ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Healthy and sustainable food policy in Flemish schools

The Belgian initiative ‘School Food Labs’ guides pilot schools that go through a two-year process to make the food provided at school more sustainable. This happens under the guidance of GoodFood@School, which is a collaborative project by Rikolto, GoodPlanet and Fairtrade Belgium to help all Flemish schools integrate a healthy and sustainable food policy. Indeed, the outcomes of the initiative will be used to inform and inspire similar ways of promoting sustainable food policy on a larger scale, in schools across Flanders.

The initiative is carried out in eleven different schools, spread over four Flemish cities: Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent and Leuven. The schools carry out a variety of actions to improve food sustainability, provide healthy food, and raise awareness about sustainability in general. This includes the following examples: making the school cafeteria a more attractive place to be, visiting rooftop farms and biological farms, organising ‘fair food festivals’ at school, and other creative ways of influencing children’s food values.

For children, including those with low-income and migration backgrounds
The School Food Labs initiative targets children, primarily between 12 and 18 years old. Some involved schools also have an attached elementary school and/or kindergarten, so the age range is in some cases below 12 too. Some of the involved schools are largely attended by children from a low-income background, often going to school without having had breakfast and/or without bringing any lunch. In some of these schools, the initiative also focuses on classes that are tailored towards recently migrated children who do not speak Dutch.

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ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Connecting diverse groups of people through sustainable cooking

‘Samenkeuken’ (‘Kitchening Together’) is a project initiated across Flanders, Brussels, and (to a lesser extent) the Netherlands by the non-profit association Velt. Citing the power of cooking in groups to connect people with each other and their environment, this initiative aims to stimulate culinary get-togethers among diverse groups of people and provide guidance on ecologically sustainable cooking by professionals.

Each group is advised to meet up at least once per season to maintain social bonds and to have the opportunity to work with seasonal ingredients. Participants are encouraged to improvise based on taste combinations and not rely on recipes, to limit food waste to near-zero, and to learn about ways of storing food for later (i.e., drying, fermenting, …). ‘Samenkeuken’ cooking groups are kick-started under the guidance of Velt’s so-called eco-chefs, who have a lot of experience and knowledge in ecological cooking and are skilled at coaching groups of people.

Durable social connections for vulnerable people
Velt is an independent non-profit pluralistic association that aims to promote ecological living, cooking, and gardening. It has been around for 45 years in both Belgium and the Netherlands, connecting people and initiating as well as guiding ecological projects. Velt not only provides its ‘Samenkeuken’ services to groups of people that approach them, but it also collaborates with organisations that work with vulnerable people. This introduces people who are marginalized, excluded, and/or socially isolated to ecologically sustainable (and healthy) food and creates durable social connections among the participants. This initiative thus emphasises the importance of community and cooking together, especially when it comes to connecting people from diverse vulnerable groups.

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ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected within the Food Security research line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Robin Food, Belgium

Fighting food waste and food insecurity

Robin Food is a social initiative born in Belgium during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to limit food waste while ensuring access to healthy food for vulnerable communities. This innovative project connects Belgian farmers with surplus produce to low-income groups and social grocery stores. By processing excess fruit and vegetables into products such as soups, sauces, juices, and spreads, Robin Food ensures that good food doesn’t go to waste while helping those who need it most.

While Robin Food products are available to the general public in select supermarkets, their core mission is to support low-income families. These products are sold at affordable prices in social grocery stores, distributed to vulnerable groups, and provided to schools for their pupils. Recipes using these products are also shared on the Robin Food website to encourage healthy eating habits.

A collective effort

Robin Food began as a partnership between five organisations:

• Rikolto, an international NGO promoting sustainable agriculture;
• SAAMO Flemish Brabant, a non-profit focused on empowering marginalised groups;
• Depot Margo, a social food distribution platform;
• EIT Food, which provided funding for the project;
• enVie Atelier, which processes surplus food into Robin Food products.

Since its launch in April 2020, Robin Food has evolved into a cooperative managed by a small dedicated team, though it continues to rely on collaboration with these founding partners.

The initiative has been successful in reducing food waste and ensuring access to healthy meals. The approach highlights how addressing food waste can simultaneously combat food insecurity. It has been implemented in multiple locations across Flanders, proving its replicability. 

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ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected within the Sustainable Mobility research line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

MeerMobiel

Empowering mobility for people with disabilities in Belgium

MeerMobiel is a comprehensive online platform that simplifies transportation for people with disabilities across the Flemish and Brussels regions of Belgium. Created by the NGO Inter.vlaanderen, the platform’s mission aligns with its broader focus on universal design and accessibility, guided by their motto: “everybody everywhere.”

The platform serves as a one-stop resource for people with impairments, offering detailed and up-to-date information on mobility solutions. This includes services provided by public transport operators and door-to-door journeys organised by volunteer-run NGOs like “minder mobielen centrales.” These services often feature specially adapted vehicles to cater to various needs. MeerMobiel also highlights users’ rights, such as access to taxi vouchers, and guides users on how to utilise these rights effectively.

By centralising information, MeerMobiel tackles a significant issue: the fragmentation of services and initiatives for people with disabilities. It bridges gaps between diverse providers, including regional public transport organisations, NGOs, municipalities, and volunteer networks. While it benefits from substantial funding and support from the Flemish government, the challenge lies in maintaining updated and relevant information due to policy shifts and changes in services.

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ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected within the Sustainable Mobility research line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

SOULMATE

Innovative solutions for seniors across three EU countries

The SOULMATE project, originating in Austria and involving partners in Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands, addresses mobility challenges faced by elderly individuals through innovative technology. This initiative developed a smartphone app that enhances mobility, promotes independence, and supports safer outdoor activities for senior citizens. By integrating augmented reality and real-time assistance, SOULMATE empowers older adults to navigate streets, public transport, and urban spaces with confidence.

The app provides three main features:

1. Virtual Route Training: Augmented reality technology allows users to familiarise themselves with outdoor routes using indoor cycling experiences.
2. Live Navigation and Emergency Support: The app offers tailored routes, an emergency SOS button, and live video support to enhance safety during travel.
3. Monitoring Options: Users can choose to share their route progress with trusted individuals for added peace of mind.

The project is grounded in co-creation, with seniors actively participating in workshops and testing across Austria. Early results showed strong interest, with participants eager to continue using the app. Despite challenges such as the digital learning curve for older users, the app’s design reflects a commitment to inclusivity and usability.

SOULMATE is a powerful example of how technology can address the unique needs of an ageing population. Its replicable model and cross-border collaboration make it a benchmark for inclusive innovation in mobility solutions.

Find out more about this inspiring initiative: SOULMATE Project

More inspiring initiatives

ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected within the Sustainable Mobility research line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Dorpspunt, BE

Building a blueprint for rural revitalisation

Dorpspunt (village point) is an inspiring initiative bringing services, community connection, and sustainable mobility to rural villages in Belgium. Launched in Beveren aan de IJzer by De Lovie, a care institution for individuals with mental impairments, Dorpspunt addresses mobility poverty and the social isolation caused by the decline of local amenities. Activities include:

Essential services where they’re needed most

Villages that have lost their local shops now find relief through Dorpspunt, which offers:

• A neighbourhood shop stocked with fresh, locally-sourced goods.
• Repair cafés, computer support, and recycling assistance for elderly residents.
• Help with household tasks, such as snow removal or small repairs.

A community hub that brings people together

Dorpspunt fosters social cohesion and combats loneliness by:

• Hosting affordable communal meals for vulnerable groups.
• Offering a welcoming space for socialising over coffee or soup.
• Supporting local associations to ease the workload on volunteers.

Sustainable travel solutions for isolated communities

To tackle rural mobility challenges, Dorpspunt provides:

• Bike-sharing services, including electric cargo bikes and rickshaws.
• A bike repair service in partnership with local mechanics.
• Coordinated shared travel arrangements for events or errands.

What sets Dorpspunt apart is its leadership by individuals with mental impairments, who operate the initiative under the guidance of an educator. This innovative approach not only delivers essential services but also integrates these individuals into village life, enhancing their confidence and sense of purpose.

Dorpspunt is a replicable model for communities worldwide. By blending social innovation with care services, it showcases how villages can thrive through collaboration, inclusion, and sustainability.

Find out more about this inspiring initiative

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ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected within the Sustainable Mobility research line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Inclusive sustainable mobility in Ghent, Belgium

De Fietsambassade (‘The Bicycle Embassy’) is an inspiring initiative in the city of Ghent, Belgium, fostering a culture of cycling while making sustainable transport accessible to all. By addressing key barriers to bicycle use, it bridges the gap between inclusivity and environmental responsibility, supporting students, individuals with disabilities, and those experiencing transport poverty:

For students
Ghent, as a major student hub, sees many students who cannot afford transport alternatives. De Fietsambassade offers affordable bike rentals tailored for students, with annual rates starting at €70, making cycling an accessible option for all.

For people with disabilities
Specially designed bicycles, such as tricycles, tandem bikes, rickshaws, and parent-child models, are made available to ensure inclusivity for individuals with mobility challenges. Though highly impactful, this service currently faces long waiting times, highlighting the need for expanded resources.

For individuals in transport poverty
A dedicated bike ambassador works directly with those experiencing transport poverty, collaborating with local organisations and community services to identify and overcome barriers to cycling. This includes cycling lessons for beginners and personalised recommendations on bike acquisition, whether through purchase, rental, or sharing.

Infrastructure, collaboration and replicability

Beyond individual services, the initiative has improved city infrastructure by installing bike lockers, public racks, and neighbourhood parking options. Founded by the City of Ghent, De Fietsambassade operates in collaboration with local universities and research centres, showcasing the power of partnerships in driving sustainable transitions.

De Fietsambassade demonstrates a comprehensive approach to promoting sustainable mobility, particularly in urban areas. Its replicable framework makes it an excellent model for cities aiming to prioritise cycling while supporting vulnerable populations.

More inspiring initiatives

The impact of climate change and the capacity to mitigate its negative impacts are unevenly distributed across and within societies; it is the poorer, marginalised and vulnerable groups who are the most acutely affected. ACCTING has collected 358 narratives via individual interviews in 13 European countries to capture some of the experiences of those vulnerable groups. These narratives on inequalities in enablers and hindrances for advancing behavioural change span eight thematic research lines – each addressing an EU Green Deal policy area. Read our dataset including all 358 narratives collected.

Mobility options for a single mother with three children

“I am Cindy, 39, a single mother with three children, one of which is in primary school, the two others in secondary. My career has been in human resources, and when my employer started to fire most of my colleagues and team, I decided to quit the job. My former manager and I decided to start a business. We are fully operational since 1 October 2022.

My second oldest is going to school in a boarding school. This school is in Flanders for her to learn to speak Dutch, some 80 km from home. In the weekends, I have an arrangement with 3 other parents and we each go one week out of four to pick-up and bring our children. My oldest son and youngest daughter go to school in our village some 2,5 km from home. My son always bikes even with bad weather. My youngest bikes only when the weather permits.

I bought a second hand car when I had to hand over back my company car. All our family trips are done by car. I will use the bike inside the village, including for shopping.

We have a bus stop nearby but never use the bus. We could use it to go to the nearby city, but never do. I made the choice that the children would go by bike to school as much as possible; I am lucky there are schools not too far and that the way going is going down, so the children arrive on time. When coming back, they have to bike uphill.

Many parents do not understand this choice and consider I take risks. On the way to school they have to cross a very busy national road. There is a traffic light and I have taught them to always get off their bike and cross walking. They are also well equipped (helmet, fluo jacket, lights; … ). I have biked intensively with the children over summer to train them, also on the road to school, showing all the risky spots.

My daughter never bikes alone to school. I will bike with her and then come back. Or she will go with her older brother. This means a small detour for him. As we have a car-sharing arrangement with two other children from her school, they would normally also bike all three together. Either me or my son will accompany the three on the trip. We have a bus stop in front of the house, but I never even checked the timetable. If one of the children had to go to school to the city, that would be different.

“I am really concerned about the future. I will try to go by bike as much as I can, also to exercise”

For daily shopping I use a local small supermarket that sells products they source in the neighbourhood. I am then using a backpack to carry the shopping. We have a car as I need it for my work, to go to clients. We also need it for all our trips as a family, including holidays. I used to have a company car but when I started as an independent, I bought a second-hand car. I envisaged to buy a smaller one and then to rent a large one when going on holidays, but finally did not do it. The same applies to an electric car. We could do most of our trips in an electric car, both professional and family, but buying electric is too expensive. I could simply not afford it. I know many people in the management of Decathlon. They have Tesla’s as company cars. But they cannot use that car to go to the south of France on holiday, so they go on holiday by plane.

“The whole benefit of driving an electric car during the year is given away when a whole family takes the plane for their holidays”

I am really concerned about the future. I now have good solutions, but the apartment is rented. I cannot afford to buy a house in this village. I would need to go further away from the city to find something affordable. Will I find good solutions there? Is it better to keep on renting and living here? Or to move further away where prices are lower and be able to buy instead of renting?”

More inspiring narratives

The impact of climate change and the capacity to mitigate its negative impacts are unevenly distributed across and within societies; it is the poorer, marginalised and vulnerable groups who are the most acutely affected. ACCTING has collected 358 narratives via individual interviews in 13 European countries to capture some of the experiences of those vulnerable groups. These narratives on inequalities in enablers and hindrances for advancing behavioural change span eight thematic research lines – each addressing an EU Green Deal policy area. Read our dataset including all 358 narratives collected.

Harold, 59, on eating patterns and sustainability

“My name is Harold and I am a 59-year-old man. I have three children with my ex-wife, who have all left the house, and I live on my own. I frequently stay with my partner though (or vice versa). I am on burnout leave and get an allowance from my health insurance fund, which is enough to cover what I need.

“I was given a food pattern in my youth by my parents raising me, and that food pattern recurs regularly”

I grew up with a food consumption pattern during my childhood that I still largely adhere to out of habit nowadays: typical Flemish farmers’ meals, which include seasonal vegetables, meat or fish, and a lot of potatoes. Because potatoes can increase your weight a lot, I’ve started substituting some alternatives in the past few years like rice or tabbouleh. My choices for vegetables vary according to the season, as their supply is bigger in stores when they are in season, and I only sporadically pick up something more exotic. I’m not a big fruit eater, though, just strawberries and tangerines. I think it’s also important that food is locally produced, so I do look out for that. It surprises me that there is actually a relatively limited supply of local vegetables in stores, unless we’re talking about ‘forgotten’ vegetables like turnips and parsnips. Belgian products that are usually available include cabbage, beans and Belgian endives, but that’s about it. If you look closely at packaged vegetables that you would think are typical winter vegetables for Belgium, they are actually from abroad: green beans come from Ethiopia, or recently I had a little package of vegetables from Morocco. I don’t have a problem with that in principle: I think the quality of harvesting is probably the same, but they do have to go over long distances to come here. More and more in supermarkets lately (though still limited), they do put little Belgian flags on products that were locally produced, like carrots. I think that’s more for advertising purposes by big agro-companies so that they can sell more than for sustainability purposes. But if they would guide me, the customer, more towards those kinds of products, I would buy more locally.

I go to local markets too, but I think they can be misleading. Given that there is no packaging, you’d think that it is from around here, but the wholesalers where people with market stalls go for their products are also importing a lot of their products. I think the barrier to entry for farmer’s markets around here is a bit too high. They only have very specific times that their stalls are present each week and you often have to order online in advance. I am averse to doing anything online or on the computer, so that doesn’t work for me. The only place where you can really be sure is the bio-stores, but they are a bit more expensive of course. I know of one that is run as a cooperative that works together with farmers just outside the city. I went there for a while, but I can’t do that on my current income. You notice it immediately: a basket of food products there would cost almost as much as a whole cart in a normal supermarket. But even when I go to the supermarket I need to pay attention to how much I spend: I buy non-brand alternatives as much as possible, also for canned vegetables like beans and peas. I don’t notice a difference in quality anyway.

“I never ate spaghetti in my youth. Where did you buy that? It wasn’t on one of the carts that came by our house, but it probably was in the big Carrefour and we almost never went there”

When I was a kid, we had all kinds of carts passing by the house to sell food products: vegetable cart, the brewer’s cart, the local fishmonger, … This happened on fixed days of the week and I assume it was locally produced. That doesn’t exist anymore, but I don’t remember going to the supermarket often as a child, because we were able to get almost everything from them. That also influenced greatly what we actually ate: I never ate spaghetti as a child for instance, that was never on one of those carts and my mom never made that (it wasn’t in her big recipe book from the local farmers’ union). When I think about sustainable food, I think of meals with no meat or with meat replacements, or food that doesn’t use a lot of water to produce. It’s strange that we eat strawberries from Israel, for instance: we have them here too, just not the whole year long. It’s not too much of a sacrifice to only eat strawberries in the summer and then just wait until the next summer comes along. But to change your eating habits on your own is very difficult. It’d be easier if your whole family makes the switch at the same time and if you talk about it a lot beforehand. I do use meat replacements and other alternatives now in my cooking, but it’s on a more sporadic basis. I think this change came to be by talking with a lot of the people I know and being influenced by their way of eating. It would be a good thing if there were policies that prohibited certain foods during certain seasons. I wouldn’t cross the border to just eat strawberries. Take a sugar tax, for instance: I love sugar and sodas, but if there’s just less supply of it, that would help for people’s health and I wouldn’t be against it. Same principle for non-sustainable food.”

More inspiring narratives

The impact of climate change and the capacity to mitigate its negative impacts are unevenly distributed across and within societies; it is the poorer, marginalised and vulnerable groups who are the most acutely affected. ACCTING has collected 358 narratives via individual interviews in 13 European countries to capture some of the experiences of those vulnerable groups. These narratives on inequalities in enablers and hindrances for advancing behavioural change span eight thematic research lines – each addressing an EU Green Deal policy area. Read our dataset including all 358 narratives collected.

In Belgium, the energy crisis leads to a change of business model

“I am Petra, a graphic designer. I created my business 15 years ago as I wanted another career, more linked to food and people. I first worked as a manager of a sales outlet of a local chain like Pret-a-manger, to learn the job and the market. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of a former industrial building (workshop to cut diamonds). The energy crisis triggered a process of reflection that led us to drastic decisions, even to close the restaurant as no solution could be found to avoid a too high reduction of margin, making it meaningless to keep on working.

The start of the story is a decision taken a long time ago to save on personnel cost in a model with long opening hours (12 h / day). The choice we made was to work only with pre-prepared recipes. When the chef is there (daily) he produces, and the production is stored in appropriate packaging and stored in a fridge. Upon demand, the prepared meals are taken out for either take-away (in a specific packaging) or to be heated and consumed in the restaurant (if relevant as not all meals need to be warm). Meals are also displayed in the restaurant in a fridge. This approach reduces personnel cost (there is no “à la minute chef” present); but has logistics implications (packaging, cooling, … ). One of them is this “open” fridge displaying meals.

In August, I decided to start measuring our energy consumption. We started to do this daily and comparing with the day’s activity. Key point has been the purchase of a device to measure consumption of the different appliances. This device has been moving from appliance to appliance and led to a much better understanding of the energy consumption. When plugging it in the “open display fridge”, we discovered the full production of our 18 solar panels was needed for only this. Three hours after this discovery, the fridge was taken out of use.

“The uncertainty about the price of energy we might have to pay is unbelievable. Three hours after we had measured the consumption of our open-display fridge, we switched it off.”

“We controlled systematically all appliances and disconnected what was feasible to disconnect. This led to a process of systematic reduction of energy use. The expectation is that we will be at one fifth (!) by the end of the year. Another example is warm water. We had a boiler in the kitchen keeping the water temperature at a constant high. This was extremely comfortable for the team and when the option was considered to stop this, there was a lot of resistance. Still, it was taken out and one month later, nobody complains anymore. The team is now used to live without this “luxury”. For cooking, the chef is also adapting his habits and not bringing water to boiling temperature if not strictly needed (e.g. for pasta).

There are solutions and we discover and implement them one by one. We do not know yet what will be the financial consequences as we did not receive information from our energy provider. But my calculations based on the prices after checking what is mentioned for new contracts is that our energy cost for the first quarter of 2023 based on the consumption of this year’s Q1 would be dramatic (average of 20K / month). This leads to an incredible level of uncertainty and I am angry that we are so dependent of the energy providers who are not transparent on prices. This is also why we decided to stop the restaurant activity. Five years ago we managed to buy the house next to the restaurant and transformed this house into a B&B. Now we have decided to implement the following changes:
•The hallway of the B&B house will become like a shop where customers can come and pick up meals and snacks; a much-reduced assortment compared to today (not yet clear if there would be hot meals)
•The living room of the B&B will be rearranged to become a place where people can consume. This is much smaller than the present restaurant. It is in this room the B&B guests have their breakfast and this will remain the same
•The restaurant will be rented out for events. If it needs to be heated for an event, this becomes a variable cost compared to a fixed cost today. The variable cost is occurring only when an event takes place and is charged to the event organiser.

We will do this transition in steps and trying to minimise the impact on staff. As all staff have been with us for more than 10 years, the “social passive” is very high, but we will assume this cost. It is the consequence of conscious decisions in the past to keep on working with the same people and not to do what others do in the business: never keep the same staff for more than five years. It is open from 8 to 8 on weekdays. My husband joined me to help in the business after a few years, first part-time and now full time. We have 4 people on the payroll: a chef (full-time) and three part-time employees.”

“After all, I am happy with the energy crisis. It has been an eye-opener. I hope we will never fall back to old habits.”

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