Invitation for Bids on Environmental Solutions in Urban Areas: Focus on Carbon Emissions, Waste Management, and Transportation
The Climabourough project, a European initiative aimed at reducing CO2 emissions in cities that consume 65% of the energy, has gathered 12 cities with unique local challenges on its mission to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. Funded by the Horizon Europe research program, the project is one of three selected to develop innovative solutions in specified areas.
The project, named Horizon-Miss-2021, involves eight cities in its first phase: Turin (Italy), Athens (Greece), Ioannina (Greece), Differdange (Luxembourg), Grenoble (France), Sofia (Bulgaria), Cascais (Portugal), and Maribor (Slovenia). Up to 16 pilot projects will be selected, two for each of the eight cities.
Each city in the project has defined a specific challenge to address.
- Turin (Italy)
- High industrial emissions legacy with ongoing transition to cleaner industries.
- Reducing energy consumption in older buildings.
- Enhancing sustainable mobility options to reduce urban air pollution and traffic congestion.
- Athens (Greece)
- Urban heat island effect exacerbated by dense urban fabric and limited green spaces.
- High car dependency leading to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Energy inefficiency in large numbers of residential and commercial buildings.
- Ioannina (Greece)
- Energy inefficiency in public buildings and residential areas.
- Need for sustainable mobility solutions in a smaller urban context.
- Promoting renewable energy integration amid local geographic constraints.
- Differdange (Luxembourg)
- Industrial area transformation and reduction of carbon footprint from heavy industries.
- Improving energy efficiency of public and private buildings.
- Implementing green infrastructure in a post-industrial urban environment.
- Grenoble (France)
- Managing air quality issues linked with both heating and transportation sectors.
- Increasing renewable energy production and consumption.
- Promoting energy-efficient building renovations and sustainable urban planning.
- Sofia (Bulgaria)
- High air pollution levels and reliance on fossil fuels for heating.
- Extensive aging building stock with poor insulation.
- Transitioning local energy systems to renewables while ensuring energy security.
- Cascais (Portugal)
- Coastal vulnerability to climate change impacts such as sea-level rise.
- Balancing tourism-driven energy demands with sustainability goals.
- Expanding sustainable mobility and green spaces.
- Maribor (Slovenia)
- Industrial legacy and associated emissions needing reduction.
- Upgrading infrastructure for energy efficiency, especially in public buildings.
- Supporting behavioral changes to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainable transport.
An online workshop will be organized on October 30 to inform potential candidates about the tender procedure for Climaborough, which has a value of 2.4 million euros. Potential candidates can submit an application for the tender, providing the required information by the contracting authority.
Elsewhere in Europe, cities such as Sofia are trying to reduce traffic in the city center, while Turin, Cascais, and Maribor are focusing on improving textile waste collection. Grenoble-Alpes is modeling the environmental impact of an urban regeneration project. Meanwhile, Differdange is aiming to produce 100% of clean electricity locally. The European Union Commission continues to support such projects as part of its efforts to promote recipes that can reduce CO2 emissions in cities.
- The Climabourough project, funded by the Horizon Europe research program, is working on reducing energy consumption in older buildings in Turin, Italy, as part of their mission to address high industrial emissions and improve sustainable mobility.
- Athens, Greece, part of the Climabourough project, is tackling energy inefficiency in large numbers of residential and commercial buildings, as well as reducing air pollution through improved sustainable mobility options and addressing the urban heat island effect.
- In the Climabourough project, Ioannina, Greece, is focusing on promoting renewable energy integration amid local geographic constraints, implementing sustainable mobility solutions in a smaller urban context, and addressing energy inefficiency in public buildings and residential areas.
