ECOLISE

ECOLISE, the European network for community-led initiatives on climate change and sustainability, is a coalition of organisations engaged in promoting and supporting local communities across Europe in their efforts to build pathways to a sustainable future. The members of ECOLISE include international, national and regional networks of community-led initiatives, as well as other organisations engaged in European-level research, training, communications or other activities to support community-led climate action and sustainability. 

ECOLISE was founded in 2014 and is registered as an international non-profit association under Belgian law (AISBL). As of 2019 it has 46 member organisations, registered as legal entities in 18 different EU member states, plus Macedonia and Switzerland. The activities of the members extend to all EU member states, as well as internationally.

Members include international networks of community-based initiatives such as the Transition Network (representing over 1200 Transition initiatives), the Global Ecovillage Network (15,000 ecovillages), the Permaculture movement (3 million practitioners globally) and ICLEI, the association of local governments for sustainability; national and regional networks; and other specialist bodies engaged in European-level research, training and communications to support community-led action on climate change and sustainability.

ECOLISE pursues three strategic goals:

1. Cultivating a cohesive, integrated network of change-making networks, organisations, groups and people that co-create and inspire a holistic culture of regeneration.
2. Expanding public and political awareness of the potential of empowered communities to positively transform societies and to help reach ambitious local to global level policy goals.
3. Developing a dynamic and inclusive framework for collaboration, sharing of knowledge, research, learning and capacity-building to support communities to engage in and spread transformative action on the ground.