COP25: ICLEI South Asia Hosts Key Side Events on Critical Climate Issues

ICLEI South Asia hosted several side events at the annual UN climate conference or COP25, held in Madrid to showcase best practices in urban development. The side events highlighted key successes in climate-resilient actions in cities worldwide, the role of women and marginalised communities in climate action, and advancing climate change goals through multi-level governance and green cities. ICLEI also co-organised the Local Governments and Cities Day, and participated in several key sessions that covered issues such as de-carbonisation and Sustainable Development Goals localisation, contribution of land use to a climate-neutral world, and the role of local governments in NDC implementation.

Urban95 Initiative Transforms Congested Space into Play Area in Udaipur

The Urban95 project, supported by Bernard Van Leer Foundation, team implemented its second tactical intervention in Udaipur city, with the aim of creating safe and healthier spaces for children in urban neighbourhoods. This follows the successful implementation of the project’s first tactical intervention in the city, wherein traffic calming measures and interactive and engaging playful spaces were implemented near a pre-primary school for segregating child buffer/waiting zones from the busy road.

Udaipur Roundtable Brainstorms on Way Forward for Climate-Resilient Action Plans

The National Institute of Urban Affairs organised a half-day event in Udaipur to showcase the activities done under the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation-supported CapaCITIES project in the city and in the other three project cities of Siliguri, Coimbatore and Rajkot. The areas in which work should be done in the next phase of the project were also discussed.

EcoLogistics Stakeholder Meeting Highlights Gaps in Urban Freight Baseline Data

A stakeholder consultation meeting was organised in Panaji as part of the EcoLogistics-Low Carbon Freight for Sustainable Cities project supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany. ICLEI South Asia presented an assessment of the current situation related to urban freight, based on secondary sources as well as primary surveys undertaken in Panaji. The primary assessment included an understanding of the existing goods flow, freight traffic generation, major urban freight hotspots and infrastructure.

Workshop Gives Shape to Gangtok LBSAP’s Vision, Focus Areas

ICLEI South Asia is developing the Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (LBSAP) for Gangtok. The LBSAP will help to mainstream biodiversity conservation into urban planning. A stakeholder consultation, held in Gangtok to develop the LBSAP, was attended by government officials and representatives from NGOs and academia. The workshop helped to develop the vision and identify the focus areas for the LBSAP.

Solapur Workshop Underlines Integrated Approach in Catchment-Level Water Management

Solapur Workshop Underlines Integrated Approach in Catchment-Level Water Management ICLEI South Asia organised a training workshop on catchment management planning of water resources, use of the decision support tool for climate-adaptive interventions of water management and financial modelling of wastewater reuse in Solapur. Teams from ICLEI South Asia, Athena Infonormics and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Sri Lanka, provided the training, using methodologies and tools developed under the IAdapt Project, supported by International Development Research Centre, Canada.

EcoLogistics Tool to Help Assess Urban Freight Transport Emissions

The ICLEI self-monitoring tool was launched as part of a national meeting on the EcoLogistics - Low Carbon Freight for Sustainable Cities project organised in New Delhi. Since urban freight is responsible for up to 40 percent of urban transport-related CO₂ emissions, the tool will assist local governments to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from urban freight transport.

Development of Thane’s People’s Biodiversity Register is Underway

ICLEI South Asia is developing the People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) of Thane Municipal Corporation in the state of Maharashtra. Detailed documentation of the biodiversity wealth in the city, along with use of the collected data, is being carried out along with other activities to prepare the PBR.

Stakeholders Attend Boot Camp on Green Bonds

A boot camp on the green bonds market was facilitated by the Climate Bonds Initiative, with support from the United Nations Development Programme and Asia LEDS Partnership Secretariat (hosted by ICLEI South Asia), in New Delhi. Fifteen city and state government authorities and other stakeholders participated in the interactive and technical programme.

Training Workshop Highlights Best Practices for Climate-Resilient City Development

The Asia LEDS Partnership organised a training workshop on preparing Climate-Resilient City Action Plans (CRCAP) in Thimphu, Bhutan. The training was based on the ClimateResilientCITIES planning methodology, developed under the CapaCITIES (phase 1) project. The workshop was designed to help build the competencies of participants in designing, developing and implementing CRCAPs and projects that support a sustainable environment and green development objectives.

IUCN World Conservation Congress

The Congress is the largest marketplace for conservation and sustainable development science, practice and policy. Scientists, policy experts, business leaders and professionals from around the globe share their experience, innovation and latest research. The event is scheduled to take place from 11^th to 19^th of June 2020 in Marseille, France.

European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns

Hosted by the City of Mannheim, and ICLEI Europe, the European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns will be held for the ninth time from the 30^th of September to the 2^nd of October 2020 in Mannheim, Germany. The conference will demonstrate the urgent need for local governments to assume responsibility for urban transformation and lead the way in guiding Europe towards a secure and sustainable future.