Ecological Transition & Green Deal

Essen and Fortaleza (“Fortalessen”) are exchanging knowledge and best practices on circular economy and waste management in the framework of the International, Urban and Regional Cooperation programme (IURC Latin America), linked to the recycling and collection of special waste, legal frameworks, and waste fee structures, that promote zero-waste policies.
These guidelines share the main learnings from this exchange and provide a roadmap for other cities that wish to implement a solid waste recollection fee while integrating
complementary interventions.

The Jarillón Plan in Cali is a city megaproject and is classified as the largest resettlement project in Latin America. This project was born due to the winter wave of 2010-2011 when many families where affected by heavy floods throughout Colombia and the Jarrillón area.  The Jarillón Plan aims for resettlement with a full guarantee of rights, improving their quality of life, and living in areas of non-mitigable risk.

Read the takeaways.

One of the most interesting environmental and social challenges in Rome is the emergence of urban gardens. Currently there are more than 150 municipal urban gardens, providing citizens with the opportunity to grow their own food and create green spaces in the city. Despite their benefits, urban gardens face challenges such as limited space, lack of resources and funding, and difficulty in coordinating multiple stakeholders.

Read the takeaways.

The webinar "Repair, Recycle, Re-use: International experiences on the upcycling of electronic waste” organized by the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Latin America (IURC-LAC) Programme sougth to share inspiration about circular economy best practices, focused on the re-use, recycling, and repair of electronic waste and other materials. Three international experiences on the creation of recycling centres and related repairing initiatives were discussed to highlight opportunities and challenges linked to upcycling experiences in cities. Space The full agenda of the event...

In recent years, the City of Puerto Montt (Chile) has been facing several challenges arising from unplanned urban sprawl, which has put cultural and environmental heritage under pressure. In this context, Puerto Montt’s team integrated the preservation of wetlands into its planning strategies and is working on the systemic integration of indigenous communities and their traditional knowledge into green infrastructure projects.

We invite you to read some lessons learned and recommendations from Puerto Montt.

The City of Piraeus (Greece) has been implementing Nature Based Solutions (NBS) projects with participatory planning processes to strengthen Public Health (PH) and Wellbeing (WB). The EuPOLIS project participated to open up spaces for social interaction to empower citizens in decision-making processes. They integrate different voices, point of views, and current needs of the local community, and especially of vulnerable groups tending to be traditionally excluded from co-creation processes.

 

Different perspectives on the Blue Economy concept and reflections on the importance of the sea and coastal borders as a platform to generate social benefits, economic development, and environmental sustainability.

Nature-Based solutions have become an essential part of climate action plans. Beyond their environmental impact, these projects and programs are an opportunity to foster social cohesion and promote community engagement. In this session, the O’Brien Farm in St John’s, Canada, will explain their program, School to Farm, and present their Farm Incubation program, which supports new farming businesses. The Farm Borg project in Rimini, Italy, will present how they create gardens to promote socialization and participation in joint initiatives, develop...

The Vénkert community garden in Debrecen is an example of greening and recovery of unused gray areas, by transforming them into gardens that produce healthy organic food while strengthening the sense of community. The city of Debrecen help gardeners with raised beds, irrigation infrastructure and seeds. 

IURC NA, in partnership with the City of Ottawa and the EU-funded project Reducing Plastic Waste in Canada, held on June 2nd and 3rd, 2022, the Waste Management & Circular Economy Networking Event in Ottawa, Canada. Approximately 50 representatives from Spain, Poland, Italy, the USA, and Canada gathered to work on managing plastic at various levels of government level, developing strategies to enhance recycling, and generating energy from multiple sources of waste. These are the takeaways.

IURC NA, in partnership with Climate Action KC and GCoM USA, held on April 7th and 8th, 2022, the Renovation Wave Networking Event in Kansas City, USA. Approximately 40 representatives from Portugal, Dortmund, Poland, Belgium, the US, and Canada gathered to work on making buildings more energy-efficient, tackling energy poverty, and creating green jobs. These are the takeaways.

Lessons Learned from Sao Paulo

This first online session of our Renovation Wave series will feature Dan Dicaire, Manager of Energy and Sustainability, and Melissa Jort-Conway, Planner II in Climate Change and Resiliency, both from the City of Ottawa. They will share their role in the Race to Zero to eliminate Ottawa’s GHG emissions by 2040, including the retrofit strategy for OCH’s 15,000 units and several projects which hold the blueprints to eliminating GHG emissions from their entire portfolio. We will talk about financing, long-term...

With support from the European Union, the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) Secretariat, the City of Bandung, and the University of Parahyangan co-organised the 1^st MUFPP Asia Pacific Regional Forum on 3-4 August 2022 in support of Indonesia’s U20 Mayors Summit and G20 Summit, held at the end of August and in mid-November this year respectively.

 

This report provides an overview of the Pact and summarises key points from the event.

The online Capacity Building on Regenerative Design by ACCIONA, organised by the IURC Central Coordination Services in coordination with the Geographical Areas in two sessions (morning for Asia & Australasia and China; afternoon for Latin America and North America) aimed to support our worldwide pairings and clusters to path the way of their ongoing projects during the last year of the programme. The training was conducted on March 7th 2023 and welcomed more than 75 participants from all around the...

The webinar "Costal Cities & Blue Economy: Local experiences from Piraeus, Barranquilla and Genoa” organized by the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Latin America (IURC-LAC) Programme sougth to explore different perspectives on the Blue Economy concept and reflect on the importance of the sea and coastal borders as a platform to generate social benefits, economic development, and environmental sustainability. Space The full agenda of the event is available here Space Download the takeaways here Space Download the presentations here Space Read...

Organized by the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Latin America (IURC-LAC) Programme, the event discussed the transformative potential of urban agriculture, as a catalyst of environmental transition and social inclusion. Space The full agenda of the event is available here Space Download the presentations here Space Read the highlights from the event here 

The webinar "Inclusive recycling " organized by the International Urban and Regional Cooperation Latin America (IURC-LAC) Programme introduced inclusive recycling and the potential of integrating the empowerment of vulnerable women with sustainable practices that incorporate technology and both financial and mobility solutions. Space The full agenda of the event is available here Space Download the presentations here Space Read the highlights from the event here

This webinar was the second part of the “Financing Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities” webinar series, on the role of development banks and private financing. The event discussed the role of development banks and private financing in reducing the infrastructure gap in cities while promoting low-carbon investments. space The full agenda of the event is available here Space Download the presentations here Space Download the takeaways here Space Read the highlights from the event here

Takeaways of IURC China Urban Renewal Webinar

In this interactive workshop, Circular Economy Expert Erin Kennedy from Metabolic – a Netherlands-based organization who has over a decade of experience advising businesses, governments, and nonprofits around the world on how to thrive in a circular economy – will offer practical advice and strategies to help cities develop and implement their circular economy plans. Download: Miro Board

With the amount of food imports from outside the city being as high as 96%, Bandung City established in 2020 the Buruan SAE programme to improve urban food security.

You are invited to the second session of the Cities Supporting Cities Towards Circular Economy Concepts, Frameworks, and Actions series of masterclasses. In this second session of the IURC-NA Cities Supporting Cities Towards a Circular Economy series: participants will learn how policies, interventions, and strategies from the city government can support industrial manufacturing operations to implement circular business practices. During this interactive session, participants will get the opportunity to ask questions to representatives from several leading companies and better understand...

Thursday, 15 December 2022, 12:00-1:30 p.m. Bangkok | 1:00-2:30 p.m. Singapore Check your local time here.   The MUFPP & IURC Asia Pacific Food Policy Training is a series of 6 webinars developed by the MUFPP Secretariat and the IURC programme to enrich the knowledge of Asia Pacific cities on food policy development.   Following the MUFPP recommended actions, there are many options at disposal for cities: raising awareness on food loss and waste, recovering and redistributing food still fit for consumption, assessing...

Download: Presentation

Friday, 18 November 2022 8:00-09:00 a.m. CET | 2.00-3:00 p.m. Bangkok   Check your local time here.   The MUFPP & IURC Asia Pacific Food Policy Training is a series of 6 webinars developed by the MUFPP Secretariat and the IURC programme to enrich the knowledge of Asia Pacific cities on food policy development.   Following the fifth category of the Milan Pact, Food Supply & Distribution, the webinar will present a variety of actions and measures cities are taking to ensure...

Takeaways of IURC China Sustainable Agriculture and Agri-food System Webinar

BACKGROUND   In the EU and China, urban renewal has become the major way to meet the increasing demand of residents for urban space and facilities without the expenses of large-scale demolition of existing buildings and urban fabric. Many neighbourhoods and buildings are in critical demand of renovation aiming for healthy environmental quality, energy & resource efficiency, and aesthetics of the built environment.   The EU initiated the Green City under the framework of the New Leipzig Charter, which calls for nature-based...

The webinar sought to inform/discuss/share best practices on nature-based solutions for flood management. Cities of Rotterdam, Messina, Surat, Kochi, Panaji and Semarang shared their efforts/initiatives apart from two flood management experts.

Ban Nam Kieng Din is a trailblazer in food waste management in Bangkok. Since its establishment in 2000, the restaurant has been making continued efforts to better manage its waste and energy and has received countless visits from government officials, researchers and other restaurants and businesses interested in circular food waste management from all over the world.

This flow chart is a result from Milan’s study visit to Thailand from 8 to 11 August 2022.

European Commission webinar on ‘Regions, Cities and Level(s): Powering the green transition in Europe’s buildings’, 12 October from 16:00 to 17:00 (CEST). In October 2020 the European Commission launched Level(s), the new EU common language for assessing the sustainability performance of buildings. The Commission will be running a special webinar at the European Week of Regions and Cities to show how Level(s) can help the buildings sector contribute to EU climate and circularity objectives within cities and regions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Why attend? -...

Takeaways of the IURC China Technologies 4.0, Industry 5.0 & Innovation Webinar

Takeaways of the IURC China Circular Economy Webinar

Takeaways of the IURC China Nature-based Solutions Webinar

Thursday, 21 July 2022 9:00-10:00 a.m. CEST | 2.00-3:00 p.m. Bangkok   Check your local time here.   The MUFPP & IURC Asia Pacific Food Policy Training is a series of 6 webinars developed by the MUFPP Secretariat and the IURC programme to enrich the knowledge of Asia Pacific cities on food policy development.   Following the third category of the Milan Pact, Social & Economic Equity, the webinar will present how cities address inequality and poverty related to the food system....

Discover the takeaways of the IURC Side Event at the Eurocities Annual Conference 2022.

BACKGROUND   Both the EU and China are facing three major challenges in the agricultural sector. First, food security challenge: the EU is part of the global food system, whereas China has a daunting task to feed 22% of the world's population with 9% of the world's arable land. Second, environmental challenges such as soil degradation, water shortages, biodiversity loss and climate change. And third, high degree of urbanization: 75% of the Europe population lives in cities in and 64% in...

Tuesday, 21 June 2022 09:00 – 11:00 CEST | 15:00 – 17:00 MYT | 16:00 – 18:00 JST   Check your local time here.   In our first thematic webinar Circular City Hubs: Improving Thriving, Liveable, Resilient Urban Centres on 14 December 2021,  participating IURC cities identified cities as centres for innovation hubs. The outcome of the webinar resulted in 13 IURC cities from 9 countries (Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Finland, New Zealand, Portugal) completing a circular economy cluster spreadsheet for an inclusive stock take....

Vila Nova de Famalicão and Seberang Perai
Advancing Policies for Circular Neighbourhoods

24th May 2022 9:00-10:00 a.m. CEST | 2.00-3:00 p.m. Bangkok Check your local time here.   The MUFPP & IURC Asia Pacific Food Policy Training is a series of 6 webinars developed by the MUFPP Secretariat and the IURC programme to enrich the knowledge of Asia Pacific cities on food policy development.   Following the second category of the Milan Pact, Sustainable Diets & Nutrition, the webinar will present how cities can promote sustainable diets, better consumptions and nutrition patterns in...

IURC-China Programme promotes the inter-city and regional cooperation, learning and innovation between the EU and China, as well as supports cities and regions in implementing the United Nations´ Sustainable Development Goals, the New Urban Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and the local development agenda, bringing together 44 cities and regions to collaborate in an inclusive and win-win approach towards sustainable urban development and regional innovation.

This booklet provides information of their general socio-economic profiles, good practices and preferred areas of cooperation.

Background Europe has experienced four industrial revolutions, each of which involved technology and innovation. The undergoing industry 4.0 (initiated in Germany in 2011) associated with key technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, nanotechnology, quantum computing, biotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) is affecting a wide range of sectors. In 2021, the European Commission called for the Fifth Industrial Revolution (Industry 5.0), which aims beyond efficiency and productivity for research and innovation-driven transition to a sustainable, human-centric and resilient...

After the success of the introductory webinar of the Asia Pacific Food Policy Training, we’re happy to invite you to the first webinar dedicated to the governance of the food system. It will take place on Tuesday, 5th April 2022, 9:00-10:00 a.m. CEST / 4:00-5:00 p.m. Seoul / 8:00-9:00 p.m. Wellington.   The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Secretariat in partnership with the IURC programme of the European Union is organising an online training on urban food policy through a series of webinars for...

Review and Prospect of Smart Cities in China (2021-11)

Sustainable Urban Renewal in China (2021-11)

BACKGROUND   Strategies and actions are needed worldwide to optimize the infrastructure and resource management to confront the challenges of resource depletion, climate change and degradation of ecosystems.  Nature-based solutions (NBS) and circular economy (CE) can provide tools for this transition. Implementation of NBS, combined with the concept of the circular economy benefits the ecosystem services and returns resources to the territory.  Blue-green infrastructure in smart cities, integrated water management, ICT etc. are considered as enabling tools for NBS in...

Thursday, 17 March 2022, 08:00AM – 09:30AM (CET) / 18:00 – 19:30 (AEDT) Moderation: Professor Bruce Wilson at RMIT & Country Coordinator IURC Australia   This thematic cluster webinar is a part of International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia, which aims to further urban and regional cooperation in the fields of sustainable urban development and innovation between EU and non-EU cities. The activity is in addition to the ongoing bilateral discussions amongst cities. Within the IURC thematic network n°2...

Green Infrastructure Manual – Hermosillo, Mexico (2022)

Wednesday, 2nd March 2022, 8:30-9:30 am CET   The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Secretariat in partnership with the IURC programme of the European Union is organising an online training on urban food policy through a series of webinars for MUFPP and IURC cities in Asia Pacific. Participating cities will have the opportunity to showcase their best practices and learn from their peers in the region in the way they use food as an entry point for sustainable urban development....

Visual Takeaways of the Ecological Transition and Green Deal parallel session at the IURC Annual Event 2021 (24 November).

Tuesday, 14 December 2021 9:00 – 10:30 CET | 16:00 – 17:30 MYT | 19:00 – 20:30 Melbourne   Why cities are crucial to a circular economy? Cities have a high concentration of resources, capital, data, and talent spread over a relatively small geographic area and are centres for innovation hubs. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, by 2050 two thirds of us will live in cities, consuming 75% of the world’s natural resources, producing 50% of global waste and...

Visual Takeaways of the Ecological Transition and Green Deal parallel session at the IURC Annual Event 2021 (23 November).

Date & Time: 29th November (Mon), 10:00 – 11:00 am (CET) / 18:00-19:00 (JST) This webinar will be held as a “Thematic Track 5 (TT5) “ of ISAP2021 which is organised by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). Website of ISAP2021：https://isap.iges.or.jp/2021/jp/index.html Registration：https://form.iges.or.jp/webapp/form/11205_zoq_402/index.do?_ga=2.97500191.1236293257.1635726388-1052567314.1597197804 English-Japanese interpretation will be available via Zoom.   For cities to meet the challenge of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, one policy pillar is to promote a renovation wave in buildings, which the EU sees as a...

The event, about “Financing green infrastructure for sustainable cities and regions”, was the first of a series of 20 and brought together international experts from WRI, AECID, and GIZ, that introduced green finance instruments to cities and regions interested in sustainable development, while highlighting the need to shift towards better investment strategies in green infrastructure. Space The full agenda of the event is available here Space Download the presentations here Space Read the highlights from the event here

This inaugural webinar organised by LIFE Initiative For Environment (LIFE) will introduce the audiences to the principles of circular economy from a global perspective, the circular economy journey in Malaysia and its potential and impact beyond waste management. The webinar is open to the public and NGOs intended to serve communities by developing long-term environmental and sustainable development projects in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030. When: Nov 27, 2021 (Sat) 10:00 AM Kuala Lumpur (04:00 AM CET)...

Food markets have been among the most affected vendors during the Covid-19 pandemic. These markets have social and cultural importance, as well as holding a lot of potential for sustainability and local economy and innovation. Together with the Inter-American Development Bank, our International Urban and Regional Development Programme will host a webinar on The Future of Food Markets in Latin America, including some best practices from European IURC Cities Madrid and Rotterdam. We look forward to welcoming you to the...

Publication by EU Commission, DG Environment

BACKGROUND This thematic cluster webinar is a part of International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia, which aims to further urban and regional cooperation in the fields of sustainable urban development and innovation between EU and non-EU cities. Within the thematic network “Ecological Transition & Green Deal,” this webinar will narrow in on two main topics related to current global issues. The effects of climate change are becoming more pronounced around the world. From the unprecedented, deadly flooding...

The EU-Korea Climate Action Project closes in October. Join this webinar to learn about the results of this cooperation on 16 September 2021, 8:00-11:00 CET. For registration and the agenda: https://next-ma.eu/landing/eu-ko-closing-event.

What is Malaysia’s view on climate change? What are corporate perspectives for net-zero emissions? What does civil society think about climate change and biodiversity loss? This virtual conference will generate new ideas for Malaysia to foster a nature-positive and net-zero economy, with high quality and resilient ecosystem services. Make your voice heard as we prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15). ********** Panel 3: Promoting and Developing Sustainable Cities There is vast scope...

Are you looking forward on the latest insights of district cooling system in Malaysia? You’re right on time! We are having an upcoming webinar titled “Exploring Potential of District Cooling System in Malaysia” on 2 Sept, Thursday, 2:00PM (UTC+8) Malaysia Time. This webinar is sponsored by Pendinginan Megajana Sdn Bhd and hosted by Asia Pacific Urban Energy Association (APUEA), in collaboration with ASEAN Super 8 - ASEAN TENAGA Energy. The key takeaways of the webinar: • Learn about the status...

The IURC programme will join the Malaysian Urban Forum 2021 as a knowledge partner with Pablo Gandara, the Team Leader of IURC Asia & Australasia, participating as a discussant in the "Consumer Behaviour Towards a Circular Pathway" roundtable on 8 September, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.  

The IURC Asia & Australasia will organise a kick-off meeting for EU and Malaysian cities that will cooperate within the IURC programme. Joining the meeting will be representatives from Bologna and Imola NCI from Italy; Eixo Atlantico, Vila Nova and Maia from Portugal; and Seberang Perai, Georgetown and Malacca City from Malaysia. The cities will cooperate on several areas including circular economy and will be briefed on pilot projects and action plans that are expected to result from their cooperation.

Leveraging distinctive economic, physical, and leadership assets to grow and cultivate, innovation districts have been emerging in dozens of cities and metropolitan areas globally and helping transform distinct urban geographies into thriving boosters for sustainable development. Introduced by the city of Barcelona in 2000, the 22@district is a new strategy enabling the connection between the local and international communities by providing better integration and increasing the productivity of both communities. Today, this district is seen as the inspiration by more...

In the context of the Bangkok Design Week 2021 hosted by the Creative Economy Agency (CEA), the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme of the European Union and we!park, a partner of the Green Bangkok 2030 initiative of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), will organise a series of activities aimed at advancing dialogue and multi-stakeholder cooperation on green urban development.   One of the activities planned for this event is an international online forum titled “New Green Possibilities”. The...

Green and Smart Building represents the perfect integration to support the development of sustainable cities. Low Carbon Smart Buildings are the positive catalyst towards sustainability and, even more than energy and technology solutions. The use of vertical green and roof garden offer a great opportunity to change the image of the city toward a nature-based solution for a clean healthy urban life. From the Roman Villa’s gardens to the Blood and Tissue Bank of Catalonia in Barcelona, design and technology are...

Thursday, 17 June 2021, 3:00-4:30 p.m. GMT+8 (9:00-10:30 a.m. CEST) Net Zero: 2050 Low Carbon Spatial Planning In this 4th session of the Low Carbon Cities Webinar, curated by the GTALCC Project under UNDP Malaysia and the Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA), we’ll be taking a look at on the the topic of Spatial Planning in the context of Achieving Net-Zero Emissions by the year 2050. Joining with us this 17th of June will be 5 experts, both local...