3 July 2023 – from 10: 30 to 19: 00 inclusive – Hybrid (OECD Headquarters, Paris and zoom)
Meeting information
Global warming can reach 1.5 °C earlier than 2030, due to the current outlook for greenhouse gas emissions, and with the effects of climate change exacerbating as emissions continue to rise. Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 has become imperative to achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement. Cities will play a key role in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Cities are home to almost half of the world’s population, accounting for around two-thirds of global energy demand and producing 70 % of global energy-related CO2 emissions. These rates will increase over the coming decades, as the share of the world’s population living in cities is expected to reach 55 % by 2050. Cities are also at the forefront of implementing ambitious climate action, with many of them adopting more ambitious targets from their national governments.
Smart cities represent an important opportunity to help cities meet their climate goals and advance the global net-zero transition. While digital innovation and new technologies can drive significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in many urban sectors, such as buildings and transport, their uptake or their impact on emission reductions has so far remained limited. The implementation of smart city initiatives can also bring challenges and risks, such as privacy and data security risks, but also, above all, create negative environmental externalities. How can the Smart Cities Initiative drive the net-zero transition? What can national and local governments do to make more effective use of smart city solutions and navigate the potential risks? How can the contribution of smart cities to net-zero be measured?
The OECD’s Smart Cities and Inclusive Growth Programme seeks to support national and local governments by promoting knowledge sharing and providing recommendations to harness digitalisation and new technologies to promote inclusive, sustainable and resilient cities. The 1th OECD Round Table on Smart Cities and Inclusive Growth (2019) highlighted that smart cities are a means to improve the well-being of all and that a wide range of stakeholders, including national governments, the private sector, academia and citizens, play a crucial role in the implementation of the Smart Cities Initiative. The 2th round table (2020) focused on how the performance of smart cities can be measured. Based on the discussions, the OECD proposed the OECD Smart Cities Measurement Framework, which aims to assess not only the degree of digitalisation in cities, but also the level of stakeholder engagement and how both contribute to improving the well-being of all city inhabitants and building inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities. It provides policy-makers with an integrated, multidimensional and flexible tool that can be adapted to different city contexts.
The 3 rd OECD Round Table on Smart Cities and Inclusive Growth will build on previous achievements and bring together key stakeholders from cities, national governments, the private sector, civil society, academia and international organisations to:
- They are informed about the innovative solutions that smart cities have put in place to achieve their net-zero targets.
- Understand the risks and obstacles to the development of the Smart Cities Initiative to enhance the net-zero transition.
- Identify the factors that can help smart cities achieve their net-zero targets.
- Promote the strengthening of the net-zero target, as part of the OECD Smart Cities Measurement Framework.
To register, click here – The closing date for registration is 26/6/2023
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