Nature and Environment (EU R&I)

By embedding NBS in long term city planning, development and management, accessible green and blue spaces are a permanent feature of all urban areas around the world, creating harmony between people, economy and the environment, for the benefit of all.

The GrowGreen partnership will give space to nature in urban planning and development by joining forces with cities and experts in Europe and around the world, to implement solutions that deliver social, environmental and economic benefits. The effective use of green will contribute to health, reduce climate impacts, and create an attractive environment for citizens, visitors and investment.

The main objectives of GrowGreen are:

1. Contribute to the evidence base of nature-based solutions in cities for cost-effective, replicable means of increasing urban climate and water resilience, social, environmental and economic benefits, to underpin the development of NBS policies and the global NBS market

2. Develop an easy-to-use replicable approach to support the development and implementation of NBS strategies in cities, aligned with existing city priorities

3. Support the creation of the required conditions to support, drive and enable the implementation of city NBS strategies by awareness raising and capacity building in cities around the world, supporting the development of the required policy framework, business models for investment in NBS and the global market for NBS.

At the heart of this five year project is the creation of value by city governments through the promotion of nature-based solutionswith involvement of citizens, business and public-private partnerships in neighborhoods and across cities. GrowGreen will promote learning, sharing and replicating the nature-based solutions and strategiesdeveloped in its partner cities and will join forces with other relevant networks, projects and initiatives to create a global movement for a sustainable urban future.

Source: GrowGreen - About 

This requirement is tightly connected with the concept of Urban Resilience, which is the capacity of individuals, communities, businesses and systems within a city to survive, adapt and grow no matter what chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. In developing policies that add value to the resilience of a city, we shift the existing paradigm of policy making, which is largely based on intuition, towards an evidence-driven approach enabled by big data.

Our attention is placed on policies related to the water element. Our basis is the sensing infrastructures installed in the cities offering demographic data, statistical information, sensor readings and user contributed content forming the big data layer. Methods for big data analytics are used to measure the economic activity, assess the environmental impact and evaluate the social consequences. The extracted pieces of evidence are used to inform, advice, monitor, evaluate and revise the decisions made by policy planners.

Finally, effective policies are developed dealing with:

• The economic and urban development of Thermaikos Bay, Thessaloniki,
• The transformation of Düden Brook into a recreation and park area, Antalya,
• The development of a Storm Water Plan in Antwerp, and
• The review of the Country Development Plan in the Owenabue River Catchment and Estuary, Cork County.

Click here to see their publications.

Source: CUTLER - Abstract

Research and innovation contribute with evidence on how to address urban dilemmas, while supporting capacity building for urban transformation and turning wicked issues into synergistic potential. This needs to be supported by aligning ongoing related initiatives and activities, as well as building upon existing knowledge in order to achieve stronger synergies towards greater impact.

ENUTC aims at pooling resources from 16 participating research programme owners / managers of 14 countries to implement joint actions, including one main call and one additional call for proposals, in the area of urban transformation capacities.

The objectives of ENUTC are to:

1. To enable capacity building in research, business, city administration and society for urban transformation;
2. To support integrated approaches and solutions for sustainable urban development for the three topics of ENUTC: Urban circular economies, community-based developments and urban innovation ecosystems, and robust and resilient urban infrastructure and the built environment;
3. To support transnational, pan-European research networking, community building and ensure synergies;
4. To support activities which have a clear impact on transnational and evidence-based urban policies;
5. To support research and innovation, which make a clear progress to reaching targets of the international policies, goals and missions;

Source: ENUTC - European Commission

Source: Clearing House - About

REGREEN works through Urban Living Labs (ULLs) as the central elements of the project, where co-creation of knowledge involves local citizens, schools, businesses, organisations and public administrations enabling new forms of urban innovation. The ULLs will be the testbed, where generic tools, together with scientific results, new ideas and methods, are applied in the real context. This results in novel guidelines and standards for developing and deploying urban NBS at a systemic and strategic level. REGREEN puts particular focus on the needs of vulnerable groups (such as young children, gender aspects, and socially deprived).

In addition to scientific dissemination, REGREEN has a strong outreach component targeting urban planners, business, and the broader public. REGREEN will initiate in a set of networking arrangements for sharing experiences among a broader scale of European cities, and to the extent possible among Chinese cities, including workshops, webinars and field trips. REGREEN reiterates the importance of connecting NBS with the business and start-up community, organises accelerator programmes and explores innovative business cases, all with the aim of strengthening future NBS market.

Click here to see their resources

Source: REGREEN - About

Watch this video externally on: YouTube

Click here for their publications and other resources. 

Source: urbanA

Contextualised information is provided on policy developments, research results and key lessons. The resulting evidence base includes figures and monetary values showing the relative cost-effectiveness of NBS, and exploring how they support policy implementation. Policy recommendations and knowledge gaps are also highlighted to support the strengthening of strategies and practical action for the uptake of NBS, to deliver targeted and efficient interventions to help solve societal challenges in Europe and beyond.

Source: Naumann, S., Calfapietra, C., Freitas, T., Bulkeley, H., Vandewoestijne, S., Whiteoak, K., Wild, T., & Vojinovic, Z. 2020. Nature-based solutions - State of the art in EU-funded projects. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission). 

At the same time, Nature-based Solutions potentially have an important role to play in reducing energy demand through their role in cooling urban areas and providing thermal insulation for individual buildings. This report explores how Nature-based Solutions can contribute to climate mitigation through storing and sequestering carbon and through reducing energy demand. It suggests that both offer significant potential within Europe and beyond for addressing the challenge of climate mitigation, but do so in very different ways and generate different kinds of trade-offs that will need to be negotiated if their potential is to be fully realised. Drawing on research and innovation projects taking place in Europe, this report examines what works on the ground, as well as the challenges that have been faced and how these might be overcome.

Source: Nature-based solutions for climate mitigation. 2020. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission). 

Improving air quality and microclimate has significant effects on a number of human diseases but NBS can also directly act on mental health and on brain development. This report highlights the combination of environmental and social benefits presented by different kinds of NBS. The role of NBS, including both green and blue spaces, arises here as an opportunity to achieve the ambitious sustainability targets of the European Green Deal.

Source: Carlo, C. 2020. Nature-based solutions for microclimate regulation and air quality. Direction générale de la recherche et de l'innovation (Commission européenne).

The chosen examples address many challenges: from water management, to ecosystem restoration, urban heat island effect, floods, landslides or coastal erosion. In particular, the Brazilian case studies span all regions of Brazil and the country’s most threatened biomes (the Atlantic Rainforest, the Cerrado, and the Amazon). They display how Brazil’s mega-biodiversity could be the solution to a series of issues and provide inspiration to us all. The report concludes that nature-based solutions are not only smart investment choices but also a means to enhance quality of life and an opportunity to shift to a new economy and a new lifestyle - more connected to nature.

Source: Herzog, C. P., Antuna Rozado, C., Tiago, F., Josefina, E., & Guilherme, W. 2019. The EU-Brazil sector dialogue on nature-based solutions. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission). 

25 case studies from both sides of the Atlantic illustrate how working with nature can have a positive impact on people’s lives. The chosen examples address many challenges: from water management, to ecosystem restoration, urban heat island effect, floods, landslides or coastal erosion. In particular, the Brazilian case studies span all regions of Brazil and the country’s most threatened biomes (the Atlantic Rainforest, the Cerrado, and the Amazon). They display how Brazil’s mega-biodiversity could be the solution to a series of issues and provide inspiration to us all.

The report concludes that nature-based solutions are not only smart investment choices but also a means to enhance quality of life and an opportunity to shift to a new economy and a new lifestyle - more connected to nature.

Source: Nature-based solutions in Brazil - oppla

Watch this video externally on: YouTube

Source: ThinkNature

Our three front-runner cities - Eindhoven, Tampere and Genova - are through the establishment of Urban Living Lab (ULL) demonstration areas experimenting, demonstrating and evaluating a range of different nature-based solutions targeting climate change mitigation and adaptation along with the sustainable management of water resources. These solutions have been co-created with and for local stakeholders and citizens.

The front-runner cities actively collaborate and share their experiences with our five European follower cities - Stavanger, Prague, Castellón, Cannes and Başakşehir - and support them in their development of individual NBS roadmaps, which is done in a co-creation approach. Our non-European follower cities - Hong Kong and Buenos Aires - as well as our two observers - Guangzhou and the Brazilian Network of Smart Cities – actively learn from the European NBS approach, which will enable the creation of a global NBS marketplace.

The collaborative knowledge production among this wide network of cities enables UNaLab project results to reflect diverse urban socio-economic realities, as well as differences in the size and density of urban populations, local ecosystem characteristics and climate conditions. The project results will enable the development of a European NBS Reference Framework on benefits, cost-effectiveness, economic viability and replicability of nature-based solutions, which will guide cities across Europe and beyond in developing and implementing their own co-creative nature-based solutions.

Click here for their resources.

Source: UNaLab - About

Three runner cities - of Valladolid (Spain), Liverpool (UK) and Izmir (Turkey) – will validate and demonstrate the effectiveness of the URBAN GreenUP methodology. Based on their experience, five follower cities, Mantova (Italy), Ludwigsburg (Germany) Medellin (Colombia), Chengdu (China) and Binh Dinh-Quy Nhon (Vietnam), will set up their own Renaturing Urban Plans to replicate the URBAN GreenUP strategy and its green economy approach.

The nature-based solutions that will be implemented during the project cover a variety of complementary yet interconnected aspects of urban life and infrastructures. They are grouped into four main categories: re-naturing urbanization, water interventions, singular green infrastructures and non-technical interventions. Examples of the planned initiatives are the deployment of green bike and pedestrian routes, the installation of parks and urban farming facilities, the usage of smart soils and bio pollutant filters, as well as the implementation of sustainable drainage systems, which reduce the impact of floods and for irrigation purposes.   

Through the implementation of very technical nature-based solutions in large-scale districts, URBAN GreenUP aims at achieving a variety of impacts related with both environmental and socio-economic aspects. For example, the new cycle lane and the parking green pavements that are to be installed in Valladolid will prevent the emission of almost 200 tons CO₂ equivalent and reduce temperatures by 5^oC during summer time, respectively. Liverpool’s sustainable drainage system, on the other hand, will be able to store 1500 m³ of rain water during storms, whereas the smart soils used in Izmir will be capable of sequestrating carbon from the atmosphere and use them for self-fertilization.  These are just a few of the impacts expected through the implementations of nature-based solutions in the three cities.

Apart from urban green transformation, the project is expected to achieve important results in other fields too. URBAN GreenUP will improve life quality in urban areas, raise awareness on the importance of environment preservation among citizens, generate new market opportunities for European companies at international level , foster the creation of transnational networks and synergies. Last but not the least, it will highlight the importance of the local communities’ active participation when addressing climate problems through co-creation activities also directly involving the citizens, who are at the core of their cities’ green regeneration.

Source: URBAN GreenUP - About

Values & Vision

We believe sustainability and livability depend on collective action and co-designed solutions which benefit the planet and the future of humanity. We manifest our values and vision as a community of practice through ten guiding principles, ‘The Fab City Manifesto.

Our approach

We apply our vision and values in a full stack model. From the local to the global, we work across multiple layers of practice and deployment, scaling the FabLab approach to a city and systems level.

The Fab City Manifesto

As the Fab City Summit opened in Paris on July 11, Paris, Toulouse, Barcelona, Helsinki, Belo Horizonte, Groningen, Brest, the Fab Foundation, the Fab City global initiative, as well as private and public actors, all signed the Fab City Manifesto. 

Click here to read more about The Fab City Manifesto.

Source: Fab City

We will form a community of cities that fosters peer to peer learning and capacity building among our front runner cities who are experienced in delivering large scale nature-based solutions, and our fast follower cities who have the desire to implement large scale nature-based solutions but lack the expertise.  As knowledge and expertise increases, so too will our community to include new members (multiplier cities).

At the same time, project partners will develop policy and practices necessary to scale up urban resilience, innovation and governance using nature-based solutions. Our approach will be open and innovative, fostering the development of co-operation between local governments, SME’s, academic research and community partners to produce a tool kit and guidebook for cities seeking to deliver nature-based solutions in their locales.

Challenges

Most innovation occurs in cities, but cities are also the location where most of today’s major and urgent challenges occur; challenges such as rapid climate and environmental change, complex water and waste management, adverse health and well-being, changes in social cohesion and migration patterns. Nature-based solutions can provide an entry point to addressing these challenges.

While the benefits of nature-based solutions are clear and can directly address the challenges outlined, the development and implementation of nature-based solutions has been slow, uneven and, in many cases complex; requiring efforts across many disciplines.  Issues like “silo thinking”, managing social cohesion and tackling the deficit of knowledge that exists around nature-based solutions need to be confronted when developing plans to introduce nature-based solutions in cities. 

Connecting Nature has taken these challenges on board and will devise and test approaches using multi-disciplinary methods where solutions are designed and created collaboratively that will lead towards the creation of resilient, greener, healthier cities, leading to a more sustainable living for their citizens.

Objectives

• Develop an urban planning process that will ‘burst open’ silos, enrich and nurture social, business and governance innovations and focus on the scaling-up of nature-based solutions in cities;
• Develop a new master planning process that accelerates the scaling of nature-based solutions in cities by connecting policy and market needs and turning barriers into opportunities for innovations;
• Develop a guiding process for identifying funding and financial mechanisms that establish nature-based solutions as evinced valid solutions for sustainable and resilient cities that are climate prepared; and to valorise knowledge and market mechanisms of nature-based solutions’ scaling for stimulating the market for new innovation;
• Showcase, and share learning from, the scaling-up, replication and integration of nature-based solutions for city-making within front-runner cities;
• Implement resourced masterplans in the fast-follower cities, that is collaborative, employing sharing of good practice, working examples and quantifiable evidence, interdisciplinary work and stakeholder engagement;
• Engage the fast-follower cities in capacity-building and experiential learning building on effective knowledge sharing and mentoring between front-runner cities and fast-follower cities and the use of proven curatorial planning processes;
• Secure adequate funding to realise fast-follower city accelerator masterplans for scale up of nature-based solutions in the fast-follower cities;
• Develop sustainable support for innovation, exploitation and enterprise development building on selected and promising new nature-based solution exemplars from the front runner cities and other solutions co-created to better suit the specific environmental, organisational and funding scenarios of the fast follower cities;
• Experiences and knowledge gained will be fed back into the reference framework for nature-based solutions.

Source: Connecting Nature - What is Connecting Nature?

Global warming, together with exacerbating climate variability and extremes, threatens the well-being of European citizens and is already damaging our economy and natural capital. Despite mitigation efforts, climate change will continue to create significant stress across Europe and the need to adapt to its impacts will not cease.

The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) has been set-up by the European Commission to manage on its behalf several EU programmes.

Vision, mission, values

Our vision

'We aim to help create a more competitive and resource-efficient European economy based on knowledge and innovation'

Our mission

'We provide high quality support to our beneficiaries, turning EU policy into action. As an executive agency of the European Commission, we manage significant parts of COSME, LIFE, Horizon 2020 and EMFF. We ensure that actions funded by these programmes deliver results and provide the Commission with valuable input for its policy tasks'.

Our values

The EASME is committed to the public service principles for EU civil servants. These are:

• commitment to the European Union and its citizens;
• integrity;
• objectivity;
• respect for others;
• transparency.

Source: EASME

Objective

UrbanA takes up the challenge of synthesizing and brokering the knowledge and experience generated in EU-funded projects, many of which have identified interventions that address grand societal challenges, of which urban inequalities and social exclusion across different contexts. In this way, UrbanA will support city-makers – including researchers, policymakers and practitioners – in transforming European cities into inclusive and sustainable urban and peri-urban environments.

UrbanA will do so through a transdisciplinary Urban Arena for Sustainable and Equitable Solutions (established in WP2). By co-creatively mapping urban sustainability interventions (WP3), assessing their potential to improve urban social equity and inclusion (WP4) and identifying potential avenues and agents by which such interventions could be transferred to more widespread governance contexts (WP5), UrbanA will develop actionable and actor specific solutions (WP6), which will be disseminated to key local and European actors (WP7).

Source: URBANA: Urban Arena for sustainable and equitable solutions. European Commission.

Source: Proposal for the European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions. 2020. European Commission. 

This Challenge funds research and innovation with the following specific objectives:

• to achieve a resource – and water - efficient and climate change resilient economy and society,
• the protection and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems, and
• a sustainable supply and use of raw materials, in order to meet the needs of a growing global population within the sustainable limits of the planet's natural resources and eco-systems.

The 20th century's era of seemingly plentiful and cheap resources is coming to an end. The ability of the economy to adapt and become more climate change resilient, resource efficient and at the same time remain competitive depends on high levels of eco-innovation, of a societal, economic, organisational and technological nature. With the global market for eco-innovation worth around €1 trillion per annum and expected to triple by 2030, eco-innovation represents a major opportunity to boost competitiveness and job creation in European economies.

To ensure EU added value and given the transnational and global nature of the climate and the environment, their scale and complexity, and the international dimension of the raw materials supply chain, activities have to be carried out at the Union level and beyond. Reducing resource use and environmental impacts, whilst increasing competitiveness, will require a decisive societal and technological transition to an economy based on a sustainable relationship between nature and human well-being.

Innovation in these fields will provide opportunities for growth and jobs, as well as innovative options involving science, technology including of ICT, the economy, society, policy and governance.

Research and innovation will cover the following broad lines of activities:

• Climate Action - Informed decisions for a climate-resilient low-carbon society
• Cultural Heritage - Engaging a new cultural heritage agenda for economic growth
• Earth Observations - Crucial info on climate, energy, natural hazards and other societal challenge
• Nature-Based Solutions - Providing viable solutions of natural ecosystems
• Systemic Eco-Innovation - Generating and sharing economic and environmental benefits

Climate funding can also been found in the following two areas:

• Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies - Space
• Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine, Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy

Source: Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials. European Commission.

This transformation isn’t easily achieved; it requires urgent transnational attention in the fields of urban innovation and technological development. JPI Urban Europe responds to this urgency by committing itself to ambitious intra- and interdisciplinary research on a transnational scale. We function as a gateway and a hub for urban research, facilitating research on a scale which simply could not be carried out by any one nation alone.

JPI Urban Europe - the knowledge hub for urban transitions

JPI Urban Europe was created in 2010 to address the global urban challenges of today with the ambition to develop a European research and innovation hub on urban matters and create European solutions by means of coordinated research.

JPI Urban Europe welcomes anyone with a drive and concern to improve 21^st century urban life. Our task is to connect public authorities, civil society, scientists, innovators, business and industry to provide a new environment for research and innovation. We offer experimental zones and long-term research infrastructures in a broad sense.  Our mission is to develop knowledge, tools and platforms for dialogue on urban transitions.

Currently, JPI Urban Europe engages 20 countries out of which 14 are members: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, andthe United Kingdom, and six are obeservers: Estonia, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Turkey, as well as the European Commission. More countries are involved in specific JPI Urban Europe activities.

Members and observers in the JPI Urban Europe Governing Board

Joint programming

Joint Programming is an instrument which was launched by the European Commission in 2008. It was designed for the implementation of the European Research Area (ERA) which aims to promote strategic cooperation between EU Member States and associated countries. The instrument is designed to focus on reducing fragmentation in research whilst simultaneously strengthening research and innovation projects by having European countries and actors voluntarily work together and align their national interests.

This way they can achieve outcomes on a much larger scale, leading to much more complex research results which can be compared and contrasted across nations. Researchers will be able to learn a lot from this cooperation and comparison of different case studies. We will provide the structures and facilities which will make international cooperation in urban research possible.

Long-term Strategy

A Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) was developed to identify and agree on research priorities and define joint implementation measures. The SRIA thus aims to consider the diversity of urban and regional research and innovation needs across Europe and also opens the door for small and less RTDI intensive countries to work together in JPI Urban Europe’s activities. To ensure the highest commitment and relevance for all JPI Urban Europe partners, a co-creative process was applied, involving representatives from all stakeholder groups and regions – scientists, funding agencies, cities, business, industry, and civil society.

The Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) Urban Europe is now presenting its updated Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, SRIA 2.0. The agenda will guide the activities and research priorities in the programme until 2026. The launching took place during the policy conference “Urban Transitioning – A Joint Adventure” at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels, February 2019.

Explore JPI Urban Europe by the numbers

JPIs and the European Commission

The website of the European Commission ‘European Research Area’ provides information about Joint Programming Initiatives and related subjects:

Watch this video externally on: YouTube

Watch this video externally on: YouTube

Source: JPI Urban Europe - About

Read here more about the support to JPI Urban Europe.

The 7th Environment Action Programme (EAP) will be guiding European environment policy until 2020. In order to give more long-term direction it sets out a vision beyond that, of where it wants the Union to be by 2050:

"In 2050, we live well, within the planet’s ecological limits. Our prosperity and healthy environment stem from an innovative, circular economy where nothing is wasted and where natural resources are managed sustainably, and biodiversity is protected, valued and restored in ways that enhance our society’s resilience. Our low-carbon growth has long been decoupled from resource use, setting the pace for a safe and sustainable global society."

It identifies three key objectives:

• to protect, conserve and enhance the Union’s natural capital
• to turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green, and competitive low-carbon economy
• to safeguard the Union's citizens from environment-related pressures and risks to health and wellbeing

Four so called "enablers" will help Europe deliver on these goals:

• better implementation of legislation
• better information by improving the knowledge base
• more and wiser investment for environment and climate policy
• full integration of environmental requirements and considerations into other policies

Two additional horizontal priority objectives complete the programme:

• to make the Union's cities more sustainable
• to help the Union address international environmental and climate challenges more effectively.

The programme entered into force in January 2014. It is now up to the EU institutions and the Member States to ensure it is implemented, and that priority objectives set out are met by 2020.

Source: Environment Action Programme to 2020 - European Commission

Source: Proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the council on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030. 2020. European Commission.

CAMS is one of six services that form Copernicus, the European Union's Earth observation programme which looks at our planet and its environment for the ultimate benefit of all European citizens. Copernicus offers information services based on satellite Earth observation, in situ (non-satellite) data and modelling.

CAMS is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission. ECMWF is an independent intergovernmental organisation supported by 34 states. It is both a research institute and a 24/7 operational service, producing and disseminating numerical weather predictions to its member states. 

To provide and further develop the CAMS portfolio, ECMWF works with many service providers around Europe. By doing so, CAMS combines the expertise and infrastructure that exist in Europe to provide a range of services that are unequalled by any other organisation in the world.

To acquire all the observations that are needed to produce the CAMS services, ECMWF collaborates with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) as well as many other organisations providing satellite and in-situ observations.

Background

CAMS builds on many years of European research and development, and on existing European and national capacities, experience and know-how. The current portfolio of mature operational products was designed in close consultation with the (potential) users and developed through a series of EU-funded precursor projects starting in 2005.

CAMS has been fully operational since 1 July 2015. The current phase runs until the end of 2020, in alignment with the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) of the European Union. The scope of Copernicus after 2020 is currently under discussion as part of the definition of the new MFF. Based on strong support expressed by the European Member States, CAMS expects to secure continued provision of the existing services for the foreseeable future.

Source: Copernicus - About

Nature-based solutions use the natural properties of ecosystems. They have the potential to limit impacts of climate change, enhance biodiversity and improve environmental quality while contributing to economic activities and social well-being.

Examples are green roofs and city parks that limit heat stress, city lagoons that store water and permeable surfaces, vegetation and rain gardens to intercept storm water. Yet despite their significant potential, the use of nature-based solutions remains marginal, fragmented, and highly uneven within and between cities.

The use of grey infrastructure and technology-driven solutions continues to dominate urban development, from the design of wastewater systems to efforts to improve energy efficiency in the built environment.

Source: NATURVATION - About

Nature Based Solutions

Nature Based Solutions are positive responses to societal challenges, and can have the potential to simultaneously meet environmental, social and economic objectives. They are actions inspired by, supported by or copied from nature; both using and enhancing existing solutions to challenges, as well as exploring more novel ones. Nature Based Solutions are ideally resilient to change, as well as energy and ressources efficient. They recognize the importance to develop a systemic approach and at the same time to adapt interventions to the local context.

Objectives of the project

• Improve the Integration of NBS in urban and spatial planning
• Build a new and active community network around NBS
• Offer high quality decision-support tools for re-naturing cities
• Build a holistic assessment framework for NBS
• Develop a reference knowledge base on NBS and Best Practice sharing
• Propose new governance, business and financial models for NBS implementation

Source: Nature4Cities - About

Local teams including citizens, businesses, knowledge partners and local authorities have been formed in Hamburg, London and Milan. This collaborative structure will ensure that the urban transformation process is open, inclusive and tailored to local needs.

Belgrade, Larissa, Madrid, Malmö, Sfântu Gheorghe and Quito share and learn with London, Hamburg and Milan on how to adapt nature-based interventions for the needs of towns and cities around the world.

URBiNAT consists of a worldwide consortium of academic and business partners in 7 European cities. Each URBiNAT city will act as Living Lab for the implementation of Healthy Corridor solutions. Cities are supported by local partners, associations and research centres, and other European centres, universities and companies.

Together partners are developing a participatory process, an NBS catalogue and a Healthy Corridor, while monitoring impacts, and disseminating and marketing results. Together, they form an inclusive community of practice (CoP), collaborating with partners from Iran and China, and NBS observers located in Brazil, Oman and Japan.

Partners contribute their innovative NBS experience deployed through an array of transdisciplinary knowledge, methodologies and tools, as nature-based solutions. This is supplemented by ‘smart’ digital tools, citizen engagement, solidarity and social economy initiatives, social innovation for value-generation, incubation for business development and capacity building, and ICT governance platforms. The social, economic and urban impacts will be measured and replicated by URBiNAT Observatory.

Watch this video externally on: YouTube

Source: URBiNAT - About

After the conclusion of the project (December 2020), Eklipse will begin operating as an autonomous entity and continue its activities and competences under the management of Alternet.

The first four years of the development of "this support mechanism" are supported by the EKLIPSE project, funded by the European commission under the Horizon2020 funding stream, and coordinated by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology*. 

   EKLIPSE is an unusual project in several ways, particularly:

• The project is funded for four years to develop a sustainable mechanism that will be in place for many years to come. 

• The development of the support mechanism through the project is facilitated by project partners.Their role is to facilitate linkages between science, policy and society, through different actions, such as knowledge synthesis, identifying research priorities, and building the Network of Networks  that will support the other actions. [View the project partners]
• A large part of the budget of the EKLIPSE project will be made available to the wider community through open calls .

• The project, and the developing mechanism, is reactive. Most 3-5 year projects predict what will be important, or make an assumption on what policy and society actors should be interested in. We look at this from the end-users' perspective. This is why we have an open call for requests, so that policy-makers and societal actors can tell us what they need, and can discuss with us how we can best meet their needs. Our first request came from the European Commission, and was on nature-based solutions in cities. The Expert Working Group selected to work on this request released a report and peer-reviewed article in 2017. More information on this first request can be found under ongoing activities.

• The governance of the mechanism- how it will be run, by who, with what funding etc- is really important to get right, so we can ensure the mechanism is self-sustaining and long-term. So, we have put in place several key components:
  • The Secretariat (Juliette Young, Jorge Ventocilla and Marie Vandewalle): for the day to day activities, including communication between all relevant people.
  • The Strategic Advisory Board: the "ambassadors" of our project, who can advise on our direction, our budgets etc .
  • The Knowledge Coordination Body: (KCB, not to be confused with KGB...), responsible for working with requesters on what they need, and how they need it. They also decide on whom to appoint and fund - all in a transparent and clear way.
  • The Business Plan Group: responsible for developing the Business plan for the mechanism. 

• To check whether these components are the right ones, and whether they will work in the best possible way, we have an internal evaluation that will run over the life of the project. This evaluation assesses the ways in which we do things, and informs improvement of all our processes as we go along, so that the end product - the mechanism - will be really effective. 

Click here for their reports.

Source: Eklipse 

As a result, CLARITY will provide an operational ecosystem of cloud-based climate services to calculate and present the expected effects of CC-induced and -amplified hazards at the level of risk, vulnerability and impact functions. CLARITY will offer what-if decision support functions to investigate the effects of adaptation measures and risk reduction options in the specific project context and allow the comparison of alternative strategies. Four Demonstration Cases will showcase CLARITY climate services in different climatic, regional, infrastructure and hazard contexts in Italy, Sweden, Austria and Spain; focusing on the planning and implementation of urban infrastructure development projects.

CLARITY will provide the practical means to include the effects of CC hazards and possible adaptation and risk management strategies into planning and implementation of such projects, focusing on increasing CC resilience. Decision makers involved in these projects will be empowered to perform climate proof and adaptive planning of adaptation and risk reduction options.

Source: Clarity - Project Overview

'Hoe wil jij wonen, werken en reizen in de stad van de toekomst? Dat is de vraag die we stellen aan burgers in heel Europa voor een groot nieuw project: ClairCity. ClairCity wil bewustwording onder burgers creëren over luchtvervuiling en over de uitstoot van CO₂ in onze steden.

Samen met inwoners van Amsterdam willen wij onderzoeken hoe je als burger zelf kunt bijdragen aan het oplossen van die problemen. Uniek aan dit project is dat burgers de hoofdrol krijgen om, samen met het onderzoeksteam, uit te vinden wat de beste oplossingen zijn.'

Dit EU project wordt uitgerold in zes partner steden: Amsterdam in Nederland (Gemeente Amsterdam AMS en Trinomics), Bristol in het Verenigd Koningkrijk, Ljubljana in Slovenië, Sosnowiec in Polen, de Aveiro regio in Portugal en de Liguria regio in Italië. De burgers van deze steden zullen betrokken worden in ons project door middel van een online spel, een app, school competities en lokale workshops en evenementen.

Dit project brengt gedetailleerde informatie over luchtkwaliteit in elke stad samen met het gedrag en het dagelijks leven van burgers. We zullen geavanceerde toekomstscenario’s genereren waarin verschillende beschikbare beleidsopties voor de steden worden verwerkt. Deze toekomstscenario’s zullen niet alleen gebaseerd zijn op statistische data. Inwoners van iedere stad zullen hun eigen visie geven op hun stad van de toekomst, zodat de modellen ook echt de aspiraties van de lokale bevolking weerspiegelen.

Bron en meer informatie: website ClairCity

Zie ook: website Team Europese Subsidies Het project is met 6,7 miljoen Euro gefinancierd door het Europese onderzoeksprogramma Horizon 2020. Looptijd: mei 2016- april 2020

The past 50 years have seen European cities adopt new pollution control policies, air quality-related regulations and remediation technologies to conform to ever more stringent standards. But even though these are welcomed improvements, the 800 000 premature deaths caused by pollution every year – in the EU alone – act as a constant reminder of the need to do more.

For members of the EU-funded iSCAPE consortium, this need doesn’t only concern public authorities. It should involve all citizens, to help inform better policies and make the most of available technologies. By leveraging passive control systems and behavioural changes, the project launched in September 2016 hoped to help achieve air pollution-free cities.

A tale of six cities

Six cities have been selected for the project’s research: Bologna, Bottrop, Dublin, Guildford, Hasselt and Vantaa. In each of these cities, the team led by Dr Francesco Pilla from University College Dublin (UCD) started by conducting a thorough and neutral assessment of existing and future challenges and opportunities for each city with respect to air quality and climate change.

“Once the possible solutions were identified, we initiated a dialogue with the citizens and relevant stakeholders of each test city through Living Labs, to assess non-technical challenges to the implementation of relevant passive control systems and behavioural interventions,” Dr Pilla explains. “Those activities are then integrated thanks to the use of sensing technologies and the development of two quality monitoring kits.”

The first, high-end monitoring kit assesses the effectiveness of the implemented solutions, which can consist of low boundary walls, trees and hedge-rows, green walls and roofs, photocatalytic coatings, urban design or road geometry. The second one, however, is perhaps the main singularity of the project: a low-cost monitoring kit to involve and educate citizens, and ultimately build a community around the global challenge of air pollution.

“As such, iSCAPE focuses on research activities. We ran air quality and meteorological simulations at various scales to pre-empt the effects and improve the impact of our solutions, as well as extensive monitoring to assess the effectiveness of these solutions. This evaluation was then complemented by simulations having a direct impact on population behaviour. These include bottom-up feedback for policymakers, which links anthropogenic urban activities to environmental models. The idea is to provide new insights into how traffic policy measures need to be designed to improve environmental quality,” says Dr Pilla.

Each city a unique case

Each of the cities running an iSCAPE Living Lab was treated differently, based on the results of the assessment phase. The project consortium identified the most pressing issues for each one and prioritised actions accordingly. For example, the priority in Bologna and Dublin was to create a ‘living lab mindset’ among relevant stakeholders. In Bottrop, the team focused on understanding the role of ‘sensors and citizens’, while in Guildford, Hasselt and Vantaa, the focus was on ‘communicating the project’ and on establishing more collaborative relationships with stakeholders, respectively.

In each city, the project team provided a bespoke practical guide for citizen engagement, while promoting a sense of ownership of the Living Lab to ensure that the interventions would outlive the project.

Source: iSCAPE's - European Commission

Click here to read more about the success stories.

Our work began in 2017, when a group of research centres, universities and climate service purveyors from across Europe, began a collaboration aimed at building cleaner, healthier, safer and more resilient cities through better access to climate data. Together, the Climate-fit.City partners have developed a suite of tailored solutions to support climate service use for cities. 

The knowledge to know how

Climate services are the intelligence behind climate-resilient and low-carbon strategies. Their function is to channel science and technology into solutions for climate change resilience and sustainable economic growth.  

Urban areas are not only major contributors to climate change, they are also particularly vulnerable to its effects.  The associated social, economic and infrastructural risks can be dramatically curbed through efficient design and mitigation strategies, but this requires climate-informed decision-making across all levels of governance and planning.

Although there is a vast body of publicly available climate data, it is not always presented in line with the requirements of specific regions and sectors. Often, the economic and social benefits of climate services are not clear, quantifiable or specific enough to be used easily and effectively.

Usability, reliability, adaptability

The Climate-fit.City team works to identify and address the barriers preventing urban administrators, planners and coordinators from seizing the opportunities offered by climate services.

Working closely with city officials, we transform complex, high-calibre scientific data into a set of highly usable tools to address specific local challenges.

We produce high-level spatial resolution urban climate data to the scale our clients require, as well as detailed, local-scale climate-change impact information, and very specific impact analyses, giving them a clear insight into the best way to build sustainability and resilience.

By facilitating clear communication between the climate community and sector specific experts, we create urban climate service communities capable of integrating climate wisdom into the very fabric of their cities.

Facing the future with confidence

Whether our clients are urban administrations, commercial consulting companies or wider organisations such as city networks or international financing organisations, we deliver customised solutions to guide them through the adaptation process, from infrastructural planning to citizen outreach. We target your city’s entire system to create integrated and sustainable strength in the face of climate change. Everyone has a part to play in creating climate resilience.

Source: Climate-fit.City

In particular, the seventh edition will recognise the cities’ contribution to developing local innovation ecosystems for the benefit of innovators and the wellbeing of their citizens.

The awards are aimed at rewarding the most innovative city practices in the framework of a developed, multi-faceted, well-functioning city innovation ecosystem that boosts game-changing innovation.

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Categories

In 2021, the European Capital of Innovation Awards will feature two categories:

• The European Capital of Innovation category addresses cities with a population of minimum 250 000 inhabitants and rewards the winner with EUR 1 000 000 and two runners-up with EUR 100 000 each one.
• The European Rising Innovative City category targets towns and cities with a population of 50 000 and up to 249 999 inhabitants and rewards the winner with EUR 500 000 and two runners-up with EUR 50 000 each one.

Source: The European Capital of Innovation Awards - European Innovation Council

They support Commission priorities, such as the European Green Deal, Europe fit for the Digital Age, Beating Cancer and the New European Bauhaus. For instance, Mission Climate is already a concrete element of the new Climate Adaptation Strategy, Mission Cancer of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Mission Soil is a flagship initiative of the Long-term Vision for the EU’s Rural Areas.

EU Missions are a coordinated effort by the Commission to pool the necessary resources in terms of funding programmes, policies and regulations, as well as other activities. They also aim to mobilise and activate public and private actors, such as EU Member States, regional and local authorities, research institutes, farmers and land managers, entrepreneurs and investors to create real and lasting impact. Missions will engage with citizens to boost societal uptake of new solutions and approaches.

EU Missions will support Europe’s transformation into a greener, healthier, more inclusive and resilient continent. They aim to bring tangible benefits to people in Europe and engage Europeans in their design, implementation and monitoring.

Each mission will operate as a portfolio of actions – such as research projects, policy measures or even legislative initiatives - to achieve a measurable goal that could not be achieved through individual actions.

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How were the Missions prepared?

Five Mission Boards gathering top experts were formed to help specify, design and implement Missions for Horizon Europe.

Based on their proposals handed over to the Commission in September 2020, five Missions were identified in the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan.

In October 2020, the Commission validated the five proposed Missions. They entered a preparatory phase to develop five detailed implementation plans including objectives, intervention logic and indicators for measuring performance. The Commission assessed these plans against specific criteria and gave a go-ahead to the launch of the Missions on 28th of September 2021.

How long will a Mission last?

A mission should last as long as is needed to accomplish its objectives. There is no fixed duration, but they should deliver a stream of benefits with final results expected to be achieved around 2030, given the likely ambition and scale of EU Missions.

How will Missions be implemented?

EU Missions are now launching into their full implementation phase. The first Horizon Europe work programme for 2021-22, published in June 2021, includes a set of actions that lay the ground for the implementation of Missions. It will now be updated with a full research and innovation agenda by the end of this year.

In parallel, Missions will engage with participating regions, cities and organisations as well as citizens. For Missions to be successful, they need to mobilise and activate public and private actors, such as EU Member States, regional and local authorities, research institutes, entrepreneurs and investors to create real and lasting impact. A critical element of Missions will be to reach out to local communities and engage with citizens to boost societal uptake of new solutions and approaches.

Source: EU Mission: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. European Commission.

Climate-ADAPT aims to support Europe in adapting to climate change helping users to access and share data and information on:

• Expected climate change in Europe
• Current and future vulnerability of regions and sectors
• EU, national and transnational adaptation strategies and actions
• Adaptation case studies and potential adaptation options
• Tools that support adaptation planning

Climate-ADAPT organizes information under the following main entry points:

• EU Policy: EU Adaptation Policy, Adaptation in EU Policy Sectors (Agriculture, Biodiversity, Coastal areas, Forestry, Water management, Marine and fisheries, Ecosystem-based Approaches, Disaster Risk Reduction, Buildings, Energy, Transport, Health, Urban), EU Regional Policy
• Countries, Transnational regions, Cities
• Knowledge: Topics, Data and indicators, Research and innovation projects, Tools, Practice,
• European Climate and Health Observatory (accessible through "Knowledge") 
• Networks

The platform includes a database that contains quality checked information that can be easily searched.

Source: Climate-ADAPT - About

The programme's timeframe is 2017-2030 and is implemented with support in a concerted effort by Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency and Formas,where the Swedish Energy Agency is the responsible authority. 

KTH is the host organization for Viable Cities.

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Mission and Vision

Viable Cities aims to create transformative system change based on the mission Climate Neutral Cities 2030 with a good life for everyone within the planetary boundaries. The mission means that cities' climate transition should take place from a broad perspective, where social, ecological and economic sustainability is taken into account at the same time.

This is in line with the global sustainability goals of the UN's Agenda 2030, which is a starting point for many Swedish cities' climate and sustainability work. The Agenda 2030 can be considered as an implementation plan for the Paris Agreement's climate transition commitments. The mission is also in line with the Swedish environmental goals and the climate policy framework with no net greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden by 2045 and the EU's climate neutrality target by 2050. 

By leading the way in the transition, through co-creation and learning with cities and actors in other countries and at international level, the programme strives to fulfil the vision that Sweden inspires and has a leading role in the energy and climate transition through climate-neutral and sustainable cities. 

Source: Viable Cities - About

Mr Kurt Vandenberghe, Director for "Climate Action and Resource Efficiency" will open the event. Mr Christos Vasilakos, Secretary General for Research and Technology, Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs of the Hellenic Republic will also give an opening address. High level representatives from Academia, Urban Planning Authorities, Private Sector and International Organizations will provide keynote speeches and join the debate in a multi-stakeholder environment.

Members of the European Parliament and representatives from DG Environment, DG Regional Policy, DG Climate Action, Joint Research Centre will moderate/chair the conference sessions.

Source: Renaturing Cities - Addressing Environmental Challenges and the Effect of the Economic Crisis through Nature-based Solutions. European Commission.

Facing the gap

Municipalities, local authorities, their groupings and local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities have made great commitments to significantly reduce their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. However, when trying to implement their ambitious climate and energy action plans, they often face financial constraints, as well as a lack of capacity to access the right financing. The EUCF steps in here and supports them to transform their climate and energy action plans into real investment in developing credible, robust and sufficiently mature investment concepts. Such concepts, which should include the identification of potential project pipelines, legal analyses, governance analyses, basic financing strategy, and roadmaps for implementation, are a prerequisite to accessing different sources of funding.

Bridging the gap 

Municipalities, local authorities and their groupings as well as local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities have a huge potential to drive the energy transition in Europe. With tremendous potential to build comprehensive sustainable energy investment programmes, they can play a key role in pooling smaller projects into larger investment portfolios and in mobilizing significant financial resources for the energy transition. The EUCF will bridge the gap and unlock this local potential to enable municipalities/local authorities and local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities in Europe to develop relevant investment concepts.

The initiative bridges two fundamental barriers for sustainable energy investments at the local level:

• Lack of financial and legal capacity to transform local long-term energy and climate strategies (e.g. SEAPs, SECAPs etc.) into appropriate investment concepts.
• Lack of aggregation of fragmented smaller projects (for example in the building sector) and thus lack of attractiveness for the financial sector.

The journey ahead

Are you a European municipality, local authority, a group of municipalities/local authorities, or a local public entity aggregating municipalities/local authorities trying to achieve your ambitious climate and energy action plan? Benefit from tailor-made, fast and simplified support and access the EUR 60,000 grant to develop your investment concept - an initial step towards a fully-fledged business and financial plan, which facilitates the subsequent mobilisation of (local) investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Sources of funding may come from the private sector, but also from other EU-funded instruments such as the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), various Project Development Assistance (PDA) facilities, such as the ELENA facility of the European Investment Bank, or various national investment platforms.

Source: EUCF - About

ICLEI makes sustainability an integral part of urban development and creates systemic change in urban areas through practical, integrated solutions. We help cities, towns and regions anticipate and respond to complex challenges, from rapid urbanization and climate change to ecosystem degradation and inequity.

The local and regional governments in our network confront these challenges by incorporating sustainability into day-to-day operations and policy. We invest in the capacity and knowledge needed to design solutions and make decisions informed by data, scientific evidence and local realities and pressures. Our five pathways towards low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development are designed to create systemic change.

We work in cities, towns and regions of all sizes, with varying capacities and challenges. Many have set and reached ambitious targets and are at the forefront of sustainability, pioneering new solutions and challenging the status quo. Others are taking early steps towards transformation, strengthening their systems and capacities to achieve sustainability goals.

Across the world, ICLEI brings the latest global knowledge and solutions to the local context.

The ICLEI network is united for worldwide action.

Our Members and team of experts work together through peer exchange, partnerships and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability.

ICLEI creates connections among the local, regional, national and global governmental levels. We advocate for robust national and global sustainability policies that reflect the interests of local and regional governments and their communities.

ICLEI forges strategic alliances with international organizations, national governments, academic and financial institutions, civil society and the private sector. We create space for innovation within our multi-disciplinary teams and work alongside our partners to create new ways to support sustainable development at the urban scale.

We impact global sustainable development.

When a pioneering group of local and regional governments founded ICLEI, they took action before sustainability was widely viewed as fundamental to development. For decades, our efforts have continued to put sustainability at the top of the agenda for local and regional governments across the world. Over time, ICLEI has expanded and developed, and we are now working in over 125 countries, with global experts in more than 24 offices.

Through our collective efforts to build a sustainable urban world, ICLEI is shifting the trajectory of global development.

Click here to see their publications.

Source: ICLEI - About

These local governments, which are really there on the ground with the citizens and residents, are essential partners for turning EU policies and ambitions into reality. As such, cities must be included directly in European decision making and should be in direct receipt of European funds. That’s the ‘Euro’ part of ‘Eurocities.’ So Eurocities, Europe plus cities, equals a better future for all.

Source: Eurocities

What is EdiCitNet?

Edible Cities Network (EdiCitNet) wants to make cities around the world better places to live through the real-life implementation and institutional integration of Edible City Solutions (ECS). 

ECS comprises all forms of urban food production, distribution and use – for example, neighbourhood gardens, bee or sheep breeding, green facades or high-tech indoor farming, cooking and dining events and the use of locally grown urban food in restaurants.  Such activities result in an overall increase of social welfare via improvements of climate and biodiversity conditions, enhancement of social cohension in our cities, support of the local Green Economy, and sustainable maintenance of local raw material cycles by closed system techniques. A contribution of ECS on all of these aspects is of course most beneficial.

Edible Cities Network (EdiCitNet) is not a common research project.  It’s an innovation action funded by the European Commission (EASME). That means, we are working under real world conditions with real people, real challenges and real solutions. We are testing, demonstrating, piloting and transferring ECS in close cooperation with local people from the very beginning.  The inclusive and participatory dynamics inherent in ECS engender both local economic growth and social cohesion by empowering communities to strengthen social ties through communal events and to create new green businesses and job opportunities revolving around urban food production, distribution and use. The systemic use of urban landscapes for food production is a major step towards more sustainable, livable and healthier cities. A multitude of initiatives around the World, however fragmented, are prospering, forming a global movement of Edible Cities.

Click here to see their resources

Source: Edible Cities Network - About

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NetworkNature’s activities:

• Synthesize & strengthen the NBS evidence base by gathering experiences, knowledge, tools and services from over 30 Horizon 2020 projects.
• Engage existing stakeholders & expand the NBS community to new sectors and target audiences, by creating new partnerships and identifying sectoral champions, sharing knowledge in dedicated events, educating young generations and communicating the latest findings in the field.
• Ensure NBS science informs the policy agenda and vice versa. As an interface between NBS innovators and knowledge generators as well as business and policy makers, NetworkNature is a bridge between the European policy landscape and the NBS community.
• Accelerate the uptake of NBS across science, business, policy and practice by providing guidance and capacity building, creating and operating new European NBS regional hubs, coordination of the EU H2020 Nature-based Solutions Task Forces  and networking with practitioners, business, investors and policymakers.

With expertise in research, implementation, business strategy, policy and communication - ICLEI Europe, IUCN, BiodivERsA, Oppla and Steinbeis 2i have joined forces to create NetworkNature, in close collaboration with the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and Executive Agency for SMEs. The nature-based solutions community contributes and guides NetworkNature’s work, through participation in Task Forces and a NBS Project Board, that consists of the coordinators of H2020-funded nature-based solutions projects.

Source: NetworkNature - About 

This is the defining decade for humanity

What we do today will determine whether or not there is a thriving future for our communities, our cities and the natural world around us. We know that climate breakdown and rising inequality, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, require an unprecedented response to match the scale of the crises. That’s why C40’s mission is to halve the emissions of its member cities within a decade, while improving equity, building resilience, and creating the conditions for everyone, everywhere to thrive.

Mayors of C40 cities are on the leading edge of climate action, and are deploying a science-based and collaborative approach to help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities.

C40 member cities earn their membership through action. C40’s most distinguishing feature is that it operates on performance-based requirements, not membership fees. C40’s Leadership Standards set the minimum requirements for all member cities and ensure the integrity of C40 as a network of climate leaders.

Watch this video externally on: YouTube

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present extraordinary challenges for people everywhere and our cities and communities may never again look the same. Cities and the mayors who lead them have been on the frontlines of responding to the crisis. C40 is working side-by-side with our mayors to secure a green and just recovery from the pandemic, one which both reduces city emissions and builds a more resilient and equitable future for all. 

The pandemic has also shown us how quickly things can change: the way things are is not the way things have to be. Science tells us that we must cut emissions in half by 2030 if we are to avoid runaway climate change. Nothing short of transformational change on a global scale is needed within the decade, but such a shift has never seemed more possible than it does right now. 

Ours is a vision of climate action that is rooted in equity, because we know that climate, social and economic justice can only be achieved together.

The change we need can be delivered through our Chair’s vision for a Global Green New Deal, where mayors are working alongside a broad coalition of representatives from labor, business, the youth climate movement and civil society to go further and faster than ever before. The Global Green New Deal is our essential blueprint to delivering climate justice and strong, fairer economies that serve everyone. An integral part of building thriving communities is ensuring that we have a sustainable and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaboration has always been in C40’s DNA – in a crisis it is needed more than ever. 

Our History

C40 mayors have been at the forefront of climate leadership for over 15 years, driving the conversation around climate action and environmental justice to place these issues front and centre in our local policies and on the international agenda.

Click here for more information.

 SourcE: C40 Cities - About

EU Research and Innovation on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) aim to position the EU as leader in 'Innovating with nature' for more sustainable and resilient societies. Nature-based solutions to societal challenges can be defined as living solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience and adapt to climate change.

This Research and Innovation agenda is implemented through Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, but also through other means to enhance the awareness and engagement of end-users, stir the supply and demand towards the market and develop an EU-wide knowledge base on NBS.

Case Studies 

The EU-wide knowledge base on NBS can certainly benefit from already existing examples across the EU. In fact, many European cities and regions have undertaken NBS-inspired actions to tackle a series of societal challenges through the provision of key ecosystem services.

This collection of case studies has been compiled by DG Research and Innovation at the European Commission from publicly available information and cross-checked by city administrations. It provides examples of the multiple benefits delivered by NBS. In doing so, it is a first step and a reference tool for the creation of an EU-wide NBS knowledge repository. This constitutes a tool for the dissemination of knowledge on NBS effectiveness (e.g. multiple benefits, returns of investment and development opportunities), which may in turn help the future uptake of NBS across the EU.

Source: oppla - About

Source: New Urban Agenda - UN Habitat

NFPs are responsible for coordinating networks of Eionet Groups (EGs), bringing together experts from national institutions and other bodies involved in environmental information.

Taking up its work in 1994, Eionet has become a well-known and trusted provider of high‑quality data, information and assessments for Europe.

The concept of Eionet encompasses the following defining elements:

• Strong institutional cooperation across several levels (national, regional, European, international) as well as partnerships with civil society, facilitated by a coordinating entity
• Agreed common content — data, information, indicators, analysis
• Shared infrastructure, standards and tools.

Member and cooperating countries

The EEA currently has 32 member countries and six cooperating countries. The 32 member countries include the 27 European Union Member States together with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.

The six West Balkan countries are cooperating countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia as well as Kosovo [i]. The cooperation activities of these countries are integrated into Eionet and are supported by the European Union under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance.

The EEA also engages in international cooperation beyond its own member and cooperating countries.

Following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020, it ceased to be part of the EEA’s institutional networks and governance. In addition, the UK no longer participates in meetings or other coordination processes connected to the EEA’s mandate. In principle [1], the United Kingdom no longer has a legal obligation to maintain or provide information and advice, or to assist in fulfilling its obligations under EU Environmental legislation beyond the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020.

European Topic Centres

Apart from the NFPs and EGs, Eionet currently covers seven European topic centres (ETCs) in the areas of:

• Biodiversity and Ecosystems (ETC-BE)
• Climate change adaptation and LULUCF (ETC-CA)
• Resource use and circular economy (ETC-CE)
• Climate change mitigation (ETC-CM)
• Data integration and digitilisation (ETC-DI)
• Human health and the environment (ETC-HE)
• Sustainability, trends prospects and responses (ETC-ST) 

Click here for more information: Eionet website

Source: European Environment Agency - About Eionet

Convening networks of expertise 

We bring together partners in the worlds of business, academia, and the public and non-profit sectors to create networks of expertise, through which innovative products, services and systems can be developed, brought to market and scaled-up for impact.

Through our convening power, EIT Climate-KIC brings together the most effective groups to create the innovation that can lead to systemic change.

Leveraging grants smartly and effectively

We identify, source and place public and private funds that stimulate innovation. We track progress and outcomes and draw out learning and insight so that our funding partners can effectively invest their resources for maximum impact.

By bringing together those with vision, with ideas, with low-carbon products and services, and with finance, we generate the critical mass needed to tackle climate change.

Developing people and capacity

EIT Climate-KIC runs a range of inspirational education programmes across Europe and online, for students, postgraduates and professionals. These programmes develop their participants’ skills and capacities, empowering them with up-to-date knowledge and best practice.

In this way, we are fostering a new generation of entrepreneurs and climate leaders to realise a zero-carbon, climate-resilient society.

Source: EIT Climate-KIC - About

Our Vision: Global manufacturing innovation led by Europe

EIT Manufacturing was established in 2019 with a vision that global manufacturing will continue to be led by Europe, and contributing to make Europe and its manufacturing sector more competitive and sustainable.

Mission: Bringing together Europe’s manufacturing actors

In doing so, EIT Manufacturing brings together a growing network of top-tier industrial partners, leading academic and research institutions from across the region and innovative startups, scaleups and SMEs.

A key way of transforming knowledge into value is by overcoming the fragmented nature of many innovation networks. In order to ensure that innovations reach the market, industry has the right talent and entrepreneurs can thrive; EIT Manufacturing connects and integrates the areas of education, innovation and business creation.

Ultimately,  EIT Manufacturing strives to accelerate faster innovation with the potential to improve everyday life globally, help meet Europe’s ambitious climate goals, and ensure that its workforce is ready for tomorrow’s challenges.

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Source: EIT Manufacturing - Who We Are

Source: Investing in European Succes - European Commission

This ‘system of systems’, through its GEOSS Platform (former GCI), proactively links together existing and planned observing systems around the world and support the need for the development of new systems where gaps currently exist. It will promote common technical standards so that data from the thousands of different instruments can be combined into coherent data sets.

The ‘GEOSS Portal’ offers a single Internet access point for users seeking data, imagery and analytical software packages relevant to all parts of the globe. It connects users to existing data bases and portals and provides reliable, up-to-date and user friendly information – vital for the work of decision makers, planners and emergency managers.

Source: GEOSS - About

Objective

urbisphere will change how the scientific community conceptualises, characterizes and forecasts cities in the climate system and in urban planning, by developing a radically new approach to integrate multiple dimensions of urban change, their interaction and feedbacks. It aims to forecast and project urban futures and climates in a dynamic framework considering weather, air quality, differential exposure and vulnerability of people at neighbourhood to city scale. It will provide new insights into existing and emerging risks, based on a synergistic effort across disciplines which currently work mostly in parallel. Urban-Surface Models (USM) and Human Exposure and Vulnerability models (HEV) will be developed and coupled to improve the forecasting of exposure, emissions, and intervention potentials in cities. This will transform emergency/risk management, atmospheric forecasting and long-term urban development/adaptation strategies in the urban sphere.

The system will use a real-time 4D Smart Urban Observation System (SmUrObS) to provide targeted urban form/function/emissions/exposure data using novel ground and remote sensing technology. The USM-HEV-SmUrObS system will equip us with: 1) a deep understanding of socio-economic dynamics and human behaviour and responses to weather and climate, economic (and other) drivers that transform cities’ exposure and vulnerability to climate change-related hazards (like heat); 2) a consistent method that can be scaled from detailed high-resolution modelling of intra-neighbourhood scale characteristics, to climate and socio-economic modelling and assessment at city, regional and global scales; 3) an approach that can inform global climate and global vulnerability and risk modelling; will allow consistent downscaling to the city for decision making for local urban risk and resilience management; and provide information on the dynamic nexus of exposure and vulnerability of people in cities.

Source: urbisphere: coupling dynamic cities and climate. European Council. 

The partnership will offer a way for European citizens to take practical and impactful action on climate change by taking one or more ‘steps’ to reduce their own carbon footprint, from walking and cycling more or reducing food waste to insulating a home to save energy. 

Individual steps will be counted by the global Count Us In aggregator, alongside millions of others being taken around the world – helping fuel the biggest ever movement of people, organizations and platforms taking practical action on climate change.

The collaboration was launched today by former Formula 1 Champion and sustainability entrepreneur Nico Rosberg, former UN Climate Chief and co-founder of Global Optimism, Christiana Figueres and the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, at the official Climate Pact launch event. 

The partnership will include launching a multi-lingual version of the Count Us In platform in the summer of 2021, which towns, schools, community groups and individuals across the EU can adapt and use to take steps to combat climate change.

Executive Vice-President Timmermans said: “When it comes to tackling the climate crisis, every step matters. Anyone can take action, and everyone can contribute. Our partnership with Count Us In will enable everyone in Europe to make a change for the climate, and make it count!”

Christiana Figueres said: “There has never been a more important time to come together to protect what we love from the damages of climate change. Governments and companies have a huge role to play and are increasingly doing so. But we as individuals are not helpless in the face of the crisis. When we step up to be counted, we signal public support for accelerated actions by leaders to decarbonise our economy at the pace science demands. I’m proud to announce the partnership between Count Us In and the EU – radical collaborations like these are vital to a clean economic recovery and a thriving future.”

Individual action can make a significant impact: if one billion people take practical action in their own lives, they could reduce as much as 20% of global carbon emissions. By standing up and taking action, communities have the power to pressure the leaders and companies that are responsible for a majority of the world’s global emissions. 

Take a step on Count Us In

About Count Us In

Count Us In is a community of people and organisations taking practical steps to protect what they love from climate change before it is too late. Launched on the heels of Countdown, Count Us In’s mission over the next decade is to inspire 1 billion people to significantly reduce their carbon pollution and challenge leaders to act boldly to deliver global systems change. It brings together sport, business, faith, youth and civil society to protect what you love, make changes that matter, do good for you too, and add up to something bigger. 

About the European Climate Pact

The European Climate Pact was launched in December 2020 as an EU-wide initiative inviting people, communities and organisations to participate in climate action and build a greener Europe. As part of the European Green Deal, the Pact offers a space for everyone to share information, debate and act on the climate crisis, and to be part of an ever-growing European climate movement.

Source: European Climate Pact and Count US In campaign

Increasingly, cities and local governments across the globe are heeding the call to act. With nations working towards the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, cities’ involvement could not be more urgent.

The cities and partners of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy share a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat climate change. Together, we’re working towards a resilient and low-emission society.

Click here to see their resources.

Click here to read more about the Innovate4Cities conference.

Source: Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy - About us

The initiative now gathers 9,000+ local and regional authorities across 57 countries drawing on the strengths of a worldwide multi-stakeholder movement and the technical and methodological support offered by dedicated offices. The Global Covenant of Mayors is capitalising on the experience gained over the past eight years in Europe and beyond, and is building upon the key success factors of the initiative: its bottom-up governance, its multi-level cooperation model and its context-driven framework for action.

Click here to read more about their objectives & scope. 

Click here to read more about the covenant in figures.

About: Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy EUROPE - About

City Science Initiative Objetives

The City Science Initiative aims to strengthen the ways in which science and research can help address the urban challenges and to develop a structured approach to evidence-informed policy-making at cities' level. More specifically, this community aims at:

• Bring together professionals from different EU cities working on the interface between city-policies and research (‘City Science Officers’, CSO’s)
• Explore how research, science and technology can help cities to address the challenges at the local level.
• Promote discussion on ways through which science could help in addressing challenges faced by cities.
• Showcase the potential of the European Commission services and existing networks in supporting the efforts to strengthen the science and policy interface in cities.
• Promote and facilitate a European Network of City Science Officers.
• Explore the needs and priorities of cities in terms of evidence-based policy making.
• Facilitate linkages with other related initiatives.

City Science Initiative working topics

Five cities lead each of the five working topics of the City Science Initiative:

• Air Quality (Paris)
• Circular Economy (Hamburg)
• Mental Health (Thessaloníki)
• Sustainable Mobility (Cluj-Napoca)
• Tech and the City (Reggio Emilia)

City Science Initiative meetings

Since it was initially launched at the beggining of 2019, several meetings have been organized in Amsterdam and Brussels to set up the initiative and reflect on the next steps to take:

• "Science for the City" roundtable (February 2019)
• CSI Second meeting (June 2019)
• Third CSI meeting (September 2019)

For more information go to the Workspace European City Science Initiative.

Source: City Science Initiative - JRC Science Hub Communities

What is EuroGO?

EuroGEO is Europe’s part of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) - a worldwide network working to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

On 3 July 2019 during the annual EuroGEOSS workshop, EuroGEOSS (as launched on 23 October 2017) was renamed EuroGEO following a decision by the GEO XV Plenary (2018). The other regional initiatives have also made this change.

EuroGEO enables Europe to position itself as global force in Earth observation thanks to the vast knowledge gained through running the Copernicus programme and others.

GEOSS is a worldwide system which aims to use earth observation data to improve the lives of citizens and help governments make good, evidence-based decisions.

GEOSS is operated by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO).

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

GEO is a partnership of more than 100 national governments, over 100 participating organisations and the European Commission.

GEO is helping build GEOSS, the global Earth observation system of systems. It envisions a future where decisions and measures for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations.

To implement this vision, GEO has divided the world into five regional areas. Europe is one of them and EuroGEO is the framework to combine the contributions of European GEO members.

You can read more at the Group on Earth Observations website

Source: EuroGEO - About

You can follow the webinar via ENRICH Brazil’s Youtube channel.

Read more about the event on ENRICH event page

Urban Living Labs by JPI Urban Europe 

Urban Living Labs – Learning for Urban Transitions? by Timo von Wirth

Watch this video externally on: YouTube

Speakers

• Berna Windischbaur, ENRICH in Brazil
• Johannes Riegler, JPI Urban Europe, Moderator
• Jonas Bylund, JPI Urban Europe and the Swedish Centre for Innovation and Quality in the Built Environment
• Elena Maranghi, SoHoLab, Politecnico di Milano
• Tatiana Schreiner, Urban Governance Researcher, UFSC Urban Mobility Observatory
• Marcus J. Rocha, Head of Science, Technology and Innovation, Florianópolis City Hall

About ENRICH Brazil
ENRICH in Brazil (formerly known as CEBRABIC) is the Brazilian pilot centre of the European Network of Research and Innovation Centres and Hubs, with other pilot centres located in China and the USA. With partners from Brazil and eight European countries (Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary, Austria, Spain, and Turkey), the consortium’s goal is strengthening cooperation in research, innovation, and business between Brazil and Europe by exchanging innovative practices, experience, and knowledge between all parts involved. ENRICH in Brazil was inaugurated in November 2017.

The webinar took place the 17 December 2020 - 12:30 - 2:00 pm. 

Source: Webinar with ENRICH Brazil - Urban Europe

Source: Implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations Conferences on Human Settlements and on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). 2020. General Assembly, United Nations.

The UAST supports Covenant of Mayors signatory cities to develop and implement their action plan and complete the adaptation-related sections of the Covenant of Mayors reporting platform MyCovenant (see also the offline working version of the reporting template).

The Urban Adaptation Support Tool highlights the key issues to be considered when planning and implementing adaptation. The six steps of the Tool help to prepare ground for adaptation, understand the risks and vulnerabilities to current and future climate hazards, identify and assess adaptation options, develop and implement a climate change adaptation strategy and/or action plan and monitor the results of adaptation action. Steps are divided into sub-steps. For each sub-step, a brief summary of the given issue is provided, followed by a more detailed guidance under ‘Read more’. Each sub-step provides links to guidance materials, case studies or specific tools, including:

• Climate-ADAPT case studies of concrete examples from multiple European cities
• Guidance and tools relevant to local adaptation action
• Publications, reports and other Climate-ADAPT database resources
• Relevant EU-funded projects
• Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy resources

 The tool is closely linked and aligned with the European Covenant of Mayors commitments and reporting requirements. It can serve as a step-by-step guidance to Covenant signatory cities in designing and implementing their adaptation action plan. The sub-steps clearly highlight aspects of importance for completing the Covenant reporting requirements.

The Urban Adaptation Support Tool can be used as a guidance on its own, or in combination with other guidance documents and tools developed on international, national, local and sector specific levels (see below). It is especially recommended to check your country page for guidance relevant to your country.

Source: Urban Adaptation Support Tool - Climate ADAPT

Source: Ernesta, M., & Elsa, D. 2020. Public procurement of nature-based solutions: Addressing barriers to the procurement of urban NBS : case studies and recommendations. 

This Handbook has been developed in the framework of ThinkNature project. Its main objective is to gather and promote state-of-the-art knowledge regarding Nature-based Solutions (NBS), comprising a comprehensive guide to all relevant actors. To this end, each aspect of NBS is investigated, from project development to financing and policy making, and is presented in a concise and comprehensive way, in order to be easily understandable. Regarding the EU agenda about NBS, this Handbook contributes to:

• expanding the knowledge base about the NBS’ effectiveness,
• supporting the NBS’ implementation through enhancing their replicability and upscaling,
• utilizing the knowledge and experience of stakeholders, and
• proposing a comprehensive methodological approach towards innovation.

Source: Chrysoulakis, N., Stagakis, S., & Somarakis, G. 2019. Nature-Based Solutions Handbook. ThinkNature. DOI: 10.26225/jerv-w202

Source: Research & Innovation driving the climate pact. 2020. European Commission. 

Click here to see their documents.

Source: European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC)

What we do

• Governance, democracy and citizenship
• Environment, climate and energy
• International engagement and cooperation
• Economic, social and territorial cohesion
• Local and regional public services management
• CEMR statutory affairs, general CEMR affairs

Source: Introducing CEMR

Watch this video externally on: YouTube

Background to the European Green Capital Award

The European Green Capital Award is the result of an initiative taken by 15 European cities (Tallinn, Helsinki, Riga, Vilnius, Berlin, Warsaw, Madrid, Ljubljana, Prague, Vienna, Kiel, Kotka, Dartford, Tartu & Glasgow) and the Association of Estonian cities on 15 May 2006 in Tallinn, Estonia.

Their green vision was translated into a joint Memorandum of Understanding establishing an award to recognise cities that are leading the way with environmentally friendly urban living.

View the memorandum please click here. The initiative was launched by the European Commission in 2008.

It is important to reward cities which are making efforts to improve the urban environment and move towards healthier and sustainable living areas. Progress is its own reward, but the satisfaction involved in winning a prestigious European award spurs cities to invest in further efforts and boosts awareness within the city as well as in other cities. The award enables cities to inspire each other and share examples of good practices in situ.

The overarching message that the award scheme aims to communicate to the local level is that Europeans have a right to live in healthy urban areas. Cities should therefore strive to improve the quality of life of their citizens and reduce their impact on the global environment.

Annual Award Process

Starting in 2010, one European city is selected each year as the European Green Capital of the year. The award is given to a city that:

• Has a consistent record of achieving high environmental standards;
• Is committed to ongoing and ambitious goals for further environmental improvement and sustainable development;
• Can act as a role model to inspire other cities and promote best practices to all other European cities.

The winning cities to date include: Stockholm in 2010, Hamburg in 2011, Vitoria-Gastiez in 2012, Nantes in 2013, Copenhagen in 2014, Bristol in 2015, Ljubljana in 2016, Essen in 2017, Nijmegen in 2018, Oslo in 2019, Lisbon in 2020, Lahti in 2021, Grenoble in 2022 and Tallinn in 2023. All are recognised for their consistent record of achieving high environmental standards and commitment to ambitious goals.

Cities as Role Models

The award aims to provide an incentive for cities to inspire each other and share best practices, while at the same time engaging in friendly competition. In other words, the cities become role models for each other.

“Two-thirds of Europeans live in towns and cities. Their health and well-being depends on how well city authorities address environmental challenges. The European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards recognise these remarkable efforts of environmentally-friendly cities. I am delighted to see cities from across the EU coming forward to show their progress towards a greener future. The winners to date are role models and inspire other cities to make their urban spaces sustainable and ultimately more enjoyable places in which to live, work and play.”

Source: European Green Capital - About

Click here to read more about 'Thirteen European cities have signed the Green City Accord'.

The 2021 European Green Leaf title was jointly awarded to Gabrovoin Bulgaria and Lappeenranta in Finland.

For 2020, the European Green Leaf title was jointly awarded to Limerick in Ireland and Mechelen in Belgium. Former winning cities include: Leuven (Belgium),Galway (Ireland), Horst aan de Maas (The Netherlands), Cornellà de Llobregat, and Mollet del Vallès (Spain). Torres Vedras (Portugal) and Växjö (Sweden).

The European competition recognises a city’s commitment to better environmental outcomes. The scheme has a particular focus on efforts that generate green growth and new jobs.

Press Releases for the winning European Green Leaf Cities can be found below:

Valongo and Winterswijk

Gabrovo and Lappeenranta

Limerick and Mechelen

Cornellà de Llobregat and Horst aan de Maas

Leuven and  Växjö 

Galway

Torres Vedras

Mollet del Vallès

What is the European Green Leaf Award?

Gain recognition for your environmental achievements

The European Green Leaf Award is a competition aimed at cities and towns across Europe, with between populations of 20,000 and up to 100,000 inhabitants, that recognises commitment to better environmental outcomes, with a particular accent on efforts that generate green growth and new jobs.

The objectives of the European Green Leaf Award are threefold:

• To recognise cities that demonstrate a good environmental record and commitment to generating green growth;
• To encourage cities to actively develop citizens’ environmental awareness and involvement;
• To identify cities able to act as a ‘green ambassador’ and to encourage other cities to progress towards a better sustainability outcomes.

The European Green Leaf Award is presented on an annual basis by the European Commission in conjunction with the European Green Capital Award.

Background

To underpin the work of creating an ever-better environment for European citizens, the EU adopted the 7th Environment Action Programme (7th EAP) entitled “Living well, within the limits of our planet”. It provides the basis for EU environment policy up to 2020. This programme aims to enhance Europe’s ecological resilience and transform the EU into an inclusive and sustainable green economy.

The 7th EAP includes a specific policy objective “To enhance the sustainability of EU cities”. It foresees that the EU will promote and expand existing initiatives that support innovation and best practices in cities, enabling better networking and exchanges between cities and encouraging the leading ones to show how they lead on sustainable urban development.

The European Green Capital Award (EGCA) launched in 2008, is one such initiative. Following its success, many smaller cities seek EU recognition of their effort and commitment in the areas of sustainability & environment. In response, the European Commission launched the European Green Leaf Award.

Source: European Green Leaf Award - European Commission

Announcing the winners, Commissioner Sinkevičius said: “The winners and finalists of the green city awards have proven to be resilient and shown that, even in the most difficult circumstances like this year’s, rapid changes are possible. These success stories also show that sustainability and green transition provide solutions to cope with sudden crises and create better and healthier urban areas for EU citizens. As we continue to adapt to a new normal, our award winning cities will continue to play a leading role in implementing green solutions and creating cities that are fit for life.”

In addition to the responsibilities of winning the title, Grenoble will receive a €350,000 financial incentive from the European Commission to kick-start its European Green Capital year. The winners of the European Green Leaf 2021 title will each receive €75,000. A total of 36 cities competed for these prestigious awards – the highest ever number in the competition’s 13-year history.

The Jury was most impressed by the European Green Capital 2022 winner, Grenoble, for its pioneering approach to climate management that includes a strong commitment to systemic change and an innovative participative democracy approach to city governance. Grenoble’s ambitious plans for its European Green Capital Year impressed the Jury for how it will reach cities and citizens across Europe to inspire solutions.

Most notably, the city achieved top ranking in the areas of climate change mitigation, sustainable urban mobility, sustainable land use, noise and energy performance. With a terrain that limits urban sprawl, the city has no choice but to rely on urban regeneration and rehabilitation, efficient public transport and quality public spaces to renew itself.

• Strongly committed to climate change mitigation and improving energy performance, Grenoble was the first French local authority to adopt a Climate Plan, in 2005. The city reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 2005 to 2016 and is working towards a 50% reduction by 2030.
• Grenoble addresses noise pollution with designated quiet areas in the city, promoting cycling and reducing speed limits in the city.
• Grenoble’s eco-neighbourhoods have won national awards and the city takes an innovative approach to maximising its limited green space, by encouraging private gardens to open, vertical greening, and an ambitious tree planting programme. 
• The city has achieved impressive cycling rates through incentives, reimbursements and pedestrianisation.

The European Green Leaf 2021 winners Gabrovo and Lappeenranta stood out to the International Jury for their approach to environmental management, as well as their communications and engagement, that positions them as ideal role models to inspire other cities.

Gabrovo (Bulgaria)

Gabrovo was commended for its commitment to energy efficiency and clean technology implementation over the past decade. This has resulted in initiatives with citizen involvement, focused on the provision of sustainable transport and maintenance of green areas. Gabrovo has a wide variety of natural habitats and species and has ongoing measures in place to protect and conserve these biodiversity assets.

Lappeenranta (Finland)

Lappeenranta was recognised for its commitment to developing into a model green city and ranked highly in all the award indicators. The city is home to the world-class research and innovation university which contributes to the city in areas such as clean energy research, sustainability, circular economy and water technology. Guided by the Lappeenranta 2033 Strategy, it was the world’s first city to start solely using EKOenergy certified renewable electricity.

The European Green Capital 2022 winner Grenoble, and finalists Dijon, Tallinn and Turin, have each earned a place in the European Green Capital Network to share best practices and motivate other cities. Similarly, the other European Green Leaf 2021 finalists, the Danish cities of Elsinore, Nyborg and Ringkøbing-Skjern will join Gabrovo and Lappeenranta and previous winners and finalists in the European Green Leaf Network.

Background

With more than two thirds of Europe’s population living in urban areas, the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards aim to recognise the environmental achievements of cities and towns that strive for urban sustainability and eco-innovation, and inspire others to take positive action in making their cities fit for life.

The European Green Capital Award is presented to a city with more than 100 000 inhabitants that is at the forefront of sustainable urban living. Each year, a panel of independent urban sustainability experts assesses the performance of the competing cities against 12 environmental indicators and selects finalists to present to an international Jury.

Twelve other cities have won the European Green Capital Award to date: Stockholm (2010), Hamburg (2011), Vitoria-Gasteiz (2012), Nantes (2013), Copenhagen (2014), Bristol (2015), Ljubljana (2016), Essen (2017), Nijmegen (2018), Oslo (2019), Lisbon (2020) and Lahti (2021).

Following the success of the European Green Capital Award, the European Green Leaf Award was established in 2015 to recognise the environmental efforts and achievements of smaller towns and cities with 20 000 to 99 999 inhabitants. The same panel of 12 experts assesses the applications received based on six environmental topic areas and selects the finalists.

Nine other cities have won a European Green Leaf Award so far: Mollèt del Valles, Spain and Torres Vedras, Portugal (2015); Galway, Ireland (2017); Leuven, Belgium, and Växjö, Sweden (2018); Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain, and Horst aan de Maas, the Netherlands (2019); and Limerick, Ireland and Mechelen, Belgium (2020).

Source: Grenoble, Gabrovo and Lappeenranta win prestigious European green city awards - European Commission

Methodology

Compiled from thousands of pictures from European satellites, Urban Atlas provides sufficient coverage for detailed and cost-effective mapping of larger urban zones, yielding accurate land cover and usage data. Urban Atlas' mission is to provide high-resolution hotspot mapping of changes in urban spaces and indicators for users such as city governments, the European Environment Agency (EEA) and European Commission departments. More than 300 major cities in the EU will be covered by early 2011.

Source: Urban Atlas - European Environment Agency

Objectives

The biodiversity strategy aims to put Europe’s biodiversity on the path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of people, climate and the planet.

In the post-COVID-19 context, the strategy aims to build our societies’ resilience to future threats such as

• the impacts of climate change
• forest fires
• food insecurity
• disease outbreaks - including by protecting wildlife and fighting illegal wildlife trade

Actions

Source: Green City Accord

The New European Bauhaus is a creative and interdisciplinary movement in the making, and you can be part of it!

• It’s a platform for experimentation and connection, fostering collaboration across thinkers and doers who want to design our future ways of living together.
• It’s a bridge between the world of science and technology and the world of art and culture.
• It’s an invitation to change perspective and to look at our green and digital challenges as opportunities to transform our lives for the better.
• It’s a fresh approach to finding innovative solutions to complex societal problems together through co-creation. The initiative aims to shape our thinking, behaviours, and markets around new ways of living and building, including by influencing public procurement.

The New European Bauhaus will:

• Bring citizens, experts, businesses, and Institutions together and facilitate conversations about making tomorrow’s living spaces more affordable and accessible. 
• Mobilise designers, architects, engineers, scientists, students, and creative minds across disciplines to reimagine sustainable living in Europe and beyond.
• Strive to improve the quality of our living experience. It will highlight the value of simplicity, functionality, and circularity of materials without compromising the need for comfort and attractiveness in our daily lives.
• Provide financial support to innovative ideas and products through ad-hoc calls for proposals and through coordinated programs included in the Multi-Annual Financial Framework.

Source: New European Bauhaus - About

The European Parliament resolution of 9 September 2015 on the urban dimension of EU policies (2014/2213(INI)) underlines the need of systematising and analysing 'all available data and shared conceptual frameworks (‘urban acquis’) in order to prevent duplication and inconsistencies and provide a clear definition of integrated Sustainable Urban Development and thus identify the common coherent and transparent EU objectives in this area'. In fact, still the EU approach to urban development when implemented on the ground, leads to different interpretations, depending on local planning cultures, as well as on the wide typology of actors involved in its implementation. Moreover, there are some methodological aspects which need clarification and strengthening, with the aim to provide better and clearer guidance for post 2020.

In line with that, the Handbook of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies is aimed at developing a methodological support to augment the knowledge on how to best implement integrated and place-based urban strategies under the Cohesion Policy. In particular it refers to Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) as supported by the European Regional Development Fund during the current programming period (2014-2020) and the upcoming one (2021-2027). In this context the Handbook is conceived as soft guidelines which complement official regulations, without being prescriptive. In fact, it is conceived as a policy learning tool, flexible and adaptable to the needs which result from the different territorial and administrative contexts. The Handbook does not provide a quick fix approach but suggestions, through concrete examples and reference to existing tools and guides, on how to tackle key challenges during the process of strategy-making. The Handbook targets Local Authorities, Managing Authorities and all the other relevant stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of strategies.

The Handbook is structured in six chapters, each one addressing one of the building blocks of the EU approach to Sustainable Urban Development as follows: 1. Strategic dimension; 2. Territorial focus; 3. Governance; 4. Cross-sectoral integration; 5. Funding and finance; 6. Monitoring.

Source: Fioretti, C., Pertoldi, M., Busti, M. and Van Heerden, S. (eds), Handbook of Sustainable Urban Development Strategies, EUR 29990 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020, ISBN 978-92-76-13673-6, doi:10.2760/32842, JRC118841.

EU research and innovation projects were scanned for results pertaining to key areas such as biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation (including flooding), water quality, air quality and microclimate, and sustainable communities. The reports contextualise the reviewed projects by presenting the state of the art in the sector, including policy developments, research results and key lessons learnt. The resulting evidence base includes figures and monetary values showing the relative cost-effectiveness of NBS and exploring how they support policy implementation.

The reports also identify knowledge gaps and propose policy recommendations to strengthen strategies and actions for the uptake of NBS, in order to deliver targeted and efficient interventions that can contribute to solving societal challenges in Europe and beyond.

Sectorial reports:

Biodiversity – Out now

This report presents evidence on NBS benefits and successes in the domain of biodiversity and highlights how NBS can help citizens restore a harmonious relationship with the planet, thus contributing to societal transformation towards sustainability in Europe and beyond.

Climate mitigation – Out now

This report explores how Nature-based Solutions can contribute to climate mitigation through storing and sequestering carbon and through reducing energy demand.

Sustainable communities – Out now

This report examines the contribution of Nature-based Solutions to transformative action for sustainable communities. It examines how such initiatives enable participation and inclusion in the design and implementation of sustainability at the local level.

Microclimate regulation and air quality

Air quality and temperature significantly affect human health, especially in urban areas. This report highlights different kinds of Nature-based Solutions that help improve air quality and regulate microclimate and that present a combination of other environmental and social benefits, including mental health.

Improving water quality and waterbody conditions

This report presents evidence on Nature-based Solutions improving water quality and waterbody conditions, and highlights how NBS can support water policy implementation.

Flood mitigation and coastal resilience

This report presents evidence on the contribution of Nature-based Solutions to flood mitigation and coastal resilience and highlights how NBS can support flood-related policy implementation.

Final report:

Nature-based Solutions - State of the Art in EU-funded Projects

This report summarises outcomes from the EC individual expert reports delivered through its ‘Valorisation of NBS Projects’ initiative. EU

research and innovation projects were scanned for results pertaining to key areas such as biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation

(including flooding), water quality, air quality and microclimate, sustainable communities, innovative governance and business models, and market challenges and solutions.

Source: What Nature-Based Solutions can do for us - European Commission

The European Commisison participates in the conference Nature-based Solutions: From Innovation to Common-use, held under the Estonian presidency of the EU Council. The Estonian Ministry of the Environment and Tallinn University organise the event.

Source: Estonian Presidency conference: Nature-based Solutions. From Innovation to Common-use - European Commission.

Click here to see their results.

Source: Portugese Presidency of the Council of the EU

The EBRD regions are home to vibrant and diverse cities that span across central Europe to Central Asia, the Western Balkans and the southern and eastern Mediterranean region. The EBRD is committed to furthering progress towards ‘market-oriented economies and the promotion of private and entrepreneurial initiative’ in its regions. This has been its guiding principle since the beginning of the 1990s, when it was established to create a new post- Cold War era.

Cities in the EBRD regions face numerous challenges, including insufficient infrastructure investment, demographic changes, poor air quality and historical legacies of high energy and carbon intensity.

Many cities in these regions are also particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with increased heat stress and extreme weather events. Solid waste management is another pressing issue, with recycling almost negligible compared to the EU average of 39 per cent and far short of the EU target of 50 per cent of municipal solid waste recycling by 2020.

EBRD Green Cities

Mission

Who are we?

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) catalyses the uptake of sustainable buildings for everyone, everywhere.  

What’s our mission?

Our mission is to transform the building and construction sector across three strategic areas—climate action, health & wellbeing, and resources & circularity—we are a global action network comprised of around 70 Green Building Councils around the globe.

How will we achieve it?

As members of the UN Global Compact, we work with businesses, organisations and governments to drive the ambitions of the Paris Agreement and UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Through a systems change approach, our network is leading the industry towards a net zero carbon, healthy, equitable and resilient built environment.

Why do we exist?

Buildings and construction account for 39% of energy related CO₂ emissions. 

What is our goal? 

• Climate Action - total decarbonisation of the built environment.
• Health and Wellbeing - a built environment that delivers healthy, equitable and resilient buildings, communities and cities.
• Resources and Circularity - a built environment that supports the regeneration of resources and natural systems, providing socio-economic benefit through a thriving circular economy.

Source: World Green Building Council - About 

Watch this video externally on: YouTube

Knowledge and Learning

Forum members and partner organizations work collaboratively to meet this Challenge by issuing international calls for proposals, committing to best practices for open data access, and providing transdisciplinary training.  To that end, the Belmont Forum is also working to enhance the broader capacity to conduct transnational environmental change research through its e-Infrastructure and Data Management initiative.

Since its establishment, the Forum has successfully led 17 calls for proposals, supporting 134 projects and more than 1,000 scientists and stakeholders, representing over 90 countries.  Themes addressed by CRAs have included Freshwater Security, Coastal Vulnerability, Food Security and Land Use Change, Climate Predictability and Inter-Regional Linkages, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Arctic Observing and Science for Sustainability, and Mountains as Sentinels of Change.  New themes are developed through a scoping process and made available for proposals through the Belmont Forum website and its BF Grant Operations site.

How the Belmont Forum Works 

Scientist and stakeholder support is made possible through Collaborative Research Actions (CRAs),which are the Forum equivalent of a call for proposals.

Each proposal submitted to a CRA theme in the Belmont Forum Grant Operations (BFgo) must consist of a project co-developed by natural scientists, social scientists, and stakeholders that hail from at least three countries.  Stakeholder is used in its broadest sense in CRAs, representing the potential to co-develop and co-implement projects with communities, policymakers, business and industry, unionized bodies, tribal organizations, non-governmental organizations, and many others not listed here.  Similarly, the Forum’s definition of social science includes the full breadth of social disciplines, including economics and the humanities.  The research itself can take place within one or more countries anywhere in the world, but the team itself must be eligible for support from three funding organizations participating in the CRA.

Watch this video externally on: YouTube

Projects are merit reviewed and awards are made through coordinated funding from individual organizations.  For example, a successful project team with participants from the U.S., South Africa, and Japan would be funded so that U.S. project members would receive funding from U.S. institutions at the same time that South African participants and Japanese participants would receive support from their respective institutions.  We also partner with funders whose support can cross national boundaries.  Details about eligibility and available support for interested applicants can be found in the organizational annexes for each call for proposals.

The Forum is open to a breadth of possible funding and support partnerships in its Collaborative Research Actions.  Investment in a CRA is not limited only to Forum member organizations, nor is it constrained to only national fundamental research funding agencies and ministries.   The Forum strives to make opportunities for interested supporting organizations to connect with the scoping process as early as possible to allow joint discussion and development of the Collaborative Research Action.  However, it is possible for any organization providing either in-kind or monetary support to a CRA to join at any time in the development process.  An organizational annex details each organization’s investment in the CRA, its particular interest in the theme, who is eligible for support, and the name of a program contact.

Note: not all Belmont Forum members participate in every CRA.

Click here to see their resources.

Source: Belmont Forum - About

Source: Siragusa A., Vizcaino P., Proietti P., Lavalle C., European Handbook for SDG Voluntary Local Reviews, EUR 30067 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020, ISBN 978-92-76-15403-7, doi:10.2760/670387, JRC 118682.

For 30 years, Europe has been investing in transnational EU research and innovation on urban-systems-related issues, with providing financing from the Framework Programmes FP5, FP6 and FP7 of €2.8 billion and even in Horizon 2020: €3.1 billion. Horizon Europe plans to continue similarly to invest in these issues. For this, we need to take stock of where we are and what are the options we have for the future. This report capitalizes on 30 years of successful EU-funded research on sustainable urban development. It relies on the analysis of a critical mass of inspiring knowledge, ideas and best practices coming from 41 projects funded under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) across the different thematic priorities. It showcases and provides an EU-wide evidence base of the outstanding contributions of EU funded research and innovation in meeting urban societal challenges, notably those supported by the FP7 Research Framework Programme which deploy a citizen-centric, systemic and integrated analysis of the urban ecosystem.

The report highlights the need for integrated policy research solutions to the societal challenges that generate policy benefits and co-benefits simultaneously delivering socio-economic and environmental political objectives for regional, local city authorities, civil society, political representatives, the private sector and industry. The report spreads expertise across Europe and paves the way to future European cities being climate-proof, resource-efficient, smart as well as more resilient, healthy, inclusive, prosperous, safe and sustainable and contributes to the European Green Deal to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent.

Source: Marchigiani, E., Bartolo, A., Monterescu, D., Del Mar Delgado, M., Yeroyanni, M., Ludlow, D., & Koutsomarkou, E. 2020. Innovating cities policy report for EU R&I sustainable urban development. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission)

Read more about this year's World Cities Day general theme: Better City, Better life, and this year’s sub-theme: Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience.

Background

The United Nations General Assembly designated 31 October as World Cities Day, by its resolution 68/239. The Day is expected to greatly promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities addressing challenges of urbanization and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.

Urbanization provides the potential for new forms of social inclusion, including greater equality, access to services and new opportunities, and engagement and mobilization that reflects the diversity of cities, countries and the globe. Yet too often this is not the shape of urban development. Inequality and exclusion abound, often at rates greater than the national average, at the expense of sustainable development that delivers for all.

Urban October was launched by UN-Habitat in 2014 to emphasize the world’s urban challenges and engage the international community towards the New Urban Agenda.

Sustainable Development Goal 11, which formulates the ambition to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable - underlying the relevance of UN-Habitat’s mission. Inequalities in cities have grown since 1980. The world largest cities are also often the most unequal, and this year’s theme is embraced by the action and implementation of the New Urban Agenda, which is putting the topic of inclusive cities as one of the main pillars for the urban shift.

In October 2016, the HABITAT III Conference, held in Quito, adopted a new framework, which will set the world on a course towards sustainable urban development by rethinking how cities are planned, managed and inhabited. The New Urban Agenda will set the pace on how to deal with the challenges of urbanization in the next two decades, and is seen as an extension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, agreed on by the 193 Member States of the UN in September 2015.

Source: World Cities Day