Topic 3 Together we can find solutions to climate change
Case study: Quarteira Lab
Name the Protagonist:
Loulé Municipality (Portugal)
What is their Story?
The Quarteira Lab project is aligned with the Municipal Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation of Loulé Municipality, in Portugal.
It is an approach that encourages the creation of spaces to promote the development of innovative technologies with low environmental impact, the solidification of principles of efficient and productive use of material and energy resources and the appropriation of the economic and environmental gains of new solutions by communities and their populations.
It aims to mobilise and raise awareness in the local community to test a set of innovative, sustainable and inclusive solutions to be applied in public spaces and services, buildings and transport. It also seeks to improve energy and environmental performance and contribute to improve citizens’ quality of life, as well as changing their consumption and mobility habits.
It is based on an open and innovative environment in which the local public authority, commercial and service companies, NGOs and citizens collaborate to develop, prototype, validate and test new technologies and services and to implement them in a real-life context.
These technologies and services and the consequent changes in consumption habits and ownership by the local community generate significant energy and environmental efficiency gains in buildings, public spaces, urban services and transport, strongly contributing to mitigate the negative effects caused by human activities that intensify climate change and to promote adaptation, through the solutions and proposals presented.
Link to the Case Study:
Why is this a Good Example to Follow?
The “Quarteira Lab” is a living space for testing ideas and actions for decarbonisation (reduction of greenhouse gases – GHG) and improving environmental sustainability.
This case study contains a lot of information about:
- The implementation of soft mobility solutions (creation of a bicycle lane and parking spaces; monitoring of pedestrian and bicycle traffic; creation of charging stations for electric vehicles).
- The reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions – GHG (replacement of conventional luminaries by LED and installation of functional street furniture, using renewable energies).
- Behavioural changes in the community (enhanced by a free app that allows, for example, real-time monitoring and participation in questionnaires/challenges promoting climate action) and the more coherent, sustainable and conscious use of resources and waste recovery, i.e. circular economy (creation of a door-to-door recyclable collection circuit; nearby shopping and service areas; promotion of the use of electric cars; installation of compacted paper bins; filling sensors in recycling bins and waste containers; weather and air quality monitoring station).
The aim is to inspire individuals to promote and deliver climate action on a local scale.
How can you use this Case Study to Adapt to Climate Change?
This is a good example of how public policies promoting climate action can help individuals take objective steps towards finding solutions to climate change by involving, in addition to citizens, all public and private stakeholders in a local community.
It also brings together information on actions you can take, illustrating how we can all contribute to building more resilient communities.
What impact has this case study example achieved?
The actions promoted in the context of the project reveal the importance of involving the various stakeholders at the local community level and how individuals can promote and deliver climate action on a local scale.
Questions
Set of reflection questions:
- Question 1 – How important is it to involve all stakeholders in a local community to implement climate change solutions?
- Question 2 – What kind of actions can be developed to do so?
- Question 3 – Do you think that in your region this type of action can be carried out?
What is the learning lesson?
- http://www.louleadapta.pt/quarteira-lab
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hlg9EMCqnQ
- https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=365098680971674
- http://www.louleadapta.pt/uploads/document/AF_Quarteira_Lab_Newsletter__Agosto_de_2020_.pdf
- http://www.louleadapta.pt/uploads/document/QuarteiraLab_newsletter_janeiro2019.pdf
- https://postal.pt/sociedade/2020-06-10-Mupis-digitais-dao-informacos-e-internet-gratuita-em-Quarteira
- https://regiao-sul.pt/2019/07/30/ambiente/primeiras-papeleiras-inteligentes-sao-instaladas-em-quarteira/472870
Case study: Video
Debriefing Questions (after the video)
| Q. No | Questions |
|---|---|
| Question 1: | How can access to information help us implement solutions to climate change? |
| Question 2: | Apart from this type of information, what other knowledge or resources (financial, material, technical, human) will be needed to implement climate change solutions? |
| Question 3: | What kind of behaviours and actions can you take to implement climate change solutions? |