In the Research Market Place, researchers and innovators are invited to pitch a project concept to other participants, asking them to help devise a piece of research for one of the following six cross-cutting themes selected from the updated GRAA:
1. Digitalization: Innovation in digital technologies offers many opportunities for implementing climate change action in cities through improved operational efficiency, real-time data, and analytics to aid decision-making and create synergies between systems. To manage the dynamic nature of climate change, there is an urgent need to initiate innovative smart solutions and upscale existing processes using cutting-edge digital technologies that can deliver services that were not previously feasible due to high financial costs and the long timeframes required.
2. Systems Approach (also linked to Built/Green & Blue Infrastructure): Addressing climate change requires deep transformations in every part of society, including government, civil society, academia and business. Cities provide the living landscapes in which these transformations can be tested and scaled, interconnecting a system of systems. This approach relates to the balance between built, blue and green infrastructure. Built infrastructure provides the energy, transport and communications to deliver services across cities. Blue and green infrastructure refers to the natural environment, which provides essential ecosystem services that support people, the economy and biodiversity.
3. Equity and Justice: Justice and equity need to be considered in every dimension of climate change responses. Adaptation and mitigation strategies should be developed using participatory and inclusive structures and deliver co-benefits such as improved health outcomes, economic development, jobs and gender and racial equity.
4. History and Cultural Heritage: Examining the histories of cities can help build a better understanding of power dynamics and how they have shaped the city and may influence future decisions. Embedded in cities’ institutions, norms, and residents’ memories is historical, cultural, and spiritual information on how cities have responded to past stresses and crises. These stories and narratives are untapped. Especially, in relation to utilizing these resources to promote transformation change and urban adaptation.
5. Finance: The “finance gap” for climate change mitigation and adaptation investment is recognised as a global challenge. City networks are calling for greater investment localization to support city climate policy implementation (CCFLA 2021). The 2021 IPCC Climate Report, also known as ‘Code Red for Humanity’ reiterates the significant finance gap between mitigation and adaptation, with scientific findings suggesting that only 9% of all tracked urban project-level finance (EUR 6 billion in 2017/2018) used for adaptation and resilience measures. Local governments face a range of internal and external funding barriers to achieving their climate ambitions, including siloed climate budgets, limited capacity to generate revenue, inadequate coordination of investment from higher levels of government, and a mismatch between standard financial metrics and necessary local.
6. Urban Planning and Governance: Urban planning and design are influential in setting the stage for effective climate change action in cities and can help mitigate and adapt to climate change. All too often, planning systems are designed based on principles developed in industrialized countries or on colonial influences that do not adequately reflect the unique characteristics of low- and middle-income countries and nations with transitional economies. Governance models and institutions that integrate multiple levels, include multiple actors, and can respond promptly to a multitude of issues are essential for responding to the climate challenges in cities. Given the differences in local contexts, a diversity of governance approaches can work to position a city on a pathway to effective climate action.
Using an Open Space format, where self-selection and forward-thinking are encouraged, small self-organized teams will work together on the most popular project concepts. The aim is that some of these will lead to further opportunities for collaboration and implementation after the Research Symposium.
The targeted audience for this event includes academics and scholars, local and subnational government officials, innovators, experts from private sectors, funders and donors, and experts from different international key players including UN agencies.
If you want your research ideas considered for the Research Market Place pitch session, please submit your Expression of Interest through this link. Selection will be undertaken to ensure diversity of presenters and representation of topics.
Speakers
Moderators
Assoc. Prof. Cathy Oke
ICLEI GEXCOM Research Portfolio holder,
Enterprise Principal Fellow in Informed Cities, University of Melbourne
Pourya Salehi
Acting Head of Urban Research at ICLEI World Secretariat,
Global Co-chair of Research & Innovation Technical Working Group at Global Covenant of Mayors
Facilitators
Digitalization:
Katherine Foster
Senior Advisor, Open Earth Foundation
Systems Approach:
Prof. José Antonio Puppim de Oliveira,
IFWEN project leader
Equity and Justice:
Prof. Manuel Riemer,
Director, Viessmann Centre for Engagement and Research in Sustainability (VERiS),
Director, Community, Environment, and Justice Research Group (CEJRG)
History and Cultural Heritage:
Brenna Walsh
Updated GRAA Coordinating Author and Editor
Finance:
Maryke van Staden
Director of carbonn Climate Center
Director of Business Development at ICLEI World Secretariat
Urban Planning and Governance:
Benjamin Jance
Head of Research and Innovation at Global Covenant of Mayors
