Two ambitious ICLEI Member Cities in the United Kingdom – namely Hammersmith & Fulham London Borough (also referred to as H&F) and Bristol – have matched up with municipalities in Poland to work together to strategise on how to reach net zero emissions.

Bristol City Council has matched with the cities of Poznań and Lublin (Poland) to discuss, among other topics, strategic planning approaches; while H&F is working on net zero alongside Rzeszów, Sopot, and Siemiatycze (Poland).

Bristol teamed up with its partners to exchange insights and best practice examples that could be applicable in each others’ contexts. Bristol, for example, presented its One City Approach that brings together a range of public, private, voluntary and third sector partners; as well as the city’s Ecological Emergency Strategy, which is a coordinated effort to confront ecological decline and promote sustainable solutions.

The group discussed, among other topics, how to engage the entire community, drawing on all cities’ experiences from Bristol’s Black & Green Ambassadors Project and Climate Action Hub, to Poznan’s Keep Warm and Lublin’s 20 Degrees for Climate educational campaigns.

H&F and its partners also exchanged insights with a focus on strategic and integrated planning. This drew on a range of success stories, including H&F’s Climate and Ecology Strategy, which has proven to be a successful approach that relies on cross-sectoral linkages, cooperation across departments, and taking an integrated approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Conversations also highlighted the importance of citizen engagement, with cities considering the success and replicability of H&F’s Future Neighbourhoods programme; Sopot’s use of a so-called Forest Opera to engage locals; and Siematycze’s Energy Cluster, which facilitates collaboration amongst diverse stakeholders.

These are just some of the many topics approached by the British and Polish municipalities. Partners also discussed their successes in sustainable drainage schemes, climate-controlled public bus shelters, green public infrastructure, and renewable energy generation programmes.

These partnerships are part of a “focus group and matching” programme, which took place in the context of the UN Race to Zero Campaign. ICLEI Europe carried out the programme on behalf of the British Embassy in Warsaw, and in collaboration with the Polish Network Energy Cités.

Stay tuned for more information – these leading cities aim to continue their partnerships on measures for climate neutrality into the future.