Daring Cities Sessions

Circular Economy

Enabling Circular Economy through Reduction and Scientific Management of Plastic Waste

The session is organised by ICLEI South Asia and Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) and aims to deliberate on opportunities offered by circular economy measures and identify concrete actions to catalyse a transition to a circular economy and address the growing plastic waste menace. The session will also highlight the crucial role played by the private sector in driving the development of innovative business models, packaging design, materials and technologies in line with the circular economy. The outcomes envisaged from the session include:

• Establish the need for an effective waste management infrastructure to implement the waste hierarchy, upscale the cycling of plastics in the economy, and prevent leakage into the environment.
• Improve political and public awareness of the impacts of plastic pollution in the environment
• Explore opportunities for recovering the value of plastic as a resource through circular economy tools by engaging public and private sectors

From Nexus Thinking to Nexus Action in Food-Water-Energy-Waste Management

Research-policy-practice interfaces are critical in shaping environmental governance as they allow for exchanges, co-evolution and joint construction of knowledge and practices between various stakeholders. This session focuses on (1) effective research-policy-practice interface in nexus approaches toward promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation, (2) the linkage between city-led research and evidence-based decision making in the context of Food-Water-Energy-Waste nexus, and (3) the path from research-driven policy making to science-informed local action in cities as well as showcasing a success story in Global South.

Solid Waste Management: The Forgotten, Underestimated Child and its Critical Role for Current and Future Crises

While often overlooked in debates about how to reach climate goals, solid waste management can hugely contribute; if waste is mismanaged, the whole sector becomes a net-emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. However, if properly managed and the first steps are taken towards a circular economy, the sector can hugely help mitigate emissions from cities. This holds also true for COVID-19: while the world focuses on washing hands, solid waste collection and treatment needs to continue in a safe way to avoid the spread of other diseases and ensure proper disposal of increased amounts of medical waste and potentially infectious waste from municipal solid waste stream. This event will highlight how partnerships can harness opportunities to:
– Respond climate emergencies effectively in COVID-19 situation;
– Maintain or even expand MSWM service delivery in crisis situation and
– Build back better for climate resilience

Measuring Circular Economy Jobs in Cities

Circular economy jobs are the binding factor between environmental sustainability and a just transition, and are central to getting the political buy-in for the transition from linear to circular. This panel shall introduce the method developed to identify and track employment in the circular economy, a “tool” that points out which economic sectors (and the accompanying jobs) will be affected by the circular economy transition in cities.

1.5° Living through Circular Development

This session will provide insights into the leading city practices around the world aiming at 1.5-Degree Living. The cities will share the circular economy measures and innovative policy instruments that they have developed in the three priority domains – nutrition, housing, and mobility – with the largest impact (approximately 75%) on city dwellers’ carbon footprints. In addition, barriers that are faced by city governments and potential solutions for scaling up these interventions will be discussed.

TEDxDaringCities: Daring to Go Climate Neutral – Session 2

The session will open with a special address showcasing the unparalleled vision of the Government of Dominica to become the world’s first Climate Resilient nation. Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), will provide a response to the special address, further contextualizing the bold leadership of the Government of Dominica in the framework of global climate resilience and disaster risk reduction, and highlighting what other governments can learn from this example. A panel of daring urban leaders who are each pursuing the ambitious goal of climate neutrality will then present and discuss the leading work their cities are undertaking to realize this ambitious target. In showcasing their work, the panelists will also aim to inspire fellow urban leaders to join them in the commitment to climate neutrality, and highlight that while the task of achieving such a target may be daunting, it is both possible and urgently needed. The COUNTDOWN global initiative will then illustrate what a healthy, abundant, zero-emission future can look like, presenting both stirring examples of real progress underway around the world, as well as powerful reasons why this post-crisis moment is the time to act. Chilean High Level Climate Action Champion Gonzalo Muñoz will then address the criticality of ambitious climate action, and together with the Mayor of the City of Glasgow, discuss the key role of cities, towns and regions in not only setting ambitious climate targets, but in implementing and accelerating bold climate action worldwide.

TEDxDaringCities: Embedding Climate Neutrality Ambition Throughout Sustainable Development

Achieving climate neutrality is one of the most ambitious goals that a government can undertake, yet it is one of the most critically needed to help the world stay below the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold. Those Daring Cities pursuing a target of climate neutrality must look beyond normal climate action planning measures, and integrate this approach and ambition into all aspects of their work. Cities, towns and regions from around the world which are already successfully pursuing daring approaches to achieve their ambitious climate targets will showcase their achievements. Panellists will discuss the importance of integrating these approaches and sectors into their climate action, and how it has helped them advance toward achieving their bold climate targets. Experiences and lessons learned will be shared in order to help inspire and enable other cities, towns and regions to replicate these innovative approaches and empowered to commit to more ambitious climate targets themselves.

Bold Circular Development as Daring Climate Action

This event will address two challenges that cities face during their transition to a circular and zero-carbon city: industrial waste circularity and food waste recovery. In the first part, four cities will share their actions and circular economy projects on the industrial waste streams and how the measures contribute to cities’ climate action goals. In the second part, two mega cities in southern China will share their strategies and flagship projects for a more sustainable urban food system, especially on the consumption pattern and nutrients recovery. Speakers will demonstrate cases and evidence of how local circular economy actions can contribute to global climate change.

Vision and Pathways Related to Circular Cities

This event is to share the innovative pathways for the world’s cities which could lead the world towards an environmentally sustainable future. This guide is needed even more now with the world still suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and many of the world’s biggest and most vibrant cities most affected by this terrible virus. COVID-19 sends us an important message, that a healthy planet is essential for us to maintain our own health. It’s time to take stock of how we damage nature now and how we can build back better so that nature is central to how cities function and thrive in the future.

Prioritizing Equity in Local Climate Action

The economic impacts of the current Covid-19 crisis have only seen social inequalities grow as they have hit already vulnerable groups especially hard. Consequently, a growing political consensus is forming globally that daring climate action needs to systematically incorporate social equity considerations. This session will showcase how cities have been integrating equity frameworks into their climate planning and which innovative tools and approaches they have developed to ensure implementation. In all cases, collaboration with residents and local stakeholders is a key component to ensure different needs are considered and no one is left behind on the path to more climate-friendly urban environments.