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)

Follow us on our social channels.

Follow us on the channel that best suits you to receive our latest updates!

Twitter Facebook-f Linkedin Youtube
NEW

LATEST POSTS

BROWSE ALL

61st IFLA World Congress to be held from September 10th – 12th in Nantes, France

As part of WGIN’s ongoing collaboration with The International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) we are pleased to announce the 61st IFLA World Congress, organized in partnership with the French Federation of Landscape Architects (FFP, Fédération Française du Paysage.) The event will run from September 10th – 12th 2025 at La Cité des Congrès in Nantes, France. The IFLA World Congress is the most important annual event for the landscape architecture profession and the IFLA community. In 2025, the Organising Committee has chosen the theme GUIDING LANDSCAPES: planning, designing and managing new resilient urban neighbourhoods, reorganising public space by reopening land, increasing rainwater infiltration and developing urban biodiversity to cool cities are all key issues. The congress will bring together 1,200 landscape architects, urban planners and decision-makers from over 50 countries. WGIN encourages the green infrastructure community to join IFLA2025 for inspiring lectures, discussions, study visits, networking and social events! Please share and circulate this information among your colleagues. KEY DATES Call for Abstracts starts: Submit your abstract now! Registration opens: mid February 2025 Abstract submission deadline: 15 March 2025 Notification of abstract selection: 15 April 2025 Deadline for authors registration: 15 May 2025 Early bird registration deadline: 15 June 2025 Standard registration deadline: 25 July 2025.

Ready, Steady, Go: Advancing Urban Green Infrastructure in the EU

In the article “Advancing Urban Green Infrastructure in the EU“, Luigi Petito, Head of Secretariat of the WGIN’s EU Chapter, explores how green infrastructure is transforming urban areas across Europe. As cities face the pressures of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, the European Union is promoting nature-based solutions such as green roofs, urban parks, and sustainable drainage systems to address these challenges. Petito highlights how these initiatives improve environmental resilience, enhance energy efficiency, and support urban competitiveness. The article provides a short overview on the new EU institutional framework and two major policy files on the European Commission’s agenda that provide clear opportunities to promote urban green infrastructure in European cities: the European Water Resilience Strategy and the European Climate Adaptation Plan.  Read the full article here.

World Congress on Green Roofs and Façades | Call for Papers

  Climate adaptation and the greening of cities is the order of the day. Which strategies and measures in roof and façade greening are proving to be effective and successful? Challenges lead to solutions and new strategies, technical innovations and developments, which will be presented and discussed at a scientific, practice-oriented congress. The congress will take place at the University of Basel, in the historic Kollegiengebäude. Contributions will be offered in the technical field of green roofs and façades, on building ecology topics, on research and on the development of new strategies and as an instrument of ecological urban planning. The World Congress on Green Roofs and Green Façades on June 5 and 6, 2025 will offer an information platform and be a driving force for establishing the promotion, research and development of green roofs and façades worldwide. Call for papers is now open until January 15 2024. Submit your paper and find more information here: Call for Papers | ZHAW Institute of Natural Resource Sciences IUNR Visit the congress website for more information: World Green Roof and Facades Congress 2025 | Organized by ZHAW