When things go well, we say they have gone 'smoothly' – so why might we encourage friction? And what could be the benefits for cities and climate action? In Madrid (Spain) recently, senior representatives from industry, seven Spanish cities, the national government, and the EU, as well as climate practitioners, academics, and others, were given exactly that encouragement.
Delivered by the Spanish Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, the message highlights how innovative climate action depends on the ideas of varied disciplines – and on the challenges of diverse stakeholder input being embraced in the interest of new solutions.
Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, Spain’s minister for ecological transition, told attendees the city “is the space where everything happens” – making cities natural fora for such respectful friction – and the idea itself was put to the test in Madrid.
As the result of months-long work by ICLEI Europe, Climate-KIC, and the World Business Council, with support from the European Commission, a critical space for dialogue between cities and industry was given here in Spain, under the banner of the EU Cities Mission and with a firm view on the climate-neutral targets of 2030. And more such dialogues will follow in other states.
Other valuable highlights from contributors include the shared responsibilities and huge opportunities of innovation and local climate action, such as:
- Turning city climate needs into investable opportunities
- Unlocking business opportunities while decoupling reliance on raw materials and natural resources
- Using cities as ‘living labs’ where innovation can happen, not only with respect to technology, but by capitalising on citizen knowledge and stakeholder diversity
Congratulations and thanks to colleagues from ICLEI Europe, Climate-KIC, and the World Business Council, and the European Commission. We look forward to building on this work in new ways in the forthcoming dialogues, so look out here for more updates!