of sectors, including waste management and sustainable agriculture, this session will pay discuss everything from green digital solutions to capacity development needs and the potential to further leverage diaspora expertise in future-critical sectors.

Going green is essential for a sustainable future for people and planet, so join us on Wednesday to investigate and be inspired on how to mainstream diaspora involvement in green transitions.

If, after a day of green discussions you are invigorated to interact with your fellow participants on a more informal level, we are hosting an experimental online networking session from 15:30 (CEST) with our partner the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) – we hope to see you there!