On 23 and 24 November 2023, over 200 people - a mix of Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC) core and mentor cities, political leaders and representatives from European institutions gathered for the first time in-person to discuss the status quo of Twin Transition. Through examples and best practices, attendees had the honour to hear from over 30 speakers as they shared insights into collaboration methods, Local Green Deals, climate ambitions, digital transitions and more across the course of 20 sessions.
“Cities are powerful brokers for the Twin Transition, as they are at the front line of social and economic challenges.”
The two-day event was opened with remarks from Hubert Gambs, Deputy Director General, Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Through numerous EU policies such as the EU Green Deal, EU Industrial Strategy, Green Industrial Plan, Critical Raw Materials Act and through EU led initiatives such as the ICC, Cities Mission - vital progress towards the Twin Transition is being achieved by cities.
Patrick Child, Deputy Director General, DG Environment, reminded the audience of the Cities Mission initiative, which is now entering its operational phase. These 100 cities represent 12% of the European population which represents a powerful potential for transformation. Among the 100 Mission Cities, 22 ICC (2020-22 edition) cities and 12 ICC (2023-25 edition) are also part of the ICC initiative. To accelerate the Twin Transition, the need for cities and investors to “speak the same language” was strongly emphasised, noting how their individual needs complement one another and how working together would be mutually beneficial.
“ICC is not just a conference or programme, it is a catalyst for change, a platform where ideas are born and where seeds of innovation take root.”
Patrizia Toia, Member of the European Parliament, presented the role of cities in the Twin Transition as the architects of changes and pursuers of innovation. Business leaders, academics and experts are working hand in hand to shape cities of the future to be more resilient when facing challenges. For her, ICC offers a range of opportunities – it is a place where all actors can interconnect, learn from each other and be the driving force of changes within Europe.
The first day of the ICC Strategy City Lab was oriented toward the role of cities in the Twin Transition and how they can scale up their initiatives by involving local businesses as of the very first stages of the projects. Speakers highlighted the huge potential of these kinds of partnerships and presented how they have a very beneficial effect on citizens. The key messages of the day were the importance of early-stage involvement from all private and public bodies involved and of transparent communication with citizens regarding the cities’ progress, action and activities dedicated to the Twin Transition. A panel discussion focused on the financial aspect of the Twin Transition during which various speakers from DG Regional and Urban Policy, DG Climate Action, European Investment Bank, Recovery and Resilience Task Force at Secretariat-General and DG Structural Reform Support.
The second day of the event focused on the Local Green Deals (LGD) and designed for cities to receive a hands-on framework and tailored guidance on how to develop their own Local Green Deal. Following a presentation of the step by step run through of the Local Green Deals, breakout groups to reflect on their LGD strategy and dedicated working sessions, the cities are now able to finalise their framework and start the implementation. Peer to peer review sessions of proposed LGD partnerships also allowed cities to gain insights into their work through shared feedback from fellow core cities and mentor cities.
The ICC Coordination Team thanks all attendees and speakers for contributing to the success of the event and looks forward to seeing the outcomes of these discussions.