C-Track 50 at COP 24 Side Event on Nature Based Solutions

The C-Track 50 project was presented during a side event of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP24 in Katowice, Poland, on 8 December 2018 in the EU Pavilion. It was organised by project partner ICLEI Europe together with the Ecologic Institute Berlin under the title “Nature-based solutions and multi-level governance for carbon-neutral and resilient cities and regions”. Invited practitioners and experts, including FEDARENE’s Deputy Secretary General Patrick Biard (AURA-EE, FR), discussed the role nature-based solutions and multi-level governance play in facilitating the transition of cities and regions to carbon-neutrality.

Local and regional authorities play a decisive role in reaching the EU’s long-term climate and energy targets. Nature-based solutions (NBS) can serve as an integrated approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation in (peri-)urban areas, while simultaneously providing a range of co-benefits for sustainable development and societal well-being. Yet NBS are not currently being implemented to their full potential, despite the role they could play in helping local and regional authorities achieve climate resilience and carbon neutrality.

How does the existing European policy framework support or hinder urban implementation of Nature-based solutions at the local/regional level, particularly regarding the climate-proofing of cities? Can governance innovation help overcome sectoral silos, differences in perception and funding gaps to promote NBS as an approach towards making cities and regions more resilient? These questions were discussed in the context of efforts undertaken by local and regional authorities to develop, finance and implement ambitious integrated 2050 climate action plans, the role that NBS currently play in local and regional climate policy and action, as well as the need for effective multi-level governance approach, essential to mainstream NBS and attain EU´s 2030 and mid-century climate targets.

The side event also sparked further debate by bringing research, practice and policy experts together for a lively discussion. It draws on insights from Horizon2020 research projects NATURVATION, CLEVER Cities, C-Track 50, Compete4SECAP, PENTAHELIX and GrowGreen as well as on experiences from European cities and regions on improved multi-level governance for climate and energy that focuses on exploiting NBS’ potential for climate mitigation and adaptation. Representatives from local and regional authorities from Poland, UK and Canada reported first hand on how multi-level governance for climate and energy is implemented in their countries and how NBS are, or could be included as a key ingredient of long-term climate planning.

The event was divided into 3 main themes: 

1. Setting the Scene: Improving multi-level governance for climate action through implementing nature-based solutions at national and EU level.
2. Current experiences in implementing climate-proofing (policy) instruments at the local and regional levels.
3. Towards an improved multi-level governance for nature-based solutions in climate and energy planning – Opportunities at the global, EU and national level.

For more information about COP24: http://cop24.gov.pl/