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