Second Meeting of Karditsa Living Lab

On Friday 03/02/2023 the 2nd “Living Lab” was organized with the initiative of the Municipality of Karditsa and the support of the project team of AN.KA SA (Project Manager: Antoniou Agoritsa, Project team members: Mahera Maria, Kavraki Panagiota) in the hall of the Municipal Council, in the framework of the European Project 2ISECAP.

Representatives of the Local Government were present: Mrs. Makri Olga – Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Karditsa, Mr. Stefanos Theologis – Deputy Mayor of Administrative Services, Mr. Elias Schoretsianitis – elected Municipal Councillor, delegated for the European programmes, Mrs. Natalia Tzelou – Head of the Department of European Programmes etc. (project manager) and Mr. Ioannis Nakas – external collaborator. Also, Karditsa Institutions and Groups, such as the Energy Community of Karditsa SYN.PE (ESEK), the Women’s Centre of Karditsa and Oxygen/O2 KoinSEP. The surprise was the participation of the 1st Experimental High School of Karditsa with their group “Climate Change-Climate Crisis” with coordinators the teachers Mr.Papanouska and Ms.Papakosta.

• Mr Christos Tourkolias (External Associate of CRES), presented the challenges of the revised National Plan for Energy and Climate (NECP) on energy policy and planning, setting new more ambitious targets for the whole spectrum of RES and energy saving.
• Antoniou Agoritsa, presented the study of the current situation of the Municipality of Karditsa, bringing to the surface the internal and external factors that the Municipality has to face and co-calculate in order to draw up the STRATEGIES related to the planning of actions and projects for the energy transition.
• Natasa Tasopoulou (Assistant Professor, DPRD, University of Thessaly – Project Team Member, BPM S.A. coordinator), put on the table the next steps for the activation and strengthening of participatory planning, which comes to improve the existing SECAP – Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan: a participatory planning based on institutions, local initiatives, legal frameworks.
• The speech was given by the teachers of the 1st Experimental High School, Mr. Papanouskas and Ms. Papakosta, who presented their perspectives and actions through their group “Climate Change-Climate Crisis”. The students themselves expressed their concerns and ideas for sustainable mobility in the city of Karditsa, aiming for a safer and more protected traffic.
• The desire of all the participating institutions is to inform and raise awareness among citizens, so that actions and activities can take place with a focus on young people, who are the future of the city’s development.

At the end of the “Living Lab” it was planned to promote material such as the SECAP, with the guidance of the Municipality, to all stakeholders as food for thought.

Aim is the more substantial participation of stakeholders around a table in subsequent “Living Labs”, presenting their proposals, their concerns and their future views on the energy transition of the city of Karditsa.

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