EASPD is developing an evidence-based position paper to shed light on the urgency to move to a greener approach in the provision of social services to people with disabilities. To enrich this position paper, we are launching a collection of good practices that have been adopted and implemented in different European countries, helping the care and support sector in its green transition.

The exchange of experiences and good practices is key to facilitate the uptake of new knowledge and to create strong, evidence-based actions. Therefore, the practices will also be published in EASPD's Knowledge Hub and sent to the European Commission. We hope the models that will be collected will be a source of inspiration for the further development and implementation of more sustainable models of delivery social care and support services around Europe. Through this, we will be able to reach the goal of creating socially inclusive green economies and societies.

Target group - who will use the results? 

• Public and private service providers
• Policymakers
• Organisations representing persons with disabilities

What is considered a good practice in the context of this position paper?

A good practice should:

• Be in line with UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (UNCRPD), respecting people with disabilities choice and control over their lives.
• Be in one or more of the following categories:
  • Reducing the environmental footprint of service providers. This can include measures on energy efficiency of care and support facilities, management of waste, food and water, adoption of digital tools boosting the green transition, carbon impact assessment, environmental planning, and any other measure contributing to reducing the carbon footprint of service providers. 
  • Adaptation measures to climate change events. This caninvolve all the practices that contribute to the resilience against the effects of climate change, including renovation of buildings, adaptation and evacuation plans, or any other activities that ensure an adaptation of the service to climate change events.
  • Improving green skills and capacity of service providers. This can involve practices that equip the workforce with the necessary skills to reduce the carbon footprint and adapt to climate change while maintaining the quality of service. Practices like training programs, capacity building activities, and environmental, social and governance models (ESG) can be reported under this category. 
  • Empowering persons with disabilities in the green transition. This could include activities that contribute to increasing persons with disabilities skills, knowledge, and awareness to better participate in the green transition. The initiatives reported can be about green related jobs, specific training programs, knowledge and awareness raising through care, support, or leisure activities.
• Be the result of a process of co-creation, taking into consideration the views, needs and wishes of people with disabilities.  

How to submit your practice

There are two options and they're both easy! To submit a good practice, you can do one of the following:

• Complete our Google Form.
• Fill out our Word document, and then email your completed form to our Project and Policy Officer, Freddy Jussien, at freddy.jussien@easpd.eu by 21 December 2023.