Pilot Sites

The pilot site is located in Fos-sur-Mer, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France, one of the country’s largest industrial and port areas. The territory hosts major industrial facilities, including petrochemical plants, steelworks, logistics hubs and waste treatment infrastructure. The proposed incinerator project has generated significant public debate due to concerns about its potential environmental and health impacts in an area already affected by industrial pollution.

Key issues include air quality, public health, environmental justice, access to information, meaningful stakeholder participation and the management of cumulative environmental impacts. Local communities, environmental NGOs (for instance Institut Ecocitoyen), are among the stakeholders directly involved.

The Ukrainian pilot site is Kremenchuk, an industrial city of approximately 200,000 residents in Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine, situated on the Dnipro River and connected to energy, engineering, transport and river infrastructure. The local context is highly relevant for MARMOT: Kremenchuk combines long-standing industrial environmental pressures with war-related risks. The city hosts major industrial assets, including the Kremenchuk oil refinery — one of Ukraine’s largest, operating since 1961 — which has been repeatedly attacked during the full-scale invasion, creating serious concerns around air, soil and water contamination, infrastructure damage, safety and community well-being, which was documented by The Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) The pilot will focus on community-based monitoring of environmental, social and human rights impacts, helping residents of Kremenchuk area document evidence and use it for dialogue and remedy.

The demand for transition minerals and minerals for defence technologies has caused mining in Sweden to expand. Since mineral extraction in Northern Sweden often occurs on the traditional lands of the indigenous Sámi people this has led to an increase in conflicts over land and land use. At the core of these conflicts are the significant environmental and cultural disruptions caused by mining and other infrastructure projects. These disruptions, including land dispossession, migration obstructions and habitat degradation are having severe impacts on Sámi communities and reindeer herding. Since many projects are located on Sámi ancestral lands they not only threaten the environment, and the Sámi culture and way of life as an indigenous group. For the pilot study Swedwatch is working with the Sámi Herders Association to document impacts caused by mining and develop a platform to support communities in systematically collecting evidence of impacts for value chain engagement.

The Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port (approximately 440 million tonnes cargo per year, almost 12% of total port EU tonnage), anchors the heavily industrialized Rijnmond region. Its scale drives significant environmental pressures while exposing it to planetary boundary breaches. The port is a major contributor to GHG emissions (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O) via shipping, fossil fuel handling, industry, and logistics. High NOx, SO₂, PM from vessels and operations degrade regional air quality, affecting public health in nearby urban areas. The impacts on water include: dredging, scrubber discharges, oil spills, chemical runoff, and ballast water introduce pollutants, nutrients, and novel entities. It contributes to ocean acidification and biogeochemical flow disruptions (nitrogen/phosphorus). The impacts on onshore nature include habitat loss/fragmentation from expansion (e.g., Maasvlakte), invasive species, noise, and light pollution. Land system change and biosphere integrity pressures in surrounding delta ecosystems. Other issues are Freshwater stress, aerosol loading, chemical pollution (novel entities) from industrial activities. While regulations have improved some metrics over decades, the port remains a hotspot for cumulative pressures, being a driver of and vulnerable to instability (sea-level rise, extreme weather). The surrounding densely populated area faces liveability challenges from pollution and climate risks.

(based on One Planet Port Vision Report 2026)

The pilot site is located in the French Alps, where preparations for the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to accelerate infrastructure development, tourism activities and public investment across mountain communities. The region is characterised by its exceptional natural environment, strong tourism economy and the presence of diverse stakeholders, including local authorities, businesses, residents, environmental organisations and winter sports operators.

The main challenges concern environmental protection, climate resilience and the rights of affected communities. Major projects may generate concerns related to land use, biodiversity preservation, water resources, social impacts, governance (including public participation, access to information, stakeholder engagement) and the equitable distribution of benefits and impacts.

The pilot activities will engage local communities, and civil society organisations (for instance Collectif Ciotyen JOP 20230, Comité Fier Aravis), sports sector actors, businesses, and potentially national and international organisations.

The pilot site is Taranto, in Apulia, southern Italy, with a focus on the area surrounding the former ILVA steel plant, now Acciaierie d’Italia. The plant is located close to urban neighbourhoods, including Tamburi, and to the Mar Piccolo/Mar Grande coastal system, making Taranto a highly exposed industrial port city. For decades, the area has been affected by air, soil and marine pollution linked to steel production, with documented concerns over emissions, dust deposition, contamination, health impacts and the protection of residents’ rights. The case has also been examined by European courts in relation to environmental and health protection. The pilot will potentially involve local residents, schools, civic committees, environmental organisations, health professionals, local authorities and community groups interested in accessible monitoring tools, environmental data literacy and participatory evidence-building.