Local governanceOn the 23rd and 24th of April 2024, a workshop on local climate strategies will be held in the city of Valencia, Spain. The event, is the fifth of a series of 6 workshops which will be held in 6 different cities within the SSH CENTRE project (Social Sciences and Humanities for Climate, Energy aNd Transport Research Excellence): Čačak, Serbia; Grenoble, France; Arnhem, The Netherlands; Porto, Portugal; Valencia, Spain; Rijeka, Croatia.
The project aims to enhance the contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) to accelerate the EU’s transition to carbon neutrality by better engaging SSH researchers with stakeholders across research, policy, and business.
Under the project, Knowledge & Innovation (K&I) and Energy Cities launched a programme on Social Sciences and Humanities knowledge brokerage for regional-level governance, involving 6 cities in 6 different key topics.
The city of Valencia, in collaboration with a dedicated team of researchers, will focus its work on local climate strategies. Local authorities must mobilize their communities and foster innovation to develop a city that operates independently from fossil energy sources. This transformation should be pursued minimizing the impact on natural resources and preparing the city to respond to the challenges posed by climate change, aligning with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. To achieve this ambitious goal it is needed a profound transformation of the internal governance structures within municipalities. Empowering local authorities is crucial, enabling them to effectively engage citizens as well as local economic and social stakeholders in steering their territory’s ecological transition.
Valencia, 2024 European Green Capital and mission city, is carrying out an energy and urban transition that has almost enabled to reach the 2020 objectives of the European Climate Pact in 12 years. It has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 31% and its energy consumption by 18% compared to 2007. Valencia just finalized its Climate City Contract, the long term planning to reach neutrality and launched a local alliance to bring their strategy to life. Now the city is committed to bring the Climate City Contract to life, fostering local alliances and engaging with key actors for the transition, achieving its climate commitments.
The workshop will be the occasion for diving in the topic together with the team of researchers, local administrators, and stakeholders from other cities. It will include a city tour with local stakeholders to get feedback on the work done by the team so far.
Are you a city working and interested in local climate strategies?
The workshop is open to the participation of 8 representatives from 8 European cities. If you are interested in sharing your experience and learning from other cities, contact us to get more information on the programme!
The SSH CENTRE project (Social Sciences and Humanities for Climate, Energy aNd Transport Research Excellence) is a project funded by the European Commission and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme.
