Local Voices for Sustainability – Details, episodes & analysis

Is soil just dirt – or one of a city’s most critical assets? In this episode, we head to Nantes to uncover how soil underpins climate resilience, biodiversity, and urban growth. Director of Territorial Strategy, Clément Le Bras-Thomas, reveals why putting soil at the heart of planning could transform Europe’s cities.

Learn more about the SPADES project and the impact it is having in cities like Nantes and Gothenburg, and regions like Transylvania and Lombardy.

When climate risk meets cultural heritage, cities have to make choices. In this episode, we head to Guimarães to find out how one of Europe’s oldest cities is rewriting its relationship with nature. Carlos Ribeiro, President of the Landscape Lab, takes us behind the scenes of fire prevention, riverbed restoration, and a green strategy that connects city, landscape, and community — just as Guimarães steps into the spotlight as European Green Capital and host of the European Urban Resilience Forum.

Check out Guimarães' Mapa Verde (Green Map) here.

What do sustainability projects have in common with the stars in the night sky? More than you’d think! In this episode, we turn our telescopes to the trailblazing city of Alba Iulia, where a radically new approach to managing the city’s sustainability efforts is taking hold. As the first city in Romania to sign a Local Green Deal, and a participating city in the Intelligent Cities Challenge, Alba Iulia is a sparkling example of small-town tenacity. 

This conversation features Maria-Elena Seemann, Coordinator of Foreign Relations, Partnerships development and Urban innovation from the City of Alba Iulia; and Niklas Mischkovski, Head of the Governance Innovation team at ICLEI Europe. 

To learn more about the Intelligent Cities Challenge, visit the website. 

Each month, ICLEI Europe publishes a feature article via its newsletter. In our mini segment, 'Features', a member of the ICLEI Europe staff reads the feature aloud. Our October 2024 feature article is read aloud by Laura Schubert, of ICLEI Europe's Events and Project Communications team. The article dives into the Aalborg Conditions, launched at the 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns, and explains why they are a key framework for cities on their path towards climate neutrality. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe ⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠.

The city of Guimarães (Portugal) is on a mission to make food waste management more sustainable. How? By focusing on circular economy, a model of resource production and consumption that emphasises sharing, recycling and reusing materials and products for as long as possible. In this episode, we sit down with Dalila Sepúlveda, Head of the Department of Environment and Sustainability for the city of Guimarães, to discuss how circular economy strategies are helping Guimarães to transition from a linear to a circular economy, as outlined in the Circular Cities Declaration.

Each month, ICLEI Europe publishes a feature article via its newsletter. In our mini segment, 'Features', a member of the ICLEI Europe staff reads the feature aloud. Our September 2024 feature article is read aloud by Alis-Daniela Torres, of ICLEI Europe's Green Digital Transformation team. The article explores the potential of data and AI to help cities realise their potential on their journey to a sustainable future. To read the article and position paper for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe ⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠.

Each month, ICLEI Europe publishes a feature article via its newsletter. In our mini segment, 'Features', a member of the ICLEI Europe staff reads the feature aloud. Our August 2024 feature article is read aloud by Anna Westervelt, of ICLEI Europe's Strategic Communications, Membership and Advocacy team. The article explores the European Commission's 2040 Climate Target proposal and advocates for changes to better reflect the reality in cities and regions across Europe. To read the article and position paper for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe ⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠.

Barcelona gets a lot of sun - nearly 2600 hours, annually (for comparison, Brussels gets about half of that). It is also a city where 20% of households struggle with energy poverty. So, what to do with plenty of sun and not enough affordable energy? Build pathways that make solar power an attractive option for all! In this episode, we sit down with Sergi Delgado, from the Barcelona Local Energy Agency, to discuss tackling energy poverty via the Sun4All project, and how the many rooftops throughout the dense city will be key to reaching Barcelona's Climate Action Plan.

Each month, ICLEI Europe publishes a feature article via its newsletter. In our mini segment, 'Features', a member of the ICLEI Europe staff reads the feature aloud. Our July 2024 feature article is read aloud by Arthur Hinsch, of ICLEI Europe's Sustainable Energy Systems team. The article explores Europe's transition away from fossil fuels and the important considerations needed to make this transition fair and just. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

Last week, Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as European Commission President, kicking off a mandate that will run until 2029. But what does this new term mean for urban sustainability? And is the European Green Deal safe? ICLEI Europe Senior Advocacy Expert, Goksen Sahin, joins us on the show to break down the new mandate, and explains how it will impact urban sustainability in cities and regions across Europe.

Learn more and register for the European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns, also known as #Aalborg2024, by visiting the conference website.

Image: Vadym Sarakhan | Dreamstime.com