Nature within cities and cities within nature

Nature within cities and cities within nature

30 JUNE 2021

BACKGROUND

You are cordially invited to a high-level event, co-organized by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Portuguese EU Presidency, aiming at demonstrate the value of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for cities, from developing climate resilient pathways to harnessing a broad range of environmental and socio-economic benefits. The event will highlight local participatory approaches as bases for long-term success, look at ways to scale impact with innovative approaches and call for genuine action across differentscales and sectors.

The event will focus on exploring the multiple benefits of NbS for cities, highlighting opportunities and challenges to advance and scale up NbS, from local action to global solutions, accelerating impact in 2021 and beyond. The event starts with a high-level panel (16:00 – 16:30 CEST) which will discuss how the application of NbS can provide long-term social, ecological and economic benefits. The second session (16:30 – 17:30 CEST) features two technical panels with a focus on implementation challenges and opportunities as well as models for scaling up NbS from local action to global solutions.

AGENDA

Opening Remarks H.E. João Pedro MATOS FERNANDES, Portuguese Minister for the Environment Inger ANDERSEN, Executive Director, UNEP Multiple Benefits of NbS H.E. Ana ABRUNHOSA, Portuguese Minister of Territorial Cohesion H.E. Svenja SCHLUZE, German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (Video) H.E. Andrej VIZJAK, Slovenian Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning (Video) Opportunities and Challenges to Advance NbS Philippe TULKENS, acting Head of Unit, DG Research & Innovation, Healthy Planet Directorate, European Commission Ana DAAM, Head of Division of Sustainable Finance and Adaptation, Portuguese Environment Agency Rosário OLIVEIRA, Researcher, Institute of Social Sciences (ICS), University of Lisbon From Local Action to Global Solutions: Models for Scaling up NbS Duarte D´ARAÚJO, Landscape Architect, Lisbon Municipality Angela CRUZ GUIRAO, Director of Green and Sustainable Development, Campinas City Hall Q&A session Wrap up by Moderators Susana NETO (University of Lisbon) and Catarina ROSETA-PALMA (ISCTE-IUL)

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