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. 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.

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.

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. 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 residential rooftops are the next sustainable energy frontier.

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.

Our June 2024 feature article is read aloud by Stefan Kuhn, Deputy Regional Director⁠⁠⁠ at ICLEI Europe. The article explores the impact of EU elections on the future of the EU Green Deal, as well as the implications for local governments and local sustainability agendas. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe ⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠.

The climate emergency has brought a whole host of challenges to waterfront cities worldwide. Danish city, Aalborg, is no exception to this reality. In this conversation with Steffen Lervad Thomsen, from the City of Aalborg, we discuss how the city is prioritising an adaptive approach, and the process to becoming a "thriving" city. Aalborg is the host city of ICLEI Europe's flagship event - the European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns.

Our May 2024 feature article is read aloud by Philipp LaHaela Walter, Head of Biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions at ICLEI Europe. Celebrating Biodiversity Day, it acknowledges the important policy frameworks and concrete solutions to help boost Europe’s local biodiversity and resilience. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe ⁠newsletter⁠.

What value does the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO) bring to European cities looking to be more sustainable? In this episode we sit down with the host cities of EURESFO 2023 and EURESFO 2024, Cascais, Portugal and Valencia, Spain. We discuss the unique opportunity of bringing together representatives of European cities and regions to explore challenges and opportunities to strengthen resilience in the context of sustainable urban development.

Our April 2024 feature article is read aloud by Alessandra Barbieri, of ICLEI Europe's Circular Economy team. It highlights the new report issued by the ⁠Circular Cities Declaration⁠, which provides analyses and inspiring local examples that can support European cities as they unlock the potential of the circular economy. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe ⁠newsletter⁠.

Our March 2024 feature article is read aloud by Laura Schubert, of ICLEI Europe's Events and Project Communications team. It discusses the importance of water resilience in building sustainable cities and dives into inspiring action by ICLEI Members Izmir (Türkiye) and Burgas (Bulgaria). To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

What happens when you involve communities in the creation of new green space? In this conversation with Sarah O’Malley, EU Project Officer at Limerick City and County Council, we discuss the creative outcomes that have resulted from Limerick’s creation of a spot along its naturewalk, the Castletroy Greenway. Biodiversity, nature-based solutions and community engagement are at the heart of Limerick’s work via the GoGreenRoutes⁠⁠ project.

Our February 2024 feature article is read aloud by Lucy Mears, working on ICLEI Europe's Events and Project Communications team. It discusses how the Belgian Presidency of the European Council is establishing a strong role for local leaders in the next European mandate – with ICLEI's support! To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

Our January 2024 feature article is written and read aloud by Wolfgang Teubner, Regional Director Europe. In this annual outlook on the year ahead, he describes the doors that are open to strengthen multilevel governance. To read the feature article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

What happens when cities give sustainable food a starring role on the political agenda? In this conversation with Hannelore Herreman, Policy Officer for the city of Ghent, we discuss the impactful initiatives that have resulted from Ghent's financial and systemic support of sustainable food. Topics on the menu include double-pricing systems, food swamps and making healthy food widely accessible via the FEAST project.

Sometimes nature provides the perfect solution to our environmental challenges - all we have to do is lend a helping hand. In this episode, we head to the beach with Biologist, Patrícia Pinto da Silva, who works for the City of Almada (Portugal). We discuss healthy sand dunes, urban wilderness and how projects like ⁠NBS EduWORLD⁠ are vital for involving and educating the public on nature-based solutions.

Our November 2023 feature article is read aloud by Alan MacKenzie, Communications Expert working on ICLEI's Climate Neutral Cities Mission Task Group. It reflects on COP28 as a unique opportunity to demonstrate that the EU is ready to willing and capable to lead on climate action, working together with local governments to ensure success. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe ⁠newsletter⁠.

Our October 2023 feature article is read aloud by Julia Kittel, Head of ICLEI Europe's Events & Project Communications team, who reflects on the need for truly integrated action to build resilience in the wake of the climate crisis. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe ⁠newsletter⁠.

This is the final episode of a three-part miniseries on the ICLEI Action Fund 1.0. Join us today as we sit down with Hanna Rhein, Project Manager for the project, Pop-up Republic, located in Berlin, Germany. We’re also joined by Kay Hartkopf, Technical Lead for the project, ANN RADAR, based in Hamburg, Germany. During this final episode, Hanna and Kay share with us the experiences that defined their involvement with the ICLEI Action Fund, relating specifically to sustainable mobility and the energy transition.

This is the second episode of a three-part miniseries on the ICLEI Action Fund 1.0. Join us today as we sit down with Rasmus Reeh, Project Lead and Advisor for the project Thrive Zone Amager located in Copenhagen, Denmark. We’re also joined by David Brenon, Air Pays de La Loire’s Director and Lead for the project AIREAL based in Nantes, France. Rasmus and David share their experiences with data enhancements on air quality. In this episode, they discuss the changes they are pursuing locally in Denmark and France.

This is the first episode of a three-part miniseries on the ICLEI Action Fund 1.0. Join us today as we sit down with Bridget Newbery, Project Manager for Project 3D - Data to Decarbonise in a Decade based in Birmingham as well as Aneaka Kellay, Sholver Facilitator and Pilot Projects Lead for the project Oldham Energy Futures based in Oldham. Bridget and Aneaka share their experiences with data-driven sustainable energy development and describe the changes they’re pursuing locally in the United Kingdom.

Our September 2023 feature article is read aloud by Jennifer Cote, Communications and Member Relations Officer, who explains how we can rethink governance structures in the digital age to strengthen connections between people and decision-makers. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe ⁠newsletter⁠.

A problem shared is a problem solved - at least this is the case in Dijon, a pilot city in the NetZeroCities project. Join us as we sit down with Jean-Patrick Masson, Vice-President of Dijon Metropole, responsible for the Ecological Transition. Jean-Patrick describes a city that is on the cusp of major structural change, where the climate emergency is being addressed via a highly collaborative approach.

Our August 2023 feature article is read aloud by Sophie Callahan, Governance Innovation Officer, who explains the immense potential of partnerships between local governments and community-led initiatives. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the subscribe to the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

Our July 2023 feature article is read aloud by ICLEI podcast host and Communications Officer, Laura Schubert, who draws on polling data to show what people across Europe want from upcoming EU food system legislation. In sum: the EU should help usher in a sustainable and healthy food system transformation. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

Our June 2023 feature article is read aloud by Communications Officer, Kassia Rudd, who describes how an affirmative vote on the EU Nature Restoration Law is key to securing a green future for all. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

Our May 2023 feature article is read aloud by Communications Officer, Anna Westervelt, who describes how, through peer exchange, cities can apply, renew, and draw inspiration from tried-and-true solutions to shape new sustainable urban mobility systems of the future. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

Our April 2023 feature article is read aloud by Junior Communications Officer, Jacob Broehm, who outlines an exciting funding programme spearheaded by ICLEI Europe, and funded by Google.org. The programme awards €7 million to six European cities that are using data to implement inclusive climate action projects. To read the article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

Urban greening - does it do more than provide shade and brighten up our skylines? Yes! Ana Mitic-Radulovic from the Centre for Experiments in Urban Studies (CEUS), based in Belgrade, Serbia, explains the broad impact urban greening can have - particularly when co-created with the local community. In this episode, we hear how projects like CleverCities are helping to grow Belgrade's green space, as well as a new park which is shaking things up locally.

Our March 2023 feature article is read aloud by Senior Coordinator Simon Clement, who previews a new report on the key trends and challenges regarding how circularity is being implemented in Europe’s urban areas. He also describes what ICLEI Europe is doing to help leverage cities’ vast potential to help Europe move from linear to circular. To read the article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

If a city prioritises having a rich cultural scene is it also more sustainable? Are nature and culture a match made in heaven? We sit down with Katarzyna Roj, a curator at a city-supported gallery in Wrocław, Poland to find our answer. We discuss, among many things, the game-changing transformation of a local waste treatment centre into an urban nature escape and space for social gatherings.

Our February 2023 feature article is read aloud by Communications Officer, Katherine Peinhardt, who outlines the potential that culture and cultural heritage can have when intertwined in the transition to a sustainable future. She also describes what ICLEI Europe is doing to encourage its member cities to integrate culture into their sustainability efforts. To read the article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

Our January 2023 feature article is written and read aloud by Wolfgang Teubner, Regional Director Europe. In this annual outlook on the year ahead, he maps out why stronger local and regional governments are needed to build resilience in times of crisis. To read the feature article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

In our new mini segment called, 'Features', a member of the ICLEI Europe staff reads the monthly feature article aloud. For the month of December, Communications Officer, Jon Jonoski, tells us about ICLEI Europe's involvement at the United Nation's Biodiversity Conference, known as CBD COP15, held in Montreal. To read the article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

The United Nations Biodiversity Summit, COP15, is now taking place in Montreal - with an entire session dedicated to women. That got us thinking, "what role does gender play in the creation of sustainable cities?" To find an answer, we sit down with Linda Gustafsson, Gender Equality Officer at the City of Umeå (Sweden). We discuss privilege, men riding the bus, Umeå's involvement in the GoGreenRoutes project and more.

Each month, ICLEI Europe publishes a feature article via its newsletter. In a new mini podcast segment called 'Features', a member of the ICLEI Europe staff reads the feature article aloud. This month, Communications Officer, Adrienne Kotler, tells us about ICLEI Europe's  involvement in the United Nation's annual climate conference, COP 27,  held in Sharm El-Sheikh. To read the article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.

In the lead up to COP26 last year, the city of Glasgow firmly set itself on the path towards a more sustainable and just transition. In our inaugural episode, we sit down with Gavin Slater, Head of Sustainability at Glasgow City Council, to discuss the city's sustainability successes, shortcomings and its role in the RUGGEDISED smart city project. Note: this conversation was recorded in April 2022.