ELCA: strengthening climate action dialogue in Asia, the United States, and Europe
Published: Mar 30, 2026 Reading time: 2 minutes Share: Share an articleBetween 7 February–5 March 2026, Romanian representatives of the ELCA – Empowering Local Climate Action (EUKI) participated in academic and networking visits to South Korea, Japan, the United States of America, and Hungary. These visits sought to strengthen international cooperation and knowledge exchange in climate action, nature-based solutions, and community involvement in climate governance.
The delegation consisted of Dr. Rareș Hălbac-Cotoară-Zamfir, director of the Support Centre for Climate Action within Politehnica University Timișoara (UPT) and the psychologist Cristina Hălbac-Cotoară-Zamfir.
The visits took place at Kyung Hee University (Seoul), Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN), Kyoto; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston; and the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), Hawaii, etc.
The ELCA approach to strengthening climate action was introduced during the visit. Delegates learned about ELCA’s tools and practices to support local authorities, communities, and other relevant actors in developing climate change mitigation initiatives.
Nature-based solutions (N-bS) and green-blue infrastructure in mitigating climate change were central to discussions, as was the importance of integrating social and behavioural perspectives into climate policies. Participants explored how psychology and communication sciences, can support behavioural change, strengthen community engagement and improve decision-making processes regarding climate action.
The exchanges also opened new opportunities for future collaboration between European and international research networks, including joint research initiatives, scientific publications, workshops, and academic mobility dedicated to climate resilience, sustainable water and energy management and inclusive governance approaches.
Although the ELCA project will conclude in March 2026, the Support Centre for Climate Action will continue to expand its network of partners and knowledge resources. It will also continue to strengthen the links between research, public policies, and communities and contributing to the development of collaborative solutions to the global challenges of climate change. The ELCA project has created within UPT a strong and sustainable structure, which ensure that this project continues to have a positive impact in addressing the global challenges of climate change.
