Highlights and images for 6 March 2018

Canada

Summary

The CitiesIPCC conference convened for the second day on Tuesday. During the day, participants discussed themes of the science and practice of cities related to urban emissions, impacts, and vulnerabilities, and of solutions for the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient cities. Across the themes, many panels and participants underscored the need to undertake multi-disciplinary research and bring together different types of practitioners such as engineers, planners, and communications experts.

Theme two: urban emissions, impacts, and vulnerabilities: Vulnerabilities raised ranged from the unique circumstances of coastal communities, to specific infrastructure-related vulnerabilities such as airports, waste management, and storm water management.

Many panels discussed how climate change can be integrated into the varied decisions that cities make. Some of the ideas included creating coordination mechanisms to work across silos, and partnerships with local or global research institutes. Many panels discussed how climate change can be integrated into the varied decisions that cities make. Some of the ideas included creating coordination mechanisms to work across silos, and partnerships with local or global research institutes. Others noted research and policy can inform one another and that communities have a key role in these efforts.

Theme three: solutions for the transition to low carbon and climate resilient cities: Several participants noted the promise of green infrastructure and other nature-based solutions to build resilience. In other panels, some observed uncertainties in the costing data and need to design metrics for green infrastructure. While some focused on such nature-based solutions, many others explored the role of new technologies, such as smart cities, autonomous cars, and the internet of things, noting opportunities, but also the need for policy to provide direction and manage possible drawbacks. Other key conversations included the limits of urban action, and the need to link actions and monitoring systems beyond urban boundaries as part of managing complex systems and enabling funding for change.

Closing the day, members of the Scientific Steering Committee presented the findings from the conference papers to foreshadow discussions occurring tomorrow on theme four: Enabling transformative climate action in cities (advancing science and advancing cities).

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage provided daily digital coverage and a summary report from the 2018 CitiesIPCC Conference. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
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Theme 3 Plenary: Solutions for the Transition to Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Cities (Science and practice for cities)

Jim Skea, Co-Chair, IPCC WGIII

Andrew Gouldson, University of Leeds

Mehrnaz Ghojeh, BuroHappold Engineering

Lan Marie Nguyen Berg, Vice Mayor of Environment and Transportation, Oslo

Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Central European University

Scientific Steering Committee Special Reporting Plenary

Richard Dawson, Newcastle University

Xuemei Bai, Australian National University

From L-R: Lykke Leonardsen, Head of Climate Unit, City of Copenhagen; Aliyu Salisu, Bayero University, Kano; and David Dodman, International Institute for Environment and Development

Human Health Impacts of Climate Change

Benedicte Dousset, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa

Nigel Tapper, Monash University

Patrick Kinney, Boston University

Climate Risks and Vulnerabilities in Coastal Communities

Tom Logan, University of Michigan

Andyan Diwangkari, Georgia Institute of Technology

Felipe Cerbella, Rio de Janeiro City Government, Brazil

Ines Camilloni, Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmosfera

Mainstreaming Urban Governance and Food Energy and Water Systems Towards Climatic Risk Reduction

Semu Moges, Addis Ababa University

Patricia Romero Lankao, National Center for Atmospheric Research

Climate Response Actions in Cities: Enabling Resilience Building

From L-R: Maria Figueroa, Copenhagen Business School; Mani Nepal, South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics; Ernest Mensah Abraham, University of Professional Studies

Marieke Cloutier, Chief of Environment Division, City of Montreal, Canada

Mani Nepal, South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics

Raymond Kasei, University for Development Studies

Smart Cities and their Promise for Addressing Climate Change in Cities

Mark Archibald, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

Diego Ponce de Leon Barido, University of California, Berkeley

Henry Abanda Fonbeyin, Oxford Brookes University

Homa Rahmat, University of New South Wales

Promise of Green Infrastructure to Combat Climate Change in Cities

László Pintér, Central European University

Shuaib Lwasa, Makerere University

Bettina Wanschura, Ramboll Group

Transforming the Built Environment: Research and Experience

Rob Bernhardt, Passive House Canada

Souran Chatterjee, Central European University

Adam Rysanek, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of BC

Climate Chance and Equity in the context of SDGs

Laura Flórez Botero, CEO, Ingeobosque

Roger Cremades, Climate Service Center Germany

Lifecycle Assessment and Multiple Co-Benefits between Climate, SDGs, and Infrastructure

Adam Auer, Cement Association of Canada, with Anu Ramaswami, Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Jaume Albertí, UNESCO

From L-R: Richard Dawson, Newcastle University; David Bristow, University of Victoria; Rylie Pelton, University of Minnesota; Adam Auer, Cement Association of Canada; and Jaume Albertí, UNESCO

Promise of Green Infrastructure and Nature-Based Solutions to Combat Climate Change

Dave Kendal, University of Melbourne

Timon McPhearson, The New School

Ernita Van Wyk, ICLEI-Africa

Climate Change and SDG interactions in cities: How much transformation is needed?

Mark Pelling, King’s College London

Benjamin Delali Dovie, University of Ghana

From L-R: Meryl Jagarnath, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Miho Kamei, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies; and Lei Song, China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong

Governing Climate Change in Complex Urban Settings: Resilience through Social Innovation

Joanne Douwes, eThekwini Municipality

Anna Taylor, Future Resilience for African Cities and Lands (FRACTAL) Project

Leslie Mabon, Robert Gordon University