Rooting Labs

Participatory workshop for Climate Action

The Rooting Labs are three-day participatory workshops that activate local communities, validate territorial data, and build a shared understanding of each island’s starting point. They bring together institutions, experts, businesses, schools, and citizens to co-create the evidence base for future climate-neutrality scenarios.

Objectives

The Rooting Labs provide a collaborative space where participants work together to:

Collect Local Data -Validate and complete data on emissions, energy use, mobility, waste, land use, and territorial dynamics.
Share Knowledge & Perspectives - Exchange best practices, innovative solutions, and lessons learned among different Mediterranean island communities
Build Partnerships - Strengthen connections between local authorities, businesses, research institutions, and civil society organizations
Co-create Solutions - Develop tailored decarbonization strategies that address the unique needs and opportunities of each island territory, that guide The Island I Would Like Labs.

Lab Activities

Each Rooting Lab features a diverse range of collaborative activities designed to maximize engagement and outcomes, tailored to the island's context:

Sectoral Data Session - Turning data into shared territorial understanding. Participants engage in participatory mapping and review preliminary datasets to validate local evidence on energy, mobility, waste, land use, and emissions
Stakeholder Consultations - Building trust and shared vision. Workshops and focus groups bring together authorities, businesses, schools, NGOs, and citizens to identify challenges and set priorities for the transition.
Thematic Group Work - From fragmented views to integrated understanding. Cross-sector discussions allow participants to explore territorial issues, emerging opportunities, and bottlenecks that will shape future scenarios.
Perception & Awareness Activities - Bringing social insight into climate action. Surveys and youth-focused sessions capture community views, raise awareness, and support early climate literacy.
On-Site Observations - Ground-truthing evidence. Field-based observations complement data analysis, helping understand territorial dynamics and context-specific constraints.

Pilot Islands

Rooting Labs take place on the three CO2 PACMAN pilot islands, each representing unique Mediterranean contexts: Brač (Croatia), Crete (Greece), Elba (Italy). These islands serve as real world testing grounds where methodologies are validated and refined before being scaled and replicated.

Expected Outcomes

Through the Rooting Labs workshops, the CO2 PACMAN project aims to achieve:

A complete island specific Green House Gasses inventory that forms the foundation for climate neutrality planning.
Enhanced local capacity for climate action planning and implementation
Strong multi-stakeholder networks committed to supporting decarbonization efforts
A shared understanding of local challenges and opportunities
Actionable roadmaps with concrete steps toward climate neutrality
Transferable knowledge and methodologies applicable to other Mediterranean islands

Co-creation and co-design

A key feature of Rooting Labs is their participatory approach. By involving diverse stakeholders from the very beginning, these workshops ensure that climate action strategies reflect local priorities, build on existing strengths, and enjoy broad community support. This inclusive process is essential for creating sustainable, long-term change.