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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Ecovillage Initiative for Achieving the SDGs

    Description
    Description
    We invite governments, UN agencies, businesses and other stakeholders to join us in developing and using an ecovillage approach to eradicate poverty, restore the natural environment, and ensure that all people’s basic human needs can be met. Ecovillage communities are among the most sustainable of communities on the planet. They typically use locally sourced materials, create green buildings, rely on sustainable infrastructure and appropriate technology, focus on restoring and protecting the natural environment, and make use of SCP practices - producing and eating organic vegetarian foods; sharing tools, equipment, and appliances; and adopting resource efficient practices, etc.
    Expected Impact

    Our programmes and initiatives focus on three lines of work: 1. Community-based Ecovillage Transition: Identify local change-makers and inspirational communities to become hubs for Climate Change adaptation and mitigation. Work through locally owned, participatory processes to design a pathway into the future, which combines the best solutions in all 4 areas of economy, ecology, social and cultural while focus on reversing global warming, reducing poverty, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. We are working to establish a number of ‘model’ ecovillage resource and training centres/hubs (or Lighthouse Ecovillages) whose primary vocation will be to share skills, knowledge and best practices. 2. Green Schools for Sustainable Communities: Schools as entrance points to communities. It is in schools that we find the next generation of leaders - schools are places whether the future and the present meet. As schools become demonstration sites for appropriate technologies for climate change adaptation, they become hubs from where these new approaches can spread. 3. Through an Adaptive Governance Cycle, such approaches can be scaled up to become regional and national programs for Ecovillage Transition: Spreading information on government programs like in Senegal, where the government is aiming to transition 14.000 traditional villages to ecovillages. Inspiring other local and national authorities to consider following such examples, while building ecovillages on the ground that can inspire whole countries to transition to resilience. GEN draws on the development and use of many forms of capital (social, cultural, material, awareness raising, relationship building, etc. to advance our development activities and objectives. See: http://www.appleseedpermaculture.com/8-forms-of-capital/

    Capacity

    GEN has developed many tools and resources that can be used to support and contribute to Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer. The Ecovillage Design Education Curriculum and Training Programs which have been carried out and instituted in more than 40 countries provide detailed training in adopting best practices covering all of the SDGs. Such courses can range from mini-courses that run for a week to the full 4 week course which is quite intensive and runs all day. Each course is specifically designed to address the particular circumstances and needs of the local communities or bio-region. Consultants and development experts are brought in from both the surrounding region or the broader global community to lead different parts of the training and skill areas.

    Governed

    GEN has an International Board, a General Assembly, an International Steering Committee, Regional Boards on each Continent, and Working Groups that coordinate its activities, programs and organizational development. Each of the ecovillage communities in GEN also has its own governing body and working committees that coordinate and carry out the activities of the community. Many of the communities develop various types of management plans. Most of them have developed vision and mission statements, bylaws, strategic and development plans, etc. as has GEN as a whole. GEN is in the early stages of developing two cross-sectoral multi-stakeholder partnerships. One is an EmerGENcies Program focusing on climate change adaptation, responses and preparedness for climate disasters, and creating resilient regenerative communities for refugee populations and displaced people, etc. The other is a Pan-African Ecovillage Development Programme which we hope to expand over time into a global programme. It will focus on assisting existing communities to adopt more sustainable practices and on scaling up and replicating what is already being done successfully in ecovillage communities around the continent. As these programs are developed they will each have their own oversight and governing structures; but will be under the direction and supervision of GEN International.

    Partners
    Global Ecovillage Network; GAIA Education; GAIA University; GAIA Trust; Ecolise; SCOPE; Goddard College; Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development; Sustainable Innovation for Resilient Communities (SIRCle); and the Solution Library. Also several thousand ecovillage communities in more than 110 countries around the world; and Small and Medium Size Enterprises and other businesses located at various ecovillages.

    Goal 11

    Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

    Goal 11

    11.1

    By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums

    11.1.1

    Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing

    11.2

    By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons
    11.2.1

    Proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport, by sex, age and persons with disabilities

    11.3

    By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries
    11.3.1

    Ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate

    11.3.2

    Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management that operate regularly and democratically

    11.4

    Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage

    11.4.1

    Total per capita expenditure on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by source of funding (public, private), type of heritage (cultural, natural) and level of government (national, regional, and local/municipal)

    11.5

    By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations

    11.5.1

    Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

    11.5.2

    Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global domestic product (GDP)

    11.5.3

    (a) Damage to critical infrastructure and (b) number of disruptions to basic services, attributed to disasters

    11.6

    By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management

    11.6.1

    Proportion of municipal solid waste collected and managed in controlled facilities out of total municipal waste generated, by cities

    11.6.2

    Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted)

    11.7

    By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
    11.7.1

    Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilities

    11.7.2

    Proportion of persons victim of non-sexual or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status and place of occurrence, in the previous 12 months

    11.a

    Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning

    11.a.1

    Number of countries that have national urban policies or regional development plans that (a) respond to population dynamics; (b) ensure balanced territorial development; and (c) increase local fiscal space

    11.b

    By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels

    11.b.1

    Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

    11.b.2

    Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

    11.c

    Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

    Name Description
    Thousands of communities that are helping to achieve the SDGs in a holistic integrated manner.
    Hundreds of ecovillage communities that have a net negative carbon footprint.
    Hundreds of thousands of people of all ages that have learned about and are adopting more sustainable ways of living lightly on our planet home.
    Providing an exemplary model for how small, rural and impoverished urban communities can become as sustainable as possible.
    Other, please specify
    The most valuable resource that GEN has to offer is our thousands of ecovillage communities and demonstration sites that are exemplary models for implementing the SDGs in a truly integrated and holistic manner - across the 3 (or we would say 4 including a
    Staff / Technical expertise
    In addition, we can provide access to expert consultants and trainers who have contributed to the building of sustainable, ecological regenerative and resilient communities using community owned and based processes and adopting and demonstrating best prac
    Other, please specify
    GEN has also developed self-governing Ecovillage Networks on all of the continents and in many countries which can work with governments and other stakeholders and help in the development of implementation projects. We often hold conferences on various co
    In-kind contribution
    GEN and it’s networks of ecovillages have applied for and received substantial funding for many different ecovillage projects and initiatives. We intend to apply for major funding to develop and roll out our EmerGENcies and PanAfrican Ecovillage Developm
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    False
    This initiative does not yet fulfil the SMART criteria.
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    Timeline
    01 January 1970 (start date)
    01 January 1970 (date of completion)
    Entity
    Global Ecovillage Network
    SDGs
    Geographical coverage
    The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) is a global network active in more than 110 countries and on all continents. GEN Headquarters are at The Park, Findhorn Ecovillage, Findhorn, Forres, IV36 3TZ Scotland, UK
    Countries
    N/A
    Contact Information

    Mena Vieira, Executive Secretary and Personal Assistant to the Executive Director