Smart city

The third edition of the Zero Waste Berlin Festival takes place from the 16-17th of September at Engelnest, Berlin, to present impactful solutions for green minds.

The two-day event aims to bring together entrepreneurs and citizens to discuss and discover new solutions to build sustainable and zero waste cities.

Topics covered by over 60 speakers focus on the main aspects of creating future cities, such as sustainable food systems and urban lifestyle, mobility and technology, among others.

“We want to create a space where entrepreneurs, companies and people can meet, learn from each other and find resources – Berlin is the perfect place for it,”

says Coral Ruz, Founder of the Zero Waste Berlin Festival.

On the first day, entrepreneurs, companies, institutions and investors will gather to connect and exchange ideas helping the shift to make cities more sustainable.

Coral Ruz, Founder of the Zero Waste Berlin Festival, has started an international zero waste community in Belrin in 2019.

Keynote speaker of the event, Kilian Kaminkski, co-founder of Refurbed, the fastest growing online marketplace for refurbished products, will address attendees with a presentation focusing on why „The future is Circular Economy’.

The second day will focus on citizen engagement in transforming cities and zero waste movements.

Participants can attend conferences, and masterclasses, meet with brands, enjoy an immersive networking experience with the Green Networking Party and meet with local artists thanks to the collaboration with the Berlin Music Commission.

Zero Waste Berlin Festival 2021; Image: Ana Torres

“In curating this year’s programme, our aspiration has been to highlight inspiring and solution-oriented projects across the private, public, and civic sectors,”

shared Therese Sivertsson, Program Manager of the festival.

Speakers include Franziska Voß from BSR, Frieder Söling from Noch Mall, Ana Milhazes from Zero Waste Portugal and many more.

The day will close with Positive Planet Kino; a full program of short films and documentaries addressing the future of the planet with a positive approach.

Tickets and the entire program are available on the event’s website.

The first edition of the Zero Waste Berlin Festival was launched in 2019 as a passion project of founder Coral Ruz and has grown into an international movement ever since, reaching more than 40,000 people.

Headline image: Ana Torres

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September 2022

Making cities human and kind

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 10:49:28 +0000

Making cities human and kind

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"Cities are hubs for change, places where we dream, discuss, live, grow, and work." Lior Steinberg, urban planner, shares insights on how to transform city life to be more human and kind.

Expert opinion by Lior Steinberg,

co-founder of Humankind, an agency for urban change based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

I believe that places that encourage positive connections between people and the environment are humane and kind.

For example, streets prioritising car movement are not human and kind since they do not allow residents and visitors to interact, relax, and socialise.

Additionally, it excludes many groups who cannot or will not own a car. On the other hand, a street designed with space for pedestrians, cyclists, transit, benches, trees, interesting shops, and meeting places is human and kind.

Lior Steinberg, urban planner and co-founder of Humankind agency

I co-founded Humankind, an agency for urban change based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, to make cities more human and kind to ourselves, others and our planet. If we create human and kind cities, we create sustainable presents and better futures where we can live a good life together.

We provide cities, organisations and changemakers with human-powered data and insights to make sense of the present, creative tools to start shaping the future today and share our knowledge so anyone can be a city maker.

Cities are complex systems created and experienced by equally complex beings.

To make them better, we need better insights. Although we have the data, the real challenge is the lack of connections and interpretation. Local governments and municipalities collect and store a lot of data about their cities. In practice, they often struggle to translate this data into meaningful, actionable insights for improving quality of life.

The idea behind our human-powered data approach is to rethink how we collect and analyse data about our cities. The most important thing is to make sure that we are asking the right questions.

For instance, instead of measuring the number of cars passing in a street, maybe we can measure the comfort of street users?

Instead of mapping all playgrounds in the city, could we measure the playfulness of streets and public spaces, regardless of whether they are defined as an official playgrounds?

We strive to create better public spaces by combining spatial analysis with system and trend research. Our Good Public Space concept is a humble attempt to capture all the great qualities of public spaces in a simple, affordable, and scalable way.

We acknowledge that "Good" can mean different things to different people, but research shows that most people view pleasant interactions with other humans and nature as positive. Therefore, there is a need to analyse whether places are designed to encourage such interactions. Additionally, we observe how people behave in the space.

Many companies are often too focused on one discipline, whether they are architects, urban planners, or engineers. In order to create great cities for people, you must approach the city from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Cities can spend years discussing possible changes with residents, or they can try it and see if it works.

One of our unique projects is offering a ‘Daytrip to the Future’, allowing participants to imagine a better future. Instead of forecasting or trying to predict the future, we translate future possibilities into present-day choices.

Using tactical urbanism - low-cost, temporary changes to the built environment - we help cities try different designs and schemes. For instance, making a street pedestrian-only for the summer or installing a pop-up bike lane instead of a parking lane.

Having an authentic experience and not just theoretical ideas can be more powerful, leading to better decisions. You can do something as simple as finding the perfect place to set up a bench or as complex as rethinking an entire traffic circulation plan.

To me, it is all about improving our public spaces and streets and creating places that make people smile.

Headline image: Ronald Cuyan, Unsplash

This content was originally published in the Profit with Purpose Magazine.

Read more insights on making cities sustainable and inclusive in the Summer 2022 edition of the magazine >>>

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June 2022

Building the largest community of 'City Changers'

Business Spirit News reporting — Fri, 27 May 2022 12:47:24 +0000

Building the largest community of 'City Changers'

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Gerald-Babel Sutter, Founder of Urban Future, the largest gathering for ‘City Changers’ shares how to bring together thinkers and doers to shape our cities.

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May 2022

Call for entrepreneurs driving circular city transformations

Business Spirit News reporting — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 12:47:33 +0000

Call for entrepreneurs driving circular city transformations

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Start-up teams with innovative circular economy solutions in urban areas are invited to apply to the Circular Cities accelerator program.

The Circular Cities ClimAccelerator public-private initiative offers an extensive programme and funding for entrepreneurs driving the transformation of cities to become more sustainable and climate-resilient.

Start-ups are invited to submit their projects focusing on a circular solution in the textile, food, tourism, mobility, construction sectors and other relevant areas.

“The Circular Cities ClimAccelerator helped us not only to connect to other leaders in this area, but also to connect to relevant stakeholders such as cities to create valuable partnerships,”

says Dominik Campanella, Co-Founder of Concular, and participant of the previous Circular Cities program.

Proposed business solutions need to be scalable in urban areas, particularly to the markets of the partner cities of the program, which includes Dublin, Berlin and potentially other large cities.

Selected teams will go through three stages: working on their business strategy, market validation, and investment readiness.

At the first stage, 25 teams will be supported with €3.000 per team, then 15 teams will continue the next phase when they will each receive up to €15.000 grant.

The final module will be an invite-only option for the best ten projects to present their ideas to investors.

Application is open until 10 April to enterprises with an advanced business model and minimum viable product with a legal entity registered no longer than five years in Europe.

The duration of the program is eight months, starting on 25 April and closing with a demo day on 02 December 2022.

The Circular Cities ClimAccelerator program is managed by Climate-KIC, Luvent Consulting GmbH, DTU - Technical University of Denmark, UPS, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity's Ideas Workspace, Veolia and primeCROWD investment group.

Headline image: CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

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March 2022

Cities to stand together in solidarity for Ukraine

Business Spirit News reporting — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 19:15:16 +0000

Cities to stand together in solidarity for Ukraine

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Cities across Europe are called to organise gatherings in front of city halls to unite people in sharing moments of solidarity for Ukraine.

Eurocities, a network of larger European cities with over 200 members representing 38 countries and its people, is launching an initiative that invites cities to share a moment of solidarity on Saturday, 12 March.

Organisers are calling on cities to organise small or big gatherings in front of city halls across Europe on that day to express their support to those suffering due to the Russian military offensive targeting Ukraine.

President of Eurocities and Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, appeals to all mayors and cities to ‘link arms, or share a moment in front of or around our city halls.’

Addressing Eurocities members, Nardella added:

“City diplomacy breaks borders. Through networks like Eurocities, and through our city twinnings, we have built strong relationships. We know and trust each other. We have respect. When we offer solidarity, it is genuine and heartfelt.”

The cities of Bologna, Braga, Florence, Milan, Marseille, Nice, Rotterdam, as well as Rome have already answered the call and joined the movement.

One of the frontrunners to express solidarity is Dublin city. They are putting up lamppost banners and using digital panels across the city in the colour of blue and yellow of the Ukraine national flag as part of their preparation for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Festival on 17 March.

To unify the voices of European cities, the ‘shared moment of solidarity for Ukraine’ campaign asks everyone participating or wanting to join in any format to share their pictures on social media channels using the #CitiesWithUkraine hashtag.

“We can do this at the time that works best for each of us on Saturday 12 March, and I ask you to share your images on social media,”

says Nardella.

Digital panels across Dublin city expressing solidarity for Ukraine; Image: Mary Mac Sweeney

Both cities and people are invited to join regardless of whether or not the city is a Eurocities member and encouraged to use visuals provided by organisers on their website.

To boost the impact of each action, Eurocities will collect and share all city actions from their network in the week of 14 March.

Headline image: Simone Hutsch on Unsplash

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March 2022

Open call for innovators who want to shape the future of cities

Business Spirit News reporting — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 16:30:58 +0000

Open call for innovators who want to shape the future of cities

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The Urban Future international gathering of changemakers is looking for impact entrepreneurs with projects making cities greener and more accesible.

The Urban Future event, the largest meeting for ‘City Changers’ will return as a live event in Helsingborg, Sweden, on the 1-3 June, bringing together thinkers and doers shaping the future of cities.

Organisers are calling innovators and entrepreneurs with an idea to transform cities to become more sustainable and accessible. They are looking for projects that are tackling environmental or social issues in an urban space, touching the lives of citizens and passionate about driving change.

The application is open until February 6, and 10 selected businesses will receive two complimentary conference tickets and have their travel and accommodation expenses covered.

Gerald Babel-Sutter co-founded the Urban Future global gathering in 2014 with the aim to bring together the brightest minds who strive to make their cities more sustainable and livable.

“We usually choose our topics based on the main struggles City Changers go through when driving sustainability in cities,”

said Babel-Sutter about how they decided on the focus of this year’s event.

Gerald Babel-Sutter, co-founder of Urban Future

The 2022 conference tracks combine the expertise of more than 450 leading urban shapers and will be structured around the following topics: Leadership; Changing Structures; Impact Entrepreneurs; Revitalising Neighbourhoods; Building New Districts; Skills for CityChangers.

One of the highlights of the agenda will be the transformation story of the host city, Helsingborg and how they managed to fundamentally change their operation within ten years to become a top-class hub for innovation.

“We immediately liked the fact that Helsingborg was so open with what it had tried and what worked and what didn’t,” Gerald continues.

“Helsingborg has understood that to reach their goals, they need to experiment and make mistakes along the way. In Sweden’s first municipal innovation hub Hbg Works, any idea to improve the City can be tested. A no-strings-attached vision fund invites residents to join in and realise their city development dreams.”

The Urban Future event takes place in different countries each year, offering a place for urban impact innovators to connect and exchange ideas.

Headline image: Urban Future

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February 2022

EU Green Deal climate package set out to fundamentally change lives and businesses until 2030

Business Spirit News reporting — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 16:29:46 +0000

EU Green Deal climate package set out to fundamentally change lives and businesses until 2030

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Making Europe the world's first climate-neutral continent is the primary goal of the recently introduced EU Commission proposal package.

The European Commission adopted a package of proposals on 14 July to apply significant changes in the EU's climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

The goal is to make Europe the world's first climate-neutral continent until 2050 by embracing the European Green Deal in the next decade.

The proposal introduced by the European Commission is presenting the legislative tools to deliver on the targets agreed in the recently adopted European Climate Law.

These changes aim to fundamentally transform the European economy and society to create a fair, green and prosperous future.

The European Commission on delivering the European Green Deal

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said:

“The fossil fuel economy has reached its limits.

We want to leave the next generation a healthy planet as well as good jobs and growth that does not hurt our nature.

The European Green Deal is our growth strategy that is moving towards a decarbonised economy.

Europe was the first continent to declare to be climate neutral in 2050, and now we are the very first ones to put a concrete roadmap on the table.

Europe walks the talk on climate policies through innovation, investment and social compensation.”

The package introduces a comprehensive and interconnected set of proposals that will enable the necessary acceleration of greenhouse gas emission reductions until 2030.

The specific targets are a combination of new strategies applied in various sectors.

Plans are mainly focusing on emissions trading to new sectors and a tightening of the existing EU Emissions Trading System; increased use of renewable energy; greater energy efficiency; a faster roll-out of low emission transport modes and the infrastructure and fuels to support them; an alignment of taxation policies with the European Green Deal objectives; measures to prevent carbon leakage; and tools to preserve and grow our natural carbon sinks.

What to expect as part of the new plans:

The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) puts a price on carbon and lowers the cap on emissions from specific economic sectors every year. The Commission proposal aims to reduce the overall emission cap further and increase its annual rate of reduction. This would mean to phase out free emission allowances for aviation and include shipping emissions for the first time in the EU ETS. Besides, a separate new emissions trading system is set up for fuel distribution for road transport and buildings. The Commission also proposes to increase the size of the Innovation and Modernisation Funds.

Phasing out free emission allowances for aviation is part of the EU Green Deal proposal; Image: John McArthur, Unsplash

Member States should spend the entirety of their emissions trading revenues on climate and energy-related projects. A dedicated part of the revenues from the new system for road transport and buildings should address the possible social impact on vulnerable households, micro-enterprises and transport users.
The Effort Sharing Regulation assigns strengthened emissions reduction targets to each Member State for buildings, road and domestic maritime transport, agriculture, waste and small industries.

By 2035, the EU should aim to reach climate neutrality in the land use, forestry and agriculture sectors; Image:Randy Fath, Unsplash

Member States also share responsibility for removing carbon from the atmosphere, so the Regulation on Land Use, Forestry and Agriculture sets an overall EU target for carbon removals by natural sinks, equivalent to 310 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2030. National targets will require Member States to care for and expand their carbon sinks to meet this target. By 2035, the EU should aim to reach climate neutrality in the land use, forestry and agriculture sectors, including also agricultural non-CO2 emissions, such as those from fertiliser use and livestock.

Stronger CO2 emissions standards for cars and vans will accelerate the transition to zero-emission mobility by requiring the average emissions of new cars to come down by 55% from 2030 and 100% from 2035 compared to 2021 levels. As a result, all new vehicles registered as of 2035 will be zero-emission. To ensure that drivers can charge or fuel their cars at a reliable network across Europe, the revised Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation will require Member States to expand charging capacity as well.

This will require charging and fuelling points at regular intervals on major highways: every 60 kilometres for electric charging and every 150 kilometres for hydrogen refuelling.

The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation requires that aircraft and ships have access to clean electricity supply in major ports and airports. The ReFuelEU Aviation Initiative will oblige fuel suppliers to blend increasing levels of sustainable aviation fuels in jet fuel taken on-board at EU airports.
A revision of the Energy Taxation Directive proposes to align the taxation of energy products with EU energy and climate policies, promoting clean technologies and removing outdated exemptions and reduced rates that currently encourage the use of fossil fuels.

A new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will put a carbon price on imports of a targeted selection of products to ensure that ambitious climate action in Europe does not lead to ‘carbon leakage'.

Instead of pushing carbon-intensive production outside Europe, this regulation will ensure that European emission reductions contribute to a global emissions decline.

It also aims to encourage industry leaders outside the EU and international partners to take steps in the same direction.

Sharing responsibility evenly across different sectors and Member States, and providing additional support where appropriate is critical in making these changes happen.

A new Social Climate Fund was also proposed to ensure a fair social transition and provide dedicated funding to Member States.

This support would help citizens finance investments in energy efficiency, new heating and cooling systems, and cleaner mobility.

The Social Climate Fund will provide €72.2 billion of funding to Member States, for the period 2025-2032; with a proposal to draw on matching Member State funding, the Fund would mobilise €144.4 billion for a socially fair transition.

Together, our proposals will spur the necessary changes, enable all citizens to experience the benefits of climate action as soon as possible, and provide support to the most vulnerable households. Europe's transition will be fair, green and competitive,”

said Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal about the new proposal package.

Headline image: Paul Hanaoka, Unsplash

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July 2021

Achieving a climate-neutral EU by 2050 becomes a legal obligation to all member states

Business Spirit News reporting — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 17:29:39 +0000

Achieving a climate-neutral EU by 2050 becomes a legal obligation to all member states

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Newly adopted European climate law is entering into force, ensuring climate neutrality in the EU in alignment with the Paris Agreement.

The European Council ended the European climate law's adoption procedure and set into legislation the objective of a climate-neutral EU by 2050.

This step transforms the European Green Deal’s political commitment to EU climate neutrality by 2050 into a binding obligation, which means that the EU will aim for negative emissions afterwards.

Parliament rapporteur Jytte Guteland (S&D, Sweden) said:

“I am proud that we finally have a climate law.

We confirmed a net emissions reductions target of at least 55%, closer to 57% by 2030, according to our agreement with the Commission.

I would have preferred to go even further, but this is a good deal based on science that will make a big difference.

The EU must now reduce emissions more in the next decade than it has in the previous three decades combined, and we have new and more ambitious targets that can inspire more countries to step up.”

The new EU climate law is entering into force; image:Unsplash

The new law sets a binding Union climate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions (emissions after deduction of removals) by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990.

By 30 September 2023, and every five years thereafter, the Commission will assess the collective progress made by all EU countries and the consistency of national measures towards the EU’s goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050.

Now that the European climate law has been adopted by both the European Parliament and the Council, citizens and businesses have the legal certainty and predictability they need to plan for this transition.

Given the importance of independent scientific advice, and based on a proposal from Parliament, a European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change will be set up to monitor progress and to assess whether European policy is consistent with these objectives.

In addition, an upcoming proposal from the Commission on the LULUCF Regulation (Land use and forestry regulation for 2021-2030) to regulate GHG emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry, will increase EU carbon sinks and will hence de facto increase the 2030 EU’s target to 57%.

At the same time, it will publish a projected indicative Union’s greenhouse gas budget for the period 2030-2050, together with its underlying methodology.

“I warmly welcome this final step of the adoption of the EU’s very first climate law, which enshrines into legislation the 2050 climate neutrality objective.

An agreement on the European climate law has been a priority for the Portuguese Presidency and I am glad that we have successfully brought it over the finishing line,” said João Pedro Matos Fernandes, Minister of Environment and Climate Action.

The Commission plans to present a series of proposals on 14 July 2021 in order for the EU to be able to reach the more ambitious 2030-target.

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July 2021

Citizens are invited to shape the future of parks across Dublin city

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 09:34:36 +0000

Citizens are invited to shape the future of parks across Dublin city

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A new research survey aims to find out what people want to see in Dublin’s parks.

The reality of “social distancing” and “self-isolation” became the new norm as part of consecutive lockdowns, and we were all faced with a sudden and radical change in our daily routine and lifestyle.

However, parks in Dublin and nationwide in Ireland have remained open, providing an important outlet for people to support their physical, social and psychological needs.

Dublin City Council (DCC), in partnership with Dublin City University (DCU) are hosting an online survey to identify what roles and functions the parks fulfilled for all Dublin citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research will also focus on how these features can be maintained after the pandemic and what future developments people would like to see in the parks.

This is an opportunity for the public to share their opinions and experiences, shaping the development of parks across Dublin in the coming years.

The research team behind the project highlight that there are significant insights available in terms of the frequency, type of usage and volume of activities that have taken place in the capital’s parks during this time.

“People access parks for a whole variety of reasons, for exercise, to enjoy nature, for their overall wellbeing and by hearing from them it will help to inform the ways in which parks should be improved and developed and, crucially planned as a space that all generations can enjoy together”, said Research lead Dr Carol Barron, DCU School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health.

Parks have provided a safe haven for many during COVID-19; Image: Pexels

This study may have a direct benefit to individuals by helping to identify the specific reasons people are using parks during the era of COVID-19 and plan for the future development of parks as sites of recreation, play, leisure, health, socialisation and biodiversity.

“Parks have provided a safe haven for many during COVID-19, and undoubtedly, the volume of people using their local park has increased substantially.

While the country remains under current restrictions and people are using their parks frequently, we want to find out from respondents what they would like to see developed in their park”, added Dr Marcos Dias from DCU School of Communications and Joint Research Lead.

Organisers want to consult with as many people as possible who use Dublin parks to identify what visitors currently like about Dublin parks and what services, facilities, and events they would like to see in the parks in the near future.

Launching on 15th March, the survey seeks responses from people across Dublin city and county until Sunday 28th March 2021.

The findings will be used to help inform planning and development policy concerning public parks by DCC. It is envisaged that the results will be disseminated via Dublin City University communication platforms.

This project is being funded by the School of Nursing, Psychology and Community Health Publication Grant and a COVID-19 Research Network seed funding grant.

The survey is a collaboration between DCU’s School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, DCU School of Communications and Dublin City Council.

Headline image: Mina-Marie Michell from Pexels

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March 2021

Building the future of Dublin on resilience and innovation

Szilvia Szabó — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 21:07:54 +0000

Building the future of Dublin on resilience and innovation

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What's next for Dublin City to maintain its position as an internationally recognised innovation hub after the COVID pandemic?

Interview with Mary Mac Sweeney, Deputy Head of Enterprise and Economic Development, Dublin City Council.

I work for Dublin City Council at the Economic Development Department and inspired to be part of the journey in shaping the future of this City. Through engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, we provide a diverse, multi-layered and evolving field of services responding to business, citizens and visitor needs. In my day to day work, I am supporting startup and scaling businesses through the Local Enterprise Office and promoting Dublin as an attractive place to live, work, study and invest through the Dublin Place Branding initiative with the Dublin.ie website.

As the City continues to experience growth and facilitates ongoing development across the economic, social, cultural and other sectors, we are committed to making this growth inclusive and sustainable.

Mary Mac Sweeney, Deputy Head of Enterprise and Economic Development, Dublin City Council

Social and environmental challenges, like climate change demand actions to transform Dublin to become a leading example of an innovative and resilient city.

All forms of resilience are more important than ever in the light of the sudden changes we experience in all walks of life in dealing with this coronavirus crises.

The shockwaves of these unprecedented events will have a long-lasting impact on our lives and the economy. However, besides the painful and heartbreaking losses we have to suffer now, it presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to build something better.

I trust that we will bounce back with the strength and courage to re-evaluate our priorities and create a more sustainable and healthier world for all of us.

"The recovery from the COVID-19 crisis must lead to a different economy. Everything we do during and after this crisis must be with a strong focus on building more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies that are more resilient in the face of pandemics, climate change, and the many other global challenges we face,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations at the launch of the report on socio-economic impacts of coronavirus.

Illustration: Getty images

A new deal for business

We clearly see the trends that social values and sustainability are becoming vital parts to start and grow an enterprise. Besides the increasing consumer and employer demands regarding responsible business practices the new European Green Deal introduced in 2019 by the European Commission will have a ripple effect on every segment.

This is Europe’s new agenda for sustainable growth which aims to transform our cities to become cornerstones in building a climate-neutral economy by 2050 in Europe. “We do not have all the answers yet… But this is Europe’s man on the moon moment,” said Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission president, highlighting the significance of the new Green Deal.

It is practically a roadmap with specific actions to a low carbon economy, while maintaining prosperity, ‘by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities across all policy areas and making the transition just and inclusive for all. This package focuses on boosting the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean, circular economy while restoring biodiversity and cutting pollution.’ (EU Commission)

The plans include many policy areas to design funding schemes, change regulations and support innovations to enable and accelerate the transition to a net-zero carbon economy.

As part of this in March 2020 the Commission adopted the new Circular Economy Action Plan focusing on making our economy fit for a green future, strengthening our competitiveness while protecting the environment and giving new rights to consumers. Legislation and regulation will further drive the reduction or elimination of business practices that are harmful to the climate or not delivering on targets.

The recently proposed European Climate Law aims to turn the political commitment into a legal obligation and a trigger for investment. To make these changes happen the EU will provide financial support and technical assistance through the ‘Just Transition Mechanism’ programme with at least €100 billion over the period 2021-2027 to help those who are most affected by the move towards the green economy.

"The new Plan will make circularity the mainstream in our lives and speed up the green transition of our economy. Future-oriented actions will create business and job opportunities, give new rights to European consumers, harness innovation and digitalisation and, just like nature, make sure that nothing is wasted,” said Virginijus Sinkevičiu, Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries in regards of these plans.

Gearing up Dublin

This future is approaching like a tsunami, which might seem small from a distance, but when it arrives, it changes everything, and it moves much faster than we might anticipate.

To respond to these changes, Dublin City Council has developed the Climate Change Action Plan 2019–2024 in partnership with Codema (Dublin’s Energy Agency) and members of the public and staff from across all Council Departments. The actions presented here will guide the City not just to mitigate the impacts of climate change but actively facilitate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and advance economic growth at the same time.

The delivery of these actions in the short, medium and long term will enable the Council to transform Dublin to become a climate-resilient city with many opportunities for businesses and its citizens to harness the benefits of a low carbon economy. An additional resource to support the City in delivering on these ambitions is the recently established Dublin Metropolitan Climate Action Regional Office – CARO. It will work closely with Dublin City Council, Codema and the other Dublin Local Authorities in the implementation, monitoring and updating of the Climate Change Action Plan.

To start the change, we wanted to take the first steps by looking at our own greenhouse emission as a Council and for the entire City. The mitigation baseline calculates just that, including a breakdown of the residential, transport and commercial sectors. It found that Dublin City Council produced just under 40,370 tonnes of CO2 in 2017 and has reduced its emissions by 24% in the last ten years. Besides, the Council has improved its energy efficiency by 29.8% and is currently on track to meet its 33% energy efficiency target by 2020.

However, given that the Council’s buildings, operations and social housing account for less than 5% of the total emissions in Dublin City, it highlights the need to tackle the remaining 95% of emissions produced citywide. In recognising this challenge, Dublin City Council will work with key stakeholders to influence and support carbon reduction initiatives across the City’s transport, commercial and residential sectors.

Public and business engagement is key to tackling the climate challenge. Our plan commits to addressing the current knowledge-gap through a range of awareness campaigns.

Looking into the future

There is a growing expectation from all stakeholders towards businesses to have strategies in place to demonstrate and communicate transparently how they are contributing to the solution and not to the problem. That means setting out details about all aspects of the service or product they deliver and how they are pivoting their businesses to make a positive impact on both people and the planet.

Significant changes in their operation and skillset will be necessary to keep up with the market and the competition.

I believe raising awareness of what this means for each individual business is essential. Dublin City plans to create several opportunities, such as events or training, where companies can learn from experts and from each other about what they could be doing to respond to global and local changes.

The new Dublin City Council Corporate Plan shares the mission of making Dublin the ‘best place in which to be, to live, to work, to do business and to enjoy’ and for the first time, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are incorporated into this plan.

Dublin City Council also supports a number of initiatives and actively collaborates with key stakeholders to deliver on these commitments and inspire change.

One of our recent offer for businesses is the MODOS course, where participants can gain knowledge related to Circular Economy and network with their peers to start building a community in Ireland.

The course is managed in partnership with the Eastern-Midlands Regional Waste Management Office and designed for micro, small and medium enterprises.

This programme aims to equip leaders with the necessary skills to embrace the opportunities in a new low carbon economy and shape their business model accordingly.

Participants of the first MODOS training were in fact quite diverse, including businesses from the catering industry to fashion, event planning, design, cosmetics and manufacturing. For example, Native Events is a leader in sustainable event solutions in Ireland, while Viva Green have been pioneers in creating innovative sustainable products over the 25 years. After the first rollout of the programme, the “MODOS Phase II” training is coming soon.

We also partnered with the annual international conference held in Dublin, the Responsible Innovation Summit, where business leaders, researchers and policymakers meet to cross-pollinate ideas while learning about trends about responsible innovation and investing.

Through the Local Enterprise Office services, we provide ongoing supports for value-driven businesses to help them succeed and deal with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At this stage we are all in learning mode when it comes to what’s involved in this transformation process, so the sooner businesses get involved, the sooner they can start to plan their own transformational strategies.

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June 2020