Isssa
The Challenge
How to engage and facilitate citizens in discussion around local government climate policies and efforts?
The Solution
Isssa is a service dedicated to employing creative tools for effectively communicating, educating, and simplifying complex public policies concerning climate change at the local level, making them more accessible to the general public. City governments can utilize this service to communicate their climate plans to citizens, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges individuals encounter during their ecological transition.
Impact
Thanks to the support of the local government of the city of Nice and the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, we received funding to get Isssa on the ground. We got an opportunity to introduce the role creative tools can play in communicating policies and researching for policymaking to the city government officials.
Partners
Exhibited at
Currently, in France, a wave of localized reforms is underway regarding climate change in order to comply with the UNSDG 2030. Cities and territories are developing 5-year climate plans to facilitate their transition towards a carbon-neutral future. However, the majority of citizens are unaware of these strategies and actions undertaken by their local governments. To address this issue, Emma Gojon and I collaborated on a participatory and mindful design approach. Our initial focus was on Nice, a city in southern France, where we conducted research with associations, local institutions, and companies to gain insight into the system of climate change policies and the stakeholders involved.
To better understand the experiences of these stakeholders, we designed an interactive card game made to recognise the pain points faced by the stakeholders while interacting with each other. Interacting with the citizens, local associations (such as Shilakong, Alternetiba, Colibri..) and government officials (such as those in-charge of Maison de l’Environnement de la Ville de Nice as well as in charge of the climate plan)
We employed an engaging and interactive method by utilizing quick card games to engage citizens in various public spaces such as parks, local markets, and events. This approach allowed us to gain valuable insights into people's perceptions of ecological actions and sustainability. We discovered that while individuals were aware of the global environmental issues, they often felt uncertain about the local impact and its relevance.
Our research extended beyond Nice to the vibrant city of Paris, where we had the opportunity to meet and interview representatives from prominent associations like Alternetiba and Extinction Rebellion, as well as solution providers such as Upcycle. These interactions provided us with diverse perspectives and deepened our understanding of the challenges and potential solutions.
Additionally, we conducted interviews with active associations in Nice, such as Alternetiba 06 and Peti Pesicart, who expressed their difficulties in effectively reaching out to the local community. Through insightful conversations with key figures like Laure Teysseyre, who oversees the Climate Plan for Nice Metropolê, Pauline Herouan, the Director of Sustainable Development for Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, and Fréderic, responsible for Maison de la Environment, we gleaned valuable information.
These interviews shed light on the practice of city governments enlisting local associations to organize events aimed at effectively communicating new solutions to the citizens at a grassroots level.