UCPH Global Development Network’s Post

Fantastic roundtable discussion at the Arctic Assembly pre-event in Reykjavik on sustainability in Nordic Arctic cities. Thank you for the invitation UiT and for the opportunity to talk about our sustainability work in Norwegian Travel in my keynote! My main insights from the roundtable: key to success in sustainability work is in co-operation, transparency & communication and innovation. 🪟 Transparency towards local communities to have social acceptance and stakeholder inclusion, but also transparency of success stories to duplicate them in different locations. The Arctic communities have SO MUCH in common around the world, let's learn from each other. 💡 Innovation from private sector, whether it is turning dog poop to energy or moving datacenters to the Arctic, taking the big sustainability steps need innovation from EVERYONE. 👥 Co-operation in-between operators in Arctic areas in all levels: co-operation between remote Arctic tourism destinations, we had some inspiring discussions with Greenland and Northern Norway. Co-operation between Academic community and private sector: we need access to studies of sustainability in understandable form. And finally co-operation with governments: investments in green shift are being delayed or stopped in ALL ARCTIC REGIONS in local decisions making process and building permissions! Investments in green shift must get a fast track in approval processes if we want to win this game! 💚 I believe that if we could get public sector (with building permissions and area use), private sector (with innovations and investment) and academia (with research material) around the same table in the Arctic areas (or any areas) we could co-operate to finding real solutions for green shift. And finally what we need is SISU, grit, as we say in Finland to make real change happen 😊 #sustainability #greenshift #sustainabletourism #arcticcooperation #arcticassembly

Is Denmark Falling Behind in the Mobility Revolution? 🚲 Join us at the Rethink Cities Innovation Awards on November 18, 2024, in Sønderborg for an important roundtable discussion: "Rethinking Mobility: Overcoming Denmark's Legislative Barriers to New Transport Solutions." Denmark is celebrated for its cycling culture, yet the transport sector remains a significant contributor to CO2 emissions. Why are we struggling to make progress in a country so committed to sustainability? What barriers are standing in the way of a more innovative and greener transport landscape? We’re excited to welcome two thought leaders to help us navigate these questions: Robert Joseph Martin, Partner at Beta Mobility, known for his groundbreaking work in sustainable transport. Kasper Dam Mikkelsen, Co-founder and CSO at nabogo, a visionary in transforming urban mobility. They will dive into topics such as: ✔️ The legislative obstacles blocking sustainable mobility ✔️ Why existing regulations favor private car use over innovative alternatives ✔️ A bold and actionable vision for a low-carbon transport future in Denmark As we prepare for this important discussion, we’d love to hear from you: What’s your vision for a sustainable, low-carbon mobility system in Denmark? Share your thoughts in the comment section👇 Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a conversation that could redefine our mobility landscape. Join us in Sønderborg on November 18, for our Rethink Cities Innovation Awards, where ideas will spark change, and solutions will shape the future 🌱 #RethinkCitiesInnovationAwards #SustainableMobility #InnovationAwards #ProjectZero #SDG11 #RethinkCities 🌍

Learning and growing through new experiences with practical application in the real world.

🥁 Our latest report, "Microincentives for Sustainable Mobility in Europe", is live! 🚌🌍 Led and written by FACTUAL, the report provides the first-ever detailed overview of the transformative potential of microincentives in shaping the future of transportation. 🤝 👀 Key topics covered in the study include: 🔸 Subsidisation and Incentives to Public Transport: An in-depth look at how subsidies are currently used in public transportation across Europe and the potential for improvement. 🔸 Microincentives, a More Targeted Approach: An exploration of microincentives as a more efficient and equitable way to encourage sustainable mobility choices. 🔸 The Impact of Targeted Incentivisation on Social Goals, Revenue, and Equity: Results from a survey and stated-preference study conducted across Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Berlin, and Oslo reveal the potential impact of microincentives on user behaviour and public transportation systems. ✍️ The report is written by Miquel Nadal Segalà, Strategic Advisor to Factual, Josep Laborda, CEO at FACTUAL, and Pietro Podestà, Mobility Consultant at FACTUAL, with the support of nine entities, including EIT Urban Mobility, CARNET, Karos Mobility, FAIRTIQ, Meep, Dott, Transport & Mobility Leuven, the City of Tartu, and Stad Hasselt. If you're interested in learning more about this study or accessing the dataset, please don't hesitate to contact us. Let's work together to create a greener and more efficient transportation system for Europe! 🌱💚 Download the report 👇 https://lnkd.in/dhY8-kcR

🌿 Green Opportunity – Re-design the Future ✨ We are thrilled to share the success of our 1st Kick-off Meeting for the Green Opportunity Project, held on June 3rd & 4th, 2024 in our city Patras, Greece! The KA2 Small Partnership Project 2023-3-BG01-KA210-YOU-000180593 "Green Opportunity" is dedicated to introducing the environmental benefits of circular economy to young people. We aim to inspire and encourage a new way of thinking about production and consumption that integrates natural ecosystems into our daily lives, businesses and waste reduction efforts. Our 1st kickoff meeting brought together passionate individuals from Bulgaria (Браншова Асоциация Полимери and Get Involved / Включи се и ти), Croatia (More Coaching) and Greece (Liofyllo), united by the common goal of creating a sustainable future. The project focuses on creating engaging and educational animated videos and toolkits about the circular economy, disseminating them through social media and video platforms and sparking social media challenges with unique hashtags to encourage active participation and responsibility among youth. The discussions and activities over these two days have set a strong foundation for our mission to combat the negative environmental impacts of the current “take-make-dispose” economy. We are excited to empower young people with practical tools and techniques to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle and contribute to the circular economy. This project will foster a sense of initiative and active citizenship among young people while promoting creative learning, intercultural dialogue, and the joy of diversity. With participants from three different countries and cultures, we are united in our mission to create a greener, more sustainable world. 🎯 Stay tuned for more updates and join us on this exciting journey towards a brighter future! #GreenOpportunity #Erasmusplus #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #YouthEmpowerment #EcoFriendly #PatrasMeeting #ReDesignTheFuture #ClimateAction #EnvironmentalAwareness #InterculturalDialogue #ActiveCitizenship #EUProjects

This November, I participated in the Climathon, a two-week challenge where students develop solutions to improve cities' sustainability! My group and I focused on Madrid, the city where we study. While exploring the city’s efforts to become more sustainable, we found ambitious projects by the Ayuntamiento de Madrid. However, these initiatives often faced implementation challenges, limiting their lasting impact. This raised a critical question: why launch new projects when existing ones struggle to succeed? To address this, we researched the barriers to effective implementation, identifying bureaucratic inefficiencies and insufficient public engagement as key obstacles. Our solution involved a two-tier approach to ensure meaningful, long-term impact. The first tier was a policy proposal for institutional reform, advocating for a Unified Sustainability Authority to centralize governance and accelerate Madrid’s transition to a sustainable urban environment. This restructuring would streamline administrative processes and foster collaboration across stakeholders. We were thrilled to see our ideas validated just two weeks later by findings reported in Europa Press. Experts from the Instituto Internacional de Derecho y Medio Ambiente (IIDMA) emphasized that Spain will not achieve its 2030 and 2050 climate goals without improved coordination across state, regional, and local administrations—aligning perfectly with our proposed solution. This experience gave me firsthand insight into the pressure, responsibility, and analytical thinking required to tackle climate challenges. I am deeply grateful to my teammates— Bridget, Paloma, Clémentine, and Fabiana—who made this journey both rewarding and fun. The lessons from the Climathon will stay with me as I prepare to enter the job market, ready to contribute to sustainable development.

This fascinating study explores the efficiency and equity of microincentives in promoting sustainable transportation. Additionally, it examines how targeted incentives can impact social goals, revenue, and equity in public transport systems. 🙌 Kudos to Pietro and all contributors. 4o

💡𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘂𝘅 𝘄𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁!💡 👉 Because the involvement of all Saint-Gobain employees will be decisive in achieving the carbon neutrality objectives in 2050, this year, we renew in the Benelux the Act Sustainably call for sustainable projects. In this 𝘈𝘤𝘵 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴, all Benelux colleagues (intern, work-study student, fixed-term or permanent employee of Saint-Gobain in Benelux), can act concretely and locally by carrying out a project. 💥 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨. 👏 Our dedication is clear in the reduction of CO2 emissions, waste management, the promotion of a circular economy, and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity. Our accomplishments are clear, but the road to a sustainable future stays long with many challenges ahead. 🤩 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙙 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙪𝙭 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙣! We unite our ideas, energy and creativity, because achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is a goal we will reach together. So, for our colleagues, we need you! Get involved, share your sustainable ideas, and be part of this journey toward a better future. Join the movement! Making the world a better home. 🌍 #Sustainability #SaintGobain #ActSustainability #CarbonNeutral #MakingTheWorldABetterHome

What challenges are companies currently facing in their green transition? Such a broad, timely and critical topic! Very honored and excited to be moderating that panel with very insightful experts! #FrenchTechBoston #greentech

On my last day before summer vacation I joined Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Sweden, together with industry experts and practitioners exchanging ideas and experiences on how innovation in building technology can provide economically efficient solutions and simultaneously contribute to conserving increasingly scarce energy and water resources 🏘️ Mr Emmanuel Normant presented the innovative technology solutions of Saint-Gobain including low carbon products, helping to optimize energy usage and simultaneously enhancing building performance. In order to transform building technology smart, sustainably and efficiently, Saint-Gobain arrange sustainability talks globally where stakeholders can exchange ideas and share experiences that foster collaboration 🫱🏼🫲🏽 Thank you Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Sweden for valuable and inspiring discussions during today’s Swiss Bizz Summit in a sunny Båstad during Nordea Open 🎾 Collaboration is key in driving innovation to address environmental challenges such as climate change, resource depletion and biodiversity while simultaneously contributing to a more sustainable future 🌱 #sustainability #saintgobain #swisschamber #makingtheworldabetterhome #buildingindustry #innovation #energy #water #climate