Resilient cities are better at handling natural and human-made disasters, absorbing the impact of economic, environmental and social hazards, and promoting well-being and inclusive and sustainable growth.  

 
From energy resilience to innovative technologies to sustainable infrastructure investments, the conference will explore how best to tackle urban challenges and secure a better, more sustainable and resilient future for cities and their residents.  

 
With COP27 fast approaching, it is critical to explore how cities can lead the transition to a low carbon and climate resilient economy.   

 
Held in person for the first time in three years (livestreaming also available), this year’s EBRD Green Cities Annual Conference will highlight the latest trends in financing green cities, focusing on the role cities and the private sector play in becoming energy resilient.  

 
We will hear from mayors, government officials, private sector experts, urban, inclusion and climate specialists from Green Cities across the EBRD regions about their work in building strengthening and financing a resilient energy infrastructure.    

 
The EBRD Green Cities Annual Conference 2022 is supported by the Green Climate Fund and held in partnership with the City of Vienna.   

 For more details, visit Annual Conference website

Watch our livestream on the following channels: 
Zoom (with interpretation available), Youtube, EBRD.com

 9.15AM - 11.30AM UK-time / 10.15 AM - 12.30 PM Vienna-time

Day 1 – Thursday 20 October 

Welcome - livestreamed 

09.15 AM UK-time / 10.15 AM Vienna-time

Speakers: 

Omar Al-Rawi, Member of the Vienna State Parliament and Municipal Council  

Harry Boyd-Carpenter, Managing Director, Climate Strategy and Delivery, EBRD

Energy resilience - plenary panel, livestreamed 

09.40 AM UK-time / 10.40 AM Vienna-time

Moderator:

Aida Sitdikova, Director Energy Eurasia, Middle East and Africa, Sustainable Infrastructure Group, EBRD 

Panellists: 

Mohamed Elsayed Taher Elsherif, Governor of Alexandria, Egypt

Dominic Fritz, Mayor of Timisoara, Romania 

Erion Veliaj, Mayor of Tirana, Municipality of Tirana, Albania

Melanie Slade, Senior Programme Manager, Energy Efficiency in Emerging Economies Programme, International Energy Agency 

Murat Pinar, CEO, Enerjisa, Energy of Türkiye

 
Ensuring energy supplies are secure and able to withstand disruptions is key to building economic resilience in cities and ensuring the wellbeing of citizens. 

As the energy landscape undergoes a radical transformation, through the impacts of war and disrupted supply chains, cities play a key role in setting policy, implementing clean energy projects and encouraging community initiatives that support a more resilient, more secure and more affordable supply of energy.  

The conference will bring together representatives from Green Cities, energy sector experts and private sector partners to discuss how to build, strengthen and finance resilient urban energy infrastructure.   

 
  
Fireside chat on Gender – livestreamed  

11.00 AM UK-time / 12.00 Noon Vienna-time

Introduction:

Seblewongel Deneke Negussie, Gender and Social Specialist, Green Climate Fund 

Speakers:

Ursula Bauer, Head of Section Gender Mainstreaming, City of Vienna 

Barbara Rambousek, Director, Gender and Economic Inclusion, EBRD

  
Ursula Bauer from the City of Vienna and EBRD's Barbara Rambousek, two leaders in Gender mainstreaming, will interview each other about the work that they have been leading on in their roles.   

From safety for all in public transportation, gender-responsive design of public spaces, to women’s representation in leadership and decision-making positions in municipalities and in climate action, as well as women’s employment in green jobs, this interactive discussion will provide the opportunity to learn from Vienna’s pioneering experience in mainstreaming gender in the city, and to draw lessons and good practices for the cities in the EBRD region. 

The EBRD Green Cities programme started mainstreaming Gender in 2020 and is now also providing gender assessments in the Green Cities Action Plans and including promoting gender equality and economic inclusion in urban infrastructure investments. 

Break-out sessions  

13.30 - 15.45 Vienna-time

 
Capital markets  

Moderator: 

Venera Vlad, Associate Director, Senior Banker, Infrastructure Europe, Sustainable Infrastructure Group, EBRD 

Panellists:

Lbachir Benmhade, Vice President in charge of Finance and Budget, Agadir Municipality, Morocco

Tunç Soyer, Mayor, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Türkiye

Irena Badelska, Chief Revenue Officer, Climate View  

Ivars Bergmanis, Head of Institutional Markets, LHV, Estonia  

Göran Heimer, Group Treasurer, City of Helsingborg, Sweden 

 
Accelerating and promoting sustainable capital market solutions for municipalities, such as green bonds and sustainability-linked bonds, is key to developing long-term investment opportunities in the EBRD Green Cities regions. What is the role of capital markets in financing sustainable cities? What are the available tools to increase awareness, develop partnerships, and access a diversified investor base and incentives? 

This session will provide the audience with the latest developments of the municipal capital market space, lessons learnt from trailblazing successes and capital markets options for financing municipal projects and operations. 

 
Digital  

Moderator: 

Sue Barrett, Director, Head of Infrastructure, Turkey, Middle East and Africa, EBRD 

Opening speech:  

Plamena Marinova, Deputy Mayor of Varna, Bulgaria

Presenters:

Dr Sinan Küfeoğlu, Senior Research Fellow, The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies 

Dr Johannes Lutter, Head of Urban Development & Mobility Department, Urban Innovation Vienna  

Christina Hubin, M.A., Head of Strategy & Communication, Upstream – next level mobility GmbH  

Digital innovation enables cities to deliver services faster, better and more sustainably, while addressing challenges in social, economic, demographic, climate and technological change. City governments need to prioritise an environment that incentivises rapid digital transition and enables value creation. How to support cities’ transition to digitalisation? How can they stay competitive in a rapidly changing environment? How can the link to green be ensured? How to engage and build partnerships with private-sector digital service providers?

This session will provide the opportunity to engage with attendees, practitioners and experts involved in the digital transformation and smart development of cities.  

  
E-mobility  

Opening:

Matthew Jordan Tank, Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Policy and Project Preparation, EBRD 

Moderator:

Stefanie Sohm, Independent Consultant in Transport and Climate Policy, “Making of: mobility” 

Opening speech: 

Fatma Sahin, Mayor of Gaziantep, Türkiye

Donjeta Sahatçiu, Deputy Mayor of Pristina, Kosovo

 
What is the level of “electric mobility readiness” of EBRD’s Green Cities? How to kick-start and scale a market for electric mobility in challenging contexts? We will learn how the road to electric mobility can be driven within the systematic approach of Green City Action Plans, building on cities’ public transport and catering for other modes and differing user preferences. 

This session will encourage participants to explore ideas for nature-based solutions to be implemented in their own cities, learning from best practices, discover available solutions, share knowledge and opportunities.

Nature-based solutions  

Opening:

Gianpiero Nacci, Director, Sustainable Business Infrastructure, Climate Strategy and Delivery, EBRD    

Opening speech:

Ion Cheban, General Mayor of Chisinau Municipality, Republic of Moldova    

Case Study Presenter:  

Monica A. Altamirano, Specialist in Public-Private Partnerships and Systems Thinker  

Nisreen Daoud, Manager of Sustainable Development and Amman Resilience Unit, Amman, Jordan  

Kurmanbek Moldokulov, Director of the Agency for Development of Bishkek and Investment Attraction, Bishkek   

 
How effective are nature-based solutions? What are the actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems? How to address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, and providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits?

This session will encourage participants to explore ideas for nature-based solutions to be implemented in their own cities, learning from best practices, discover available solutions, share knowledge and opportunities.  

Green City Officers Session  

 
The Green Cities Officers’ network comprises of municipal counterparts tasked with managing Green City Action Plans (GCAP) and their implementation. Launched in December 2020, the network convenes regularly, providing officers with an opportunity to engage, exchange and learn from one another. 

At the Green Cities Annual Conference in Vienna, the network comes together in person for the first time. A dedicated session will be used to discuss common opportunities and challenges, as well as the expectations that the Green City Officers have for the network and its future activities. 

 
 
EBRD Green Cities Start-up Innovation Challenge  

16.00 PM Vienna-time 

How can cities accelerate decarbonisation in the urban sphere and take an active role in the energy security agenda? The EBRD Green Cities Start-Up Innovation Challenge will reward innovators who have led by example and delivered answers to this pressing question.  

Winners will receive support from the EBRD Star Venture programme to scale up their products and services in cities of EBRD regions. The event will be a great opportunity to present the vision and agenda of this initiative during an interactive session with the audience.

 Supported by TaiwanBusiness-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund.

Day 2 – Friday 21 October 

Field Trip (details provided to delegates by e-mail)