Guide: Sustainability

How your Leader project can contribute to sustainable development

🌍Sustainable development is about creating long-term solutions that benefit both people, the economy, and the environment. Here is a concrete way your project can contribute to social, economic, and environmental sustainability💚

🔹 Social sustainability – An inclusive and fair community development

A project that contributes to social sustainability creates community, inclusion, and improved living conditions .

✅ Examples of initiatives:

  • Increased accessibility : Adapt facilities and events for people with disabilities.
  • Gender equality and diversity : Ensure that both women and men, as well as different backgrounds and ages, benefit from the project.
  • Meeting places and activities : Create shared spaces and events that strengthen community ties in rural areas.
  • Skills development : Offer training, mentoring programs, or networks for youth, entrepreneurs, or associations.

📝 Real-life examples:
An association runs an integration project where newly arrived and local youth meet through sports.

🔹 Economic sustainability – A long-term and stable economy

Economically sustainable projects create jobs, strengthen local business development, and use resources efficiently .

✅ Examples of initiatives:

  • Support for local businesses : Develop products or services that benefit the local economy.
  • Circular economy : Reuse materials and minimize waste.
  • Collaboration : Create collaboration between businesses, associations, and public actors.
  • Long-term financing : Ensure that the project's effects continue after the support period.

📝 Real-life examples:
A farm starts a farm café with local ingredients and collaborates with nearby producers to create a shorter supply chain.

🔹 Environmental sustainability – Preserve and protect nature

Environmentally sustainable projects use natural resources responsibly and reduce negative environmental impact .

✅ Examples of initiatives:

  • Energy savings : Install solar panels, reduce electricity consumption, or use sustainable building materials.
  • Biodiversity : Plant meadow flowers, preserve natural areas, or promote organic farming.
  • Sustainable travel : Promote public transport, bike-friendly solutions, or carpooling.
  • Waste and reuse : Reduce waste, reuse materials, and use recyclable products.

📝 Real-life examples:
A project establishes a nature trail with information about biodiversity and training in sustainable tourism.

📌 How should you report sustainability in your application?

Write briefly:
✔ What sustainability initiatives the project is undertaking (social, economic, environmental).
✔ How the project impacts participants, the community, and the environment in the long term.
✔ If there are collaborations or measures that strengthen sustainability efforts.

🌱 TIPS: You don’t need to come up with something new – often you are already making sustainable efforts! Write concretely what you are doing and how .

📞 Questions? Contact us and we will help you!

🌍 In-depth guide: How to strengthen sustainability efforts in your Leader project

Sustainability is an important part of every Leader project. But what are you already doing today? And how can your project contribute even more? Follow these steps to analyze, develop, and integrate sustainability into your project – both during and after the project's implementation.

🔎 Step 1: Analyze what you are already doing today

Before you plan new sustainability efforts, consider what you are already doing . Use the checklist below to identify existing sustainability work in your organization or association.

✅ Checklist: Do you already have…
🔲 A sustainability policy or guidelines?
🔲 Any efforts to reduce environmental impact (reuse, energy efficiency, etc.)?
🔲 Gender equality work (e.g. equal opportunities for women and men)?
🔲 Worked for inclusion and diversity in your operations?
🔲 Supported local economy or sustainable business models?

📌 Example: A sports club already has a policy to minimize food waste at its events and only buys organic products.

🎯 Step 2: Consider how your project contributes to sustainable development

Once you have mapped what you are doing today, think about how the project can strengthen this work .

📌 Questions to ask yourself:

1️⃣ Social sustainability: How does the project benefit the local community and inclusion?
2️⃣ Economic sustainability: How does the project create long-term benefits for the economy and employment?
3️⃣ Environmental sustainability: How does the project reduce its impact on the environment?

📌 Example:

  • Social sustainability: The project creates a meeting place where young and old can socialize and learn from each other.
  • Economic sustainability: The project strengthens local production through collaboration between producers and restaurants.
  • Environmental sustainability: The project only uses reused materials in constructions.
🚀 Step 3: Develop and improve sustainability efforts in the project

Now you can start identifying opportunities to strengthen and develop sustainability work through the project.

✅ Questions to explore:

  • Can we collaborate with more actors to strengthen sustainability?
  • Are there new ways to reduce environmental impact?
  • How can we include more groups in the project?
  • Can we use the project to test new sustainable solutions?

📌 Example:
💡 A festival wants to reduce its climate impact . Instead of disposable items, they introduce a system with reusable cups.

💡 An association is building a new venue . They are reviewing energy use and installing solar panels to reduce their climate impact.

🔄 Step 4: Ensure that sustainability efforts are lasting

A sustainable project creates long-term change – even after the project is completed.

✅ Checklist for sustainability:
🔲 Är de hållbara lösningarna långsiktiga eller engångsinsatser?
🔲 Hur kan vi finansiera hållbara insatser även efter projektets slut?
🔲 Kan vi skapa en struktur för att fortsätta arbeta med hållbarhet?

📌 Example:
🏡 Ett Leader-projekt skapar en lokal marknad för småskaliga producenter . Efter projektets slut bildar aktörerna en ekonomisk förening för att fortsätta driva verksamheten.

🌱 Ett nätverk för hållbart jordbruk utbildar lokala bönder i regenerativ odling. Efter projektets slut fortsätter nätverket att dela kunskap genom workshops och sociala medier.

📌 Steg 5: Formulera hållbarhet i ansökan

När ni beskriver hållbarhet i ansökan, var konkreta och undvikande generella formuleringar som ”Vi jobbar med hållbarhet”.

✅ Skriv istället så här:
🚫 ”Vi ska arbeta hållbart i projektet.”
✅ ”Vi ska minska avfall genom att endast använda återbrukat byggmaterial och engagera ungdomar i hållbara renoveringsmetoder.”

📌 Exempel på en stark beskrivning:
”Genom projektet kommer vi att minska matsvinn genom att samarbeta med lokala producenter och laga mat på överskottsgrönsaker. Detta blir en permanent del av vår verksamhet genom utbildning och lokala samarbeten.”

🌍 Sammanfattning – Så stärker du hållbarheten i ditt projekt

1️⃣ Analysera vad ni redan gör – användbar checklistan.
2️⃣ Fundera på hur projektet bidrar till hållbarhet – socialt, ekonomiskt och miljömässigt.
3️⃣ Utveckla hållbarhetsinsatserna – identifiera förbättringsområden.
4️⃣ Gör insatserna varaktiga – se till att projektet skapar långsiktig effekt.
5️⃣ Skriv hållbarheten tydligt i ansökan – var konkret och specifik.

📞 Behöver ni hjälp att formulera er ansökan? Kontakta oss så guidar vi är vidare!