Climate Mitigation Pathways for Cities – enabling transition through knowledge exchange and communication tools

As Climate Change challenges threaten future quality of life, urgent action to mitigate CO2 emissions as well as to adapt to current and future risks is mandatory. Cities are crucial for both areas: mitigation, because 2/3 of the worldwide population live in urban areas and relate to 70% of global emissions; adaptation, because the settlements structure, mainly sealed areas, enhances the negative effects of climate change. Within the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action KNOWING [1] climate mitigation pathways, which represent timelines of specific interventions, are compiled for different regions and urban areas.

Over the past years cities have responded by defining strategies regarding mitigation and adaptation that identify measures for specific sectors. Although there is vast knowledge with respect to future impacts and possible mitigation and adaptation measures within different sectors (e.g. transport, energy, etc.), implementation remains inadequate. To overcome possible barriers, increased knowledge on potential measures and reduced uncertainties of their impact is crucial. Therefore, KNOWING combines a system dynamics modelling approach with a broad stakeholder engagement communication strategy, that accounts for target group specific communication channels. Thus, a KNOWING app for the civil society has been developed building on the storytelling approach for increased climate literacy, a decision support tool for politicians and administrative staff, and playful training for stakeholders from the economic sectors and politicians, as well as the knowledge base that includes all information and is built for representatives from science, policy and economy. The combination of knowledge exchange and communication tools is fed with quantified data and developed with local stakeholders to ensure their applicability and support in urban transformation.

[1] https://ercim-news.ercim.eu/en135/special/knowing-how-to-deal-with-climate-change