The Basque Country's participation in 'Society Shapers' seeks to encourage young people to get involved by means of innovative methods, driven by ENCORE, the political network of European regions that have been working on environmental issues for 30 years and of which the Basque Country has been a member right from its start.

The 'Society Shapers' project, part of the European ENCORE network, aims to involve young people and regional governments

A delegation headed by Marisa Oleaga and Mari Luz Gómez, representing Ihobe's Strategy & Innovation and Environmental Sustainability departments Mikel Llona y María Lertxundi, along with the young Basques Mikel Llona and María Lertxundi, are at the meeting in the Danish city of Aarhus. Both Llona and Lertxundi took part in the "Euskal Gazteria Euskadi Jasangarriago baten alde' project organised by the Basque Youth Cycle"; they also represented the Basque Country at the YouthCORE conference in September 2023, where more than five hundred political and business representatives, researchers and young people discussed Europe's sustainable future.

During its time in Denmark, the Basque delegation has been able to visit in situ some of the projects underway in the region, such as the recycling station of the LIFE “Beyond Waste” Circular Economy project, a sustainable hospital which has introduced practices to reduce sanitary waste, and the Repair Café initiative, made up of volunteers who repair bikes, household appliances or clothes while the owners can enjoy a coffee.

Youth delegations from Gelderland (The Netherlands), Västra Götaland (Sweden), Bavaria (Germany), and the Basque Country are taking part in the meeting held in the Central Denmark region

Three decades of work in the ENCORE network

ENCORE, the acronym for the Environmental Conference of the Regions of Europe, was set up in 1993 as a political platform and forum to bring the policymakers and officials of the European regions together every two years, to discuss the main environmental concerns, agree common positions, and influence community policies, by passing on the views of the regional governments to the European Union authorities. The ENCORE network currently consists of 122 regional governments, with priority lines of action in climate action, the circular economy and biodiversity.

The Basque Country has been part of the ENCORE network since it was founded and is currently on its Executive Committee until 2024. The work of this network contributes to the effective application of EU environmental policies at regional level.