Headline: Franco-German Forum for the Future

Established in 2019, the Franco-German Forum for the Future works to strengthen socio-ecological transformations in both countries. The Forum cooperates with local government across a range of topics, including: local food systems, the mobility transition, urban greening, public participation, and the energy transition.

Applying a transdisciplinary approach and supported by qualitative field research, the Forum studies the specific circumstances on the ground to identify success factors and barriers to overcoming sustainability challenges. The Franco-German peer dialogues lie at the heart of this research and are used to develop solutions tailored to local needs. Alongside this, the Forum also analyses the respective national and European regulatory environments and their influence. Researchers from the Forum draw on these findings to develop policy recommendations for the governments of both countries in cooperation with experts from public administration, academia, and civil society.

Coordination offices for the Forum are hosted by the French government's policy analysis institute France Stratégie and in Germany at the RIFS. The Forum's transformative, bottom-up approach reflects the broader research approach taken by the RIFS. The bilateral perspective developed in this research enables researchers and stakeholders in Germany and France to compare municipal policy and practices and learn from each other, transferring solutions from one country to the other.