DEAR ENCORE PARTICIPANTS, It was a great pleasure and honour for me and for our region to host ENCORE 2018 in Herning, Denmark. The overall success and inspirational outcome of the conference is owed entirely to all of you. Thank You. Just like our colleagues did in Munich, Germany, in 2014 and in Pörtschach, Austria, in 2016 we chose to host a YouthCORE conference leading up to the conference, and we had the young people open the conference with all of their abundant energy and inspirational thoughts. As a first, we had also invited YouthCORE to participate in the political debates. I personally enjoyed their drive, their energy and their valuable inputs to the debates. ENCORE 2018 focused on three specific themes – all of them under the umbrella of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. In Central Denmark Region we have decided to “Walk the Talk”. The sustainable development goals of the United Nations frame the new development strategy of our region. The three specific themes for the conference have been chose with great care, – they are themes in which we believe the regions of Europe are able to make a positive difference. The ideas of Circular Economy, where we work to keep materials in “the loop”, reduce energy consumption and find local solutions, are both vital in creating local jobs with quality while also supporting reduced CO2 emission. I feel strongly about the circular way of thinking, and most of our regions manage hospitals, where there is every chance of making a positive change by thinking in circular ways. We are creating value out of materials which have served their time – while at the same time reducing plastic pollution of the oceans. Climate Adaptation is crucial. We have already done the damage and emitted so much CO2 that we must now adapt to new climate conditions. All of us are from different parts of Europe. For some of us the climate changes cause extreme heat and drought. For others it means the snow is melting in the Alps, while in Northern parts of Europe the climate changes have resulted in increased precipitation, rising ground water levels and regular flooding of fields and towns. We are all facing challenges, and we are all aware, that we must adapt to the challenges. We need to find the opportunities in adaptation. There are real opportunities to create new environments and options, while we adapt. If we are able to focus on opportunities, adaptation can be a path to happiness. Bring nature into the cities, work with nature when creating new ways of life. Think outside the box! Eco system services, nature protection or a balanced co-existence with nature, is a topic which has prevailed for years. The scenarios throughout Europe are varied. If you are from Finland or the North of Sweden, you are used to an abundance of vast and natural areas, while if you come from Holland, you are used to precious few and smaller bits of uninhabited nature areas. Nature is a source of inspiration and holds solutions to many, difficult challenges, so we must allow space for nature and provide everyone access to natural habitats. We deal with important agendas in our regions. In order to succeed, we must rethink our agendas in a contemporary context. Often; we are severely criticised as being an unnecessary bureaucratic component – at least in a small country such as Denmark. However; we do play a particular and important part! As regions we are sufficiently large to enable us to reach out to the world and to international motivators. Big enough to have roots reaching way into the world of research and into the universities, – while maintaining a close relationship with our citizens and local municipalities. We know how to convert global agendas to local action. We are able to lead large EU projects, drawing in international partners to benefit our region, the citizens, enterprises and municipalities. We call it “Big solutions with local insight”. Let that be the headline for our efforts over the coming years! Thank you for your contributions. I look forward to our collaboration in years to come. Sincerely, Susanne Buch Regional Councillor, Central Denmark Region and President of ENCORE (2016-2018) 3
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