Viable Cities and UN-Habitat with partners have now launched the Climate Smart Cities Challenge at the Swedish pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. The global competition will - through four cities' climate challenges - accelerate the transition to climate-neutral cities.
The Climate Smart Cities Challenge now invites innovative organizations of all kinds to contribute their best practices, solutions and technologies to reduce carbon emissions while positively impacting the quality of life in four cities - Bogota, Colombia; Bristol, UK; Curitiba, Brazil and Makindye Ssabagabo, Uganda.
The climate challenges in the four cities range from climate-friendly and affordable housing, to carbon-free neighborhoods, to climate-smart freight transport. Up to 20 finalists per city challenge will be invited to form teams to find solutions to the cities' climate challenges. The deadline for submitting entries is January 5 and on January 20 up to 80 finalists will be presented at Expo Dubai.
- "This mission-oriented innovation competition, focusing on challenges and putting people at the centre, will create a new platform for a whole range of organizations across sectors to participate and create a movement to accelerate the climate transition," says Olga Kordas, Viable Cities Programme Manager.
The Climate Smart Cities Challenge is an open innovation competition. Competing organizations have the chance to be selected to join a team of innovators who will work with cities and investors to develop climate-smart approaches to solve their climate challenges.
- We welcome financial institutions to work with us to find ways to finance the transition in the four cities and beyond," says Tommy Mikelsen, Director of the Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK), one of the partners in the initiative.
With over 190 countries present at Expo 2020 Dubai, the country pavilions offer an opportunity to reach out to innovators globally. To attract innovators from around the world to the event, each country pavilion at the show has been equipped with a 'birdhouse', where innovators can leave their contact details.
climatesmart.citieschallenge.org
