Join us at upcoming events!

Four winning teams from each of the participating cities — Bogotá, Bristol, Curitiba and Makindye Ssabagabo — will be announced during a live event on Wednesday, September 28th.

Through a systems demonstration approach the winners will create new pathways and showcase the potential that technology and innovation has to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Stakeholders from cities across the globe, partners, coaches and people interested in technologies for the climate transition, will come together at the event, to discover the winning ideas and mobilize the necessary investments to make these solutions be implemented and scaled.

To learn more, click here to register for free and join the live event on Wednesday 28 September from 17.00 to 18.00 (CET).

On Thursday, 20 January 2022 we announced the 45 finalists of the Climate Smart Cities Challenge. The finalists and their projects represent a diverse and inspiring range of innovative technology solutions to reduce the climate impact in Bogotá, Colombia; Bristol, United Kingdom; Curitiba, Brazil; and Makindye Ssabagabo, Uganda.

This event marks the start of a journey towards some of the finalists becoming winning teams that will demonstrate new pathways and capabilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while also contributing to other societal benefits. Ultimately, multiple and diverse stakeholders in cities will come together to learn from these demonstrators and mobilize the necessary investments for climate transition.  

Watch the event recording

Agenda:

• Introduction by moderator Per Grankvist, Olga Kordas (Viable Cities) Olle Armstrand Dierks (Viable Cities) Pontus Westerberg (UN-Habitat) and Karin Rydén (Vinnova)
• What does it take to transition to climate-neutral and smart cities? Thomas Osdoba, Director of NetZeroCities EU and Senior Cities Advisor of Climate-KIC
• The role of global companies and startups for the transition. Juliana Sá, Executive Manager of Corporate Relations and Sustainability, Scania and Marija Zima, Head Smart Cities and Solutions, ABB presents how global companies can support the transition to climate neutral and smart cities, followed by a dialogue on how to team up with small companies with new business models.
• Coming together for system demonstration. Joost Beunderman, Director, Dark Matter Labs gives an overview of the journey ahead presents a real case for system demonstration. Madelen Strömberg, Business Sweden and Tommy Mikelsen, SEK, reflect on what this means for future investments. All cities will give a glimpse of what they are planning for.
• Finalist showcase. Kathy Nothstine, Head of Future Cities at Nesta Challenges (now known as Challenge Works) describes the challenge process and presents all finalists. Stina Lantz of Ignite Sweden presents how they will become teams.
• Wrap-up.

The competition launched at the Swedish Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai! Watch the recording.

Agenda & speakers:

• Per Grankvist, Chief Storyteller at Viable Cities, moderator
• Opening Speech by Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif
• Presentations of challenges from four cities; Bogotá, Bristol, Curitiba and Makindye Ssabagabo
• Panel and reflections – Priscilla Negreiros, Manager at Climate Policy Initiative, Olga Kordas; Programme Director of Viable Cities; Klas Wåhlberg, Director General Teknikföretagen, Tommy Mikelsen, Director Structured Finance at The Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK)
• Launch ceremony: connecting to the world through pavilions
• Information about a workshop for disseminators at COP26 in Glasgow

This event at COP26 looks at the role of innovation competitions and climate smart solutions in delivering 1.5 °C compatible systemic impact in cities and communities. The objective is to showcase a series of ongoing innovation competitions, while strengthening networks and building relationships between innovators, the United Nations, Mission Innovation, and governments in our quest to deliver 1.5 °C globally sustainable solutions. We will present four new initiatives: The UNFCCC Cities Innovation Hub, EARTH 300, the Carbonless Asia Challenge and the Climate Smart Cities Challenge. After the event, we hope to see stronger links between city stakeholders and solutions providers. We also plan to explore ways of measuring and setting targets for export/dissemination of 1.5 °C compatible solutions.

Participants:

• Incubators, accelerators, organizations of portfolios with companies relevant for the leading challenges + partners behind competitions regenerative lifestyles

Key details: 

• 9 November 18:00 – 20:00 (UCT)
• Virtual (facilitated from UNFCC innovation Hub at COP-26 in Glasgow)
  

Agenda:

• Introduction to an expanded innovation agenda and the UNFCCC Innovation
  Hub (Dennis Pamlin, Mission Innovation/ Massamba Thioye/Carlos Garvia,
  UNFCCC)
• World leading competitions and the role of cities
  • Introduction EARTH 300 (Aaron Oliviera, EARTH 300)
• Introduction Carbonless Asia Challenge (Tony Verb, Carbonless Asia Challenge)
• Introduction Climate Smart Cities Challenge by UN-Habitat and Vinnova (Bernhard Barthes, UN-Habitat and Regina Summer, Vinnova )
• Challenge descriptions, interview with Mr. Rafael Greca, Mayor of Curitiba, and information about the four city challenges (Pontus Westerberg, UN-Habitat)
• Incentives to participate, Kathy Nothstine, Nesta Challenges
• Round table discussion with relevant participants from a system perspective (Moderated by Dennis Pamlin, Mission Innovation and Åsa Minoz, Viable Cities)

Outcome:

• Identify links between stakeholders in cities responsible for reducing emissions and creating a better future and those with an interest in disseminating solutions, including exploration of the possibility of measuring and setting targets for export/dissemination of 1.5 °C compatible solutions. The role for competitions in a 21st century innovation ecosystem will be explored.

Watch the webinar

Watch the webinar to hear directly from Bogotá on the challenge and what type of solution they are looking for. The webinar will feature a speaker from the city and the challenge delivery partners Nesta Challenges & UN-Habitat to answer questions you have regarding your applications.

About the challenge: Bogota is looking for innovative business models, services and/or technologies that contribute to improved freight mobility in the city and reduce congestion-based greenhouse gas and air pollutants emissions from logistics operations [by 100,000 tonnes of CO2 and 100 tonnes of PM2.5 by 2024, approx.].

Watch the webinar

Watch the webinar to hear directly from Bristol on the challenge and what type of solution they are looking for. The webinar will feature a speaker from the city and the challenge delivery partners Nesta Challenges & UN-Habitat to answer questions you have regarding your applications.

About the challenge:  Bristol is looking for innovative business models, services and/or products that can help shape a new housing development appraisal and financing model that enables the development of affordable, zero carbon new homes in the city starting in 2023.

Watch the webinar

Watch the webinar to hear directly from Curitiba on the challenge and what type of solution they are looking for. The webinar will feature a speaker from the city and the challenge delivery partners Nesta Challenges & UN-Habitat to answer questions you have regarding your applications.

About the challenge: Curitiba is looking for innovative and integrated business models, services and/or technologies that will help create zero carbon emission areas, advancing to Curitiba’s ambition to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

Watch the webinar

Watch the webinar to hear directly from Makindye Ssabagabo on the challenge and what type of solution they are looking for. The webinar will feature a speaker from the city and the challenge delivery partners Nesta Challenges & UN-Habitat to answer questions you have regarding your applications.

About the challenge:  Makindye Ssabagabo is looking for innovative products, services and/or business models which can help build zero carbon, energy-efficient, affordable homes that can be developed and demonstrated in Makindye Ssabagabo by 2023.