The project aims to study inequalities created or facilitated by the European Green Deal (EGD) in the healthcare sector, identifying the impact of climate policy on healthcare practitioners and socially vulnerable groups, as well as proposing recommendations for governance solutions to promote a socially responsible green transition. The project will identify the perception of healthcare providers and healthcare receivers of the reforms undertaken in the health sector under the EGD, as well as their positive and negative experiences with solutions introduced or implemented in the healthcare sector to ensure that the objectives of the EGD are met. Through a co-creation design, recommendations to policy makers for ensuring a socially responsible green transition in the healthcare sector will be elaborated, and a road-map for a pilot project for further implementation will be provided. The project is based on a mixed research design. By analysis of scientific literature and documents, and conducting a public opinion survey, semi-structured interviews and focus groups, the research team will identify key inequalities created or facilitated by green transition in the health care, and investigate perceptions and experiences with reforms with primary focus on hospitals. For that, case studies in four hospitals will be carried out. Recommendations for the socially responsible green transition in the healthcare will be developed, involving all stakeholders in the co-creation process.

In 2013, as a response to rising inequalities, poverty and distrust in the EU, the Commission launched a major endeavour to rebalance economic and social policies with the Social Investment Package (SIP). RE-InVEST aims to strengthen the philosophical, institutional and empirical underpinnings of the SIP, based on social investment in human rights and capabilities. Our consortium is embedded in the ‘Alliances to Fight Poverty’. We will actively involve European citizens severely affected by the crisis in the co-construction of a more powerful and effective social investment agenda with policy recommendations. This translates into the following specific objectives: 1. Development of innovative methodological tools for participative research, involving mixed teams of researchers, NGO workers and people from vulnerable groups in the co-construction of knowledge on social policy issues; 2. Diagnosis of the social damage of the crisis in terms of (erosion of) human rights, social (dis)investment, loss of (collective) capabilities; 3. Analysis of the relationships between the rise of poverty and social exclusion, the decline of social cohesion and trust, and the threats to democracy and solidarity in the EU; 4. Development of a theoretical model of social investment, with a focus on the promotion of human rights and capabilities; 5. Application of this model to active labour market policies and social protection: evaluation of policy innovations through qualitative and quantitative analyses; 6. Application of the same model to public intervention in five selected basic service markets: water provision, housing, early childhood education, health care and financial services, through qualitative and quantitative analyses; 7. Analysis of the macro-level boundary conditions for successful implementation of the SIP; 8. Capacity building in civil society organisations for the promotion of the European social investment agenda, through networking and policy recommendations.

The BioMedical Research and Innovation (R&I) sector is characterised by specific challenges, emphasising the need for intersectional gender equality interventions with the potential to benefit health and wellbeing in society. The INCLUDE project drives institutional change towards gender equality and inclusiveness by co-designing, implementing, and evaluating innovative measures to advance Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) within seven public BioMedical Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) and one private Research and Technology Organization (RTO) using intersectional and intersectoral approaches. A geographically inclusive consortium covers 2 EU Member States and 6 Widening countries, in Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Europe, with more and less advanced policy frameworks. INCLUDE conducts a comprehensive analysis of GEPs and data collection practices already in place, identifying areas for improvement and potential challenges. The analysis, alongside a mapping of good practices and tools, and the identification of the competencies and learning needs of implementing partners, will inform the co-design of inclusive GEP pilot actions to improve intersectional gender equality. Substantial operationalization of intersectionality is enshrined in the consortium composition comprising scholars and activists who possess significant knowledge, expertise, and specialised tools for implementing an intersectional approach. Tailored training programs and collaborative learning initiatives, the establishment of thematic hubs, a mentoring scheme, and study visits will ensure that internal capacities are fostered, and knowledge sharing is promoted. INCLUDE places emphasis on the long-term sustainability of an intersectional approach to GEPs through the elaboration of detailed sustainability plans and the strengthening of partnerships with the local innovation ecosystems, while promoting and multiplying networking efforts through the INCLUDE toolkit, CoP and Manifesto.

DeCrises addresses the complex challenges of the European Union (EU)'s twin transition that is reshaping society, the economy, and infrastructure at every level of governance. Through four case studies from the EU and European Economic Area, our primary goal is to pinpoint the gaps in the existing Multilevel Governance (MLG) framework guiding the twin transition and propose solutions that pave the way for an equitable transition. While the EU committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, recent global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, have added complexity to the twin transition. This underscores the importance of cross-border collaboration and coordinated strategies at various levels of governance. DeCrises focuses on five objectives: To conceptualise a bottom-up MLG framework to foster citizen participation and stimulate social innovation and collaboration for an inclusive twin transition; To develop a robust MLG implementation strategy to translate the vision of a just twin transition across all levels of governance within the EU; To develop an understanding of community-led social innovations as drivers of twin transition and their role in MLG processes; To identify strategies to enhance regional and intra-regional collaboration and resilience; To facilitate and establish channels of collaboration and knowledge exchange between a diverse set of actors and explore ways to enhance policy instruments at various levels of governance. Transitioning to a green future requires significant changes to institutions historically tied to fossil fuels and limited levels of digitalisation. We focus on a shift from top-down decision-making to a more inclusive, democratic approach involving various levels of governance, including governments, businesses, and civil society. Our project provides comprehensive policy recommendations for improvement of MLG to strengthen democratic governance in the EU and ensure a just twin transition.