17 Dec 2021
Authored by Pontus Westerberg, Programme Management Officer, Tech and Innovation at UN-Habitat
The Climate Smart Cities Challenge is an initiative from UN-Habitat, the UN programme for sustainable cities and Viable Cities, the Swedish innovation programme with a mission to accelerate the climate transition in cities by 2030. In November 2021, we launched an innovation competition to accelerate the shift to climate neutrality in Bogotá, Colombia; Bristol, United Kingdom; Curitiba; Brazil; and Makindye Ssabagabo, Uganda.
We have big ambitions with the Climate Smart Cities Challenge. We know that there are innovative climate smart solutions, business models and approaches being developed all over the world. The cleantech startup sector is thriving and there are lots of SMEs looking for markets for green technology solutions. What we need to do is match these solutions with real needs and challenges. With around 70% of carbon emissions globally coming from urban areas, it is clear that the world’s climate challenges are overwhelmingly in cities. But there is an information gap. Our work has shown us that local governments are often not aware of the potential of solutions being developed in the cleantech sector.
The total value of global public procurement is estimated at $13 trillion annually. This provides an incredible opportunity to procure climate smart solutions, while influencing the way that the private sector focuses its impressive research and innovation capacity towards solutions that benefit the environment. We urgently need to get this right if we are to limit global warming to 1.5% degrees of pre-industrialization by 2030.
Over the last year, we have established a strong partnership of more than 15 public and private organisations working closely together and with the four cities participating in the competition. On 20 January, we will announce up to 80 finalist teams of innovators – startups, SMEs and other organizations – with climate smart solutions to join our diverse consortium. We believe that this will form an extremely powerful proposition – a group of committed public and multilateral institutions, innovation agencies, four cities and 80 innovator teams. At that point we will launch a serious funding pitch with the aim of mobilising $300 million in climate smart investments.
We will also start planning four local ‘system demonstrators’. These are portfolios of connected innovations, targeting different aspects of the cities’ climate and sustainability challenges. With the purpose of achieving multiple, large-scale and transformative outcomes that help cities become climate neutral while improving the lives of residents. We have EUR 300,000 available to plan the system demonstration phase but, as mentioned, our finance mobilisation ambitions are far greater.
We want you to work with us to pitch your solutions to multilateral donors, investment funds, development banks and other funders. We are confident that our diverse group of organisations can prepare very powerful pitches together.
If you are interested in being part of this initiative, get your application in now. The final deadline is 5 January 2022.
