Best Practice in Politics
We curate exemplary political work that successfully tackles today’s most pressing issues. This platform is a hub of tried and tested best practices in politics.
Advancing Low-Carbon Mobility in Cascais
This initiative stands out for its holistic approach to integrating sustainable mobility, climate resilience, and community-driven innovation as Cascais transitions to carbon neutrality.
Amorgorama
The Amorgorama initiative is a partnership between the Professional Fishing Association of Amorgos and various organisations which aims to protect the marine environment and respond to pollution while preserving fishermen’s livelihoods.
Buzzwatch – Safeguarding Our Bees
The Buzzwatch project determines the quantity of local food available for pollinators, enabling governments, nature managers, and beekeepers to adjust their policies and interventions.
CALIOPE: Real-Time Air Quality Forecasting
CALIOPE is an advanced air quality monitoring and forecasting system that provides real-time, high-resolution data and insights to support public health protection and regulatory compliance.
Exchange Energy for a Better World
By fostering connectivity and ensuring energy security, eFriends empowers individuals to access and participate in green-energy initiatives, particularly photovoltaic projects.
Food Loss & Waste Prevention Unit, Municipality of Halandri
The Municipality of Halandri’s Food Loss and Waste Prevention Unit combines food-waste monitoring, awareness raising, and citizen-science education, with the optimisation of bio-waste using chemical-engineering processes.
Greece’s First Eco Island
Halki’s initiative leverages renewable energy and smart solutions to achieve energy self-sufficiency, reduce costs, and foster sustainable development on the small Greek island, serving as a replicable model for green transitions in isolated communities.
Green Urban Bus Shelters: A Sustainable Revolution in Ostrów Wielkopolski
The Green Urban Bus Shelters project in Ostrów Wielkopolski replaces traditional bus stops with eco-friendly shelters featuring year-round vegetation that cools waiting areas, improves air quality, and supports the city’s broader goals for sustainable urban transport and climate resilience.
Hamburger Gründachstrategie (Hamburg’s Green Roof Strategy)
Hamburg implements a comprehensive strategy to green the city’s roofs in order to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, such as increased extreme heat and rainfall events.
Just Energy Transition Fund for Families (Fundo Verde de Apoio às Famílias de Cascais)
Cascais’ Just Energy Transition Fund for Families provides financial support, technical assistance, and community engagement to help low- and middle-income households reduce energy costs, improve comfort, and adopt sustainable energy solutions.
Just Go Zero Tilos
By developing an innovative waste-management programme and converting the island’s landfill into a Cyclic Innovation Centre, Tilos has achieved a 90% recycling rate and become the world’s first “zero waste” island.
KOLO: ONE OF THE FIRST PERMANENT REUSE CENTRES IN SLOVAKIA
Citizens can bring items to KOLO for reuse, that would have otherwise been thrown away, to prevent waste and support the circular economy.
LIFE TreeCheck: Green Infrastructure to Minimise the Urban Heat Island Effect
Tree Check is a mobile app that educates users about the cooling effects of urban trees during heatwaves, promoting climate resilience and encouraging tree preservation.
Mettons fin au #GaspillageAlimentaire en Europe! (#StopFoodWaste in Europe!)
The #StopFoodWaste campaign resulted in a French law that obligates supermarkets to donate unsold food, saving more than 10 million meals per year from the landfill and increasing food donations to social aid organisations by over 22%.
Panda Labs Junior for Just Transition
Panda Labs Junior for Just Transition (PLJ4JT) engaged more than 750 high school and university students in the key coal regions of Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.
People-Owned Wind Turbine Against Fuel Poverty
Fractional co-ownership of a large-scale wind turbine means hundreds of households can generate their own renewable and affordable energy, demonstrating that cooperative consumer ownership and generation works.
Poligono Circular
An industrial estate takes a collaborative approach to waste-management by valuing waste materials and implementing circular-economy principles.
Preschool Hoppet: Sweden’s First Fossil-Free Construction Project
Preschool Hoppet is a best-practice example of fossil-free, low-emission construction in Sweden.
Rexcatering
Rexcatering is a circular, zero-waste project that empowers students to fight food waste by delivering food to those in need with the help of innovative technology.
Rybnik: From Coal to Hydrogen – A Just Energy Transition
Rybnik is transforming from one of Europe’s most polluted coal-dependent cities into a clean energy leader through hydrogen technology and community-driven emissions reductions.
Rybnik’s Model of Action for Sustainable Consumption and Production
Rybnik takes an innovative and comprehensive new approach to public meal procurement, to ensure the food provided in its institutions is both healthy and sustainable.
Schwammstein (Sponge Stone) – Sustainable Rainwater Management for Urban Green Spaces
The Schwammstein offers an efficient and innovative new solution to the market that regulates the discharge of rainwater into tree pits and green spaces.
SeaProtectorOne, Aarhus
The SeaProtectorOne robot is installed at the river mouth in Aarhus, where the river flows into the harbour, removing rubbish before it enters the sea.
Shame On You! Anti-Smog Social Campaign
This Anti-Smog Campaign engages with local identity to transform attitudes on heat homes enabling a transition to cleaner energy sources and, consequently, cleaner air.
Supp_Optimal – Food For Everyone
Supp_optimal is a community-driven initiative that fights food waste and food insecurity by serving free, nutritious vegetarian meals made from rescued food, while fostering social inclusion and climate awareness.
Tamarinden
The innovative housing district of Tamarinden in Örebro is paving the way for energy and climate smart cities, incorporating smart and sustainable technologies in the construction of green residential spaces.
Tirana Orbital Forest
A ring of forest around the perimeter of Tirana has multiple environmental, health, and economic benefits, while improving climate resilience and slowing urban sprawl.
Vienna Climate Law
Vienna’s Climate Law sets a binding framework to guide the city’s climate neutrality efforts by 2040, implementing practical measures, climate impact assessments, and community engagement to ensure effective climate action.
Vienna’s Mini-Forests (Wiener Wäldchen)
Vienna’s Wiener Wäldchen initiative introduces dense, fast-growing mini-forests to mitigate urban heat, improve air quality, and enhance green spaces citywide.
VITALISE: eValuating the ImpacT of urbAn mobiLIty measureS on air quality and public hEalth
The VITALISE project develops advanced, high-resolution models that evaluate how traffic management policies affect air quality and public health in Barcelona, supporting data-driven urban planning and pollution reduction.
Advancing Low-Carbon Mobility in Cascais
This initiative stands out for its holistic approach to integrating sustainable mobility, climate resilience, and community-driven innovation as Cascais transitions to carbon neutrality.
Amorgorama
The Amorgorama initiative is a partnership between the Professional Fishing Association of Amorgos and various organisations which aims to protect the marine environment and respond to pollution while preserving fishermen’s livelihoods.
Buzzwatch – Safeguarding Our Bees
The Buzzwatch project determines the quantity of local food available for pollinators, enabling governments, nature managers, and beekeepers to adjust their policies and interventions.
CALIOPE: Real-Time Air Quality Forecasting
CALIOPE is an advanced air quality monitoring and forecasting system that provides real-time, high-resolution data and insights to support public health protection and regulatory compliance.
Exchange Energy for a Better World
By fostering connectivity and ensuring energy security, eFriends empowers individuals to access and participate in green-energy initiatives, particularly photovoltaic projects.
Food Loss & Waste Prevention Unit, Municipality of Halandri
The Municipality of Halandri’s Food Loss and Waste Prevention Unit combines food-waste monitoring, awareness raising, and citizen-science education, with the optimisation of bio-waste using chemical-engineering processes.
Greece’s First Eco Island
Halki’s initiative leverages renewable energy and smart solutions to achieve energy self-sufficiency, reduce costs, and foster sustainable development on the small Greek island, serving as a replicable model for green transitions in isolated communities.
Green Urban Bus Shelters: A Sustainable Revolution in Ostrów Wielkopolski
The Green Urban Bus Shelters project in Ostrów Wielkopolski replaces traditional bus stops with eco-friendly shelters featuring year-round vegetation that cools waiting areas, improves air quality, and supports the city’s broader goals for sustainable urban transport and climate resilience.
Hamburger Gründachstrategie (Hamburg’s Green Roof Strategy)
Hamburg implements a comprehensive strategy to green the city’s roofs in order to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, such as increased extreme heat and rainfall events.
Just Energy Transition Fund for Families (Fundo Verde de Apoio às Famílias de Cascais)
Cascais’ Just Energy Transition Fund for Families provides financial support, technical assistance, and community engagement to help low- and middle-income households reduce energy costs, improve comfort, and adopt sustainable energy solutions.
Just Go Zero Tilos
By developing an innovative waste-management programme and converting the island’s landfill into a Cyclic Innovation Centre, Tilos has achieved a 90% recycling rate and become the world’s first “zero waste” island.
KOLO: ONE OF THE FIRST PERMANENT REUSE CENTRES IN SLOVAKIA
Citizens can bring items to KOLO for reuse, that would have otherwise been thrown away, to prevent waste and support the circular economy.
The Winners
of the Innovation in Politics Awards 2024
SeaProtectorOne, Aarhus
The SeaProtectorOne robot is installed at the river mouth in Aarhus, where the river flows into the harbour, removing rubbish before it enters the sea.
Foodcard: dignified state food aid for people in need
The Foodcard is an innovative solution which gives people the freedom and dignity to choose what food and necessities to buy, and from where.
B-MINCOME: guaranteed minimum income & active social policies in deprived urban areas
B-MINCOME effectively improves the well-being of families in socially excluded and deprived areas by combining minimum income guarantees with inclusion policies.
