Shared Green Societies Forum: Launch Report

Report

The Shared Green Societies Forum was launched on 28 January 2026 in Brussels in response to the growing need to strengthen connections between Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research, practice and policymaking in the context of the European green transition. Bringing together over 150 participants from across Europe - including SSH researchers, local practitioners, civil society organisations and policymakers - the Forum aims to bridge the gap between SSH research, grass-roots experience and policy, transforming social research into community-driven innovation for an inclusive, just and green transition.

Shared Green Societies is a new European forum aimed at connecting civil society, local and regional actors, and SSH researchers to transform social research into community innovations for an inclusive, just, and green transition. Its added value lies in bridging the gap between evidence, practice, and policy, by creating a space in which all these actors can have synergy and dialogue. On one hand local actors will be able to access findings and tools from SSH research while at the same time researchers can connect with the lived experiences of practitioners, on the other.

This report summarises the key highlights of the Forum launch, including a keynote discussion with Astrid Ladefoged, Deputy to the Director and Head of the Green Transitions Unit at DG Research and Innovation, as well as contributions from the first Forum Champions discussing their local actions, the participatory advocacy session focused on building a shared voice for just and community-based public policies, and the Collaboration Hub, which brought together projects, initiatives and tools supporting knowledge exchange and collaboration.

Shared Green Societies Forum Launch Report