3 Questions to Arthur Keller, Founder of DROP'NGO

Non classé

8 juin

TF - What issues does CHANGEO address?

AK - The programmed depletion of natural resources and available energy, pollution of natural environments on a planetary scale, climate change, global health crisis: the systemic nature of risks is proven and is gradually becoming part of our imagination. Industrial overproduction, destructive agriculture, globalized supply chains, generalized overconsumption, systematization of plastic use, programmed obsolescence, omnipresent advertising: the obsession with growth is coming up against the physical limits of the Earth.

At the same time, individuals and groups who successfully embrace more sustainable and resilient practices or lifestyles are no longer anecdotal. Unfortunately, these experiences are still too little known to change people's minds and open up perspectives to a greater number of individuals. We have designed a system that allows us to capitalize on these successful experiences with referent associations to inspire and structure new projects, to help local authorities to support them, to involve local economic ecosystems and to encourage citizens to co-finance the transformation and then to participate in its implementation.

TF - How does CHANGEO concretely address these issues?

AK - More than ever, real territorial transformations are needed, mobilizing politicians, economic and cultural actors as part of their societal commitment, as well as associations, collectives and citizens. CHANGEO's approach mobilizes the capacities of a territory's ecosystem and the best of technologies with a minimal ecological footprint, in order to contribute to a relevant response to the challenges of the ecological transition. CHANGEO acts as a catalyzer of social cohesion that develops the capacity for action of the municipality, other stakeholders in the territory, and citizens by engaging them to act and by promoting their actions. It is a real steering tool for territorial transition.

CHANGEO is an innovative system for collecting donations and mobilizing citizens through interactive terminals and a web platform, dedicated to local transition projects that contribute to the emergence of resilient territories. Its goal is to allow the greatest number of individuals to get directly and significantly involved in causes that have a real impact on them or their environment. The kiosks are made of reused electronics and furniture resources. They ensure a strong territorial anchoring as rallying points and they host animations on the sites.

Coming from associations but also from individuals, the projects to be supported are sourced and structured by the referring associations, then submitted to the selection committee made up of municipal, economic and cultural partners. The selected projects enter the financing campaign at the terminals and on the web platform. The actors of the territory can co-finance them and sponsor them by offering rewards to the donors. Then, the referent associations pilot their implementation until their completion.

TF - What would be the ideal development scenario for CHANGEO?

AK - A deployment in the Paris region is being prepared for spring 2021 with the Auchan group. Discussions are underway with several Parisian city councils, RATP, SNCF, la Poste and MGEN. CHANGEO will work with the eco-organizations Valdelia and Ecologic. The ideal scenario would be to set up about 20 kiosks within 12 months in the Île-de-France region and to deploy them in the 20 main cities of France by 2022. The rest of the territorial network would then be a gradual reinforcement.