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How does local action help drive broader societal change? And how can community groups, civil society organisations and local authorities better understand the wider impact of their work?
These questions are explored in a new resource developed by partners in the SHARED GREEN DEAL project. The Ripple Effects Toolkit: How local actors can drive change from the in-between offers practical guidance for those supporting sustainability transitions, helping users recognise and strengthen the connections between people, organisations and systems that enable lasting change. For full details and context, readers are encouraged to consult the original article.
Developed by researchers from the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Lisbon (ICS-ULisboa), with contributions from Anglia Ruskin University and TU Wien, the toolkit translates academic insights on the “in-between” spaces—where local initiatives link individuals with wider systems—into hands-on exercises suitable for practitioners, municipalities, community groups and researchers.
The toolkit was shaped through a highly collaborative process. In March and April 2026, a series of multilingual online workshops brought together 123 participants from 17 countries, whose input helped refine both the concepts and exercises. This participatory approach reflects one of the toolkit’s core messages: meaningful change emerges through relationships, shared learning and collective action, rather than in isolation.
By introducing the concept of the “in-between” and guiding users through exercises to map initiatives, explore connections and identify potential ripple effects, the toolkit supports a deeper understanding of how local actions can influence wider systems over time.
It also contributes to the growing Shared Green Societies Forum, offering a practical resource to support collaboration, reflection and shared learning among practitioners, policymakers and researchers across Europe. The toolkit provides a common framework for understanding how change happens and strengthens collective efforts toward more sustainable, inclusive and resilient societies.
The Ripple Effects Toolkit is available to download via the SHARED GREEN DEAL website, with further insights available in the original article.
Explore the source article here.
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