Spark! lecture discusses the Paris climate agreement: What is next for Climate-KIC?
Climate-KIC Spark! lecture held in France this month took a look at the Paris Agreement, and how Climate-KIC activities are addressing the targets set.
One of the major outputs of the Paris agreement was to keep the global temperatures raise to 1,5°C. Climate-KIC’s latest Spark! lecture encouraged its participants to discuss how Climate-KIC activities are addressing the challenge on the basis of the priority objectives set during the COP21?
Representatives of the four Climate-KIC themes, made the bridge before an audience of Master and PhD students. Below is an insight into what was discussed
Urban environment
Urban climate issues were largely represented on the road to the COP21 through events such as the World Summit of Climate and Territories or the “100 Mayors meeting”. To tackle climate change, cities like New-York, London and Paris are becoming more and more influential.
Brian Kilkelly, Climate-KIC Urban Transitions development Lead commented: “Even with respect of all the pledges of the 180 countries involved in the COP21, the target of less than +2°C will hardly be reached. “
There is a global urbanisation trend – GHG issues are to be addressed now. Climate-KIC offers large innovation programmes and various projects in urban transitions. Usually seen point by point (buses, light bulbs, etc.), innovation needs to be considered to a larger scale: from buildings to districts and then city. Solutions need to be systemic and bridge across various sectors and disciplines and gather the skills of energy suppliers, finance specialists and urban planners.
Financing reduction of CO2 reduction and facilitate new finance mechanisms for local authorities
Cities account for 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities, but they also have a strong emissions reduction potential.
The Paris agreement includes the objective of setting finance in line with a decarbonated economic development. This is a major component of the Climate-KIC Low Carbon City Lab programme, led by Victor Gancel, included in the Decision metrics and finance innovation area.
The sector is gaining interest from various actors, ranging from Suez Environnement to the city of Recife, Brazil.
Food sustainability
Sustainable land use benefited from a smallest cover in this COP than previously, although agriculture remains a large climate challenge. “Soils contain 2 to 3 times more CO2 than the atmosphere”, says Daniel Zimmer, Climate-KIC Sustainable Land Use Director.
Forestry, Agriculture and Food Industry represents 24% of global GHG emissions. Food products hide significant sources of the emissions due to energy used upstream for food transformation, and transport downstream.
Within Climate-KIC, the systemic approach is again a comprehensive way to consider solutions in the scope of an integrated landscape. Cross-overs with other themes are also fruitful with urban farming and vertical agricultureprojects.
Clean production needs global North– South solidarity
The COP21 highlighted the needs of the Southern countries to be financially and technically supported by Northern countries to succeed in settingsustainable production systems.
“Most of the CO2 emissions from the industrial sector come from the production of iron, chemicals and cement”, comments Rodrigo Tinoco-Rivera, Researcher in Industrial Processes and Gas-liquid transfer, MINES ParisTech – aClimate-KIC partner.
Climate-KIC coordinates a large programme, EnCO2re, to reuse CO2 emissions as raw material, in newly created “green products”. These products are on the market: a store is currently selling sneakers with CO2 neutral shoe soles made of this brand new polymers.
About Spark! lectures
SPARK! lectures are a series of round table discussions with inspirational climate innovators and invited thought-leaders is hosted by our partner universities on rotation and telecast across our community. The talks and topics are always thought provoking. Come and catch the SPARK!
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