A European Forum connecting practice, policy and research
Across Europe, the demand for a green transition that is inclusive, just and has the backing of the people is increasingly urgent. Communities, authorities, civil society and SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities) researchers are innovating every day, yet too often work in isolation.
Shared Green Societies is a new European forum designed to bridge this gap—connecting evidence, practice, and policy, and bringing together those leading on the ground with those shaping ideas and strategies.
The Forum will officially launch in Brussels on 28 January 2026 during a full day event with registration open to join in-person or online.
About Shared Green Societies
Shared connections
The Forum is being established to connect civil society, local and regional actors, and SSH (Social Sciences & Humanities) researchers to better match research and community innovations for an inclusive, just, and green transition.
Its added value lies in bridging SSH research and community practice. On one hand, it aims to create a space where NGOs and local actors can access findings, outputs, and tools from Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research, to more effectively support their communities. On the other hand, the forum facilitates constructive dialogue between SSH researchers and those with lived experience on the ground, fostering mutual learning.
Three types of participation are available: from highly active involvement as ‘Forum Members’, to consultative or exemplary roles as ‘Forum Champions’, to more occasional, supportive engagement as ‘Friends of the Forum’.
Forum Membership is the highest level of involvement, with the active participation of the organisations that can have strategic influence within the forum. 'Membership' is open to:
- Network Organisations representing a number of Civil Society Organisations, Local or Regional Authorities, Citizen groups, Marginalised Communities, etc. For more specific recommendations, please consult the Network Strategy Document.
- Research organisations, University departments and Institutes, or Networks of Research Institutes, focusing on Social Sciences and Humanities research on issues of sustainability, e.g. relating to the EC’s broad goals on the green transition.
Being a Forum Member offers a number of optional opportunities, including but certainly not limited to:
- Participating in and, where possible, co-creating dedicated forum activities in 2026-2026
- Feeding into the co-creation of policy briefs. There are already five policy briefs planned for 2026, with audiences including e.g. European Commission policy officers, MEPs, municipalities, and business and industry. Each will be discussed at a series of dedicated invite-only roundtables in 2026.
- Participating in fundraising efforts for 2027 onwards, connecting with other contacts of the forum to explore potential synergies, including co-hosting events, pooling networks for mutual benefits, and finding partnerships.
- Joining the Forum Board, to help shape the forum’s overall collaborative direction in the coming years and ultimately get to know the forum’s founding members better.
Organisations interested in becoming members will soon be able to request participation (and can register for the launch event)
Forum Champions can be organisations or individuals – including individual local/regional authorities, individual researchers or small teams, and businesses whose work relates to sustainability – who are interested in strong, innovative practices in inclusive and sustainable transitions.
Champions are engaged in the forum on one hand by sharing insights, approaches, and lessons learned, offering inspiration and practical knowledge to others. On the other hand, participation in the forum can support them in promoting their work more broadly and access outputs and opportunities.
Champions are not expected to take part in governance decisions and the active running of the Forum, but they play a vital role in fostering mutual knowledge flows and enriching the wider community. Organisations or individuals interested in becoming ‘champions’ can register their interest here. Everyone interested in participation will soon be able to request participation (and can register for the launch event)
Friends of the forum are stakeholders who want to stay in dialogue with the forum, and are highly relevant to it, but may not be able to take up a formal role. They may participate in a more occasional or observer capacity, including contributing their expertise or/and connections.
These include:
- European Commission staff, who due to their institutional relevance can provide advice and visibility, and gain insights from the forum for their policy-making work.
- European or International Institution staff, who can help align the forum with broader institutional agendas (e.g. European Parliament, EU Agencies, Committee of the Regions).
- Individuals from other key organisations with whom collaboration is valuable and desired (e.g. think tanks, philanthropic foundations, industry associations).
Becoming a Friend of the forum will be by invitation.
Ultimately, the forum aims to integrate SSH more fully into policy and practice discussions related to societal transitions, ensuring these processes are informed by a deeper understanding of social dynamics, human behaviour and real-world evidence, as well as by forum discussions themselves.
Green transitions
Across Europe, the need for a just and inclusive green transition has never been more urgent. Despite a proliferation of local innovation and a growing body of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research, efforts toward this transition remain fragmented, and critical links between academic insights and grassroots action are often missing.
Civil society actors, local authorities, and communities working at the frontlines of sustainability challenges may face difficulties in accessing, applying, or influencing research. At the same time, researchers need to better understand realities ‘on the ground’ and are looking for opportunities to connect their findings with real-world impact.
The forum places local, community-led participatory actions – related to inclusive, just, and green transition – at its core. By creating spaces for dialogue, co-creation, and capacity-building, it aims to encourage individuals and groups to actively shape the transition processes that impact their lives.
Societies and people
Working in what researchers describe as the meso space (learn more) – the level between individuals and wider systems – the forum focuses on strengthening the relationships, structures, and networks that connect local action with the wider ambitions of the European transition. This “in-between” space is where much of the real transition happens: where people, organisations, and institutions interact to translate vision into practice, or practice into upscaled impact.
In line with this core belief, Shared Green Societies will make efforts to engage individuals and organisations who are currently underrepresented in political decision making on the green transition. We welcome interaction with groups who similarly appreciate the diversity and inclusion necessary for this work to be effective, and are exploring ways that members can share their inclusivity-related policies, to support the work of the forum.
It values the participation of structurally excluded groups, who share an inclusive and human-rights based vision, to ensure that the green transition is socially just and leaves no one behind.
Specifically, different communities are affected differently by the climate crisis and associated policies, and the Forum wants to strengthen those groups who have been disproportionately and negatively affected in this regard.
Building on the SHARED GREEN DEAL project and other Member contributions, the forum’s advocacy efforts will be grounded in both academic evidence and documented grassroots experience. This will help shape policy debates and initiatives in a way that is just and responsive to the proven needs of local communities.
Supporting organisations
To date, the supporting organisations of Shared Green Societies include, but are not limited to, partners of the EU funded SHARED GREEN DEAL project.
Connected content
CONTACT
For further details please contact co-leads Professor Chris Foulds (chris.foulds@aru.ac.uk) and Professor Rosie Robison (rosie.robison@aru.ac.uk).
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 101036640. The sole responsibility for the content of this website lies with the SHARED GREEN DEAL HAS project and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.