How the EU missions on 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities and Climate Change Adaptation stimulate synergies between central and local governments and the development of functional investment models?

The Ministry of Environment and Water, together with the Ministry of Energy, NAMRB, the Climate Coalition and the Centre for Energy Efficiency “EnEffect”, are organising an international conference on "Climate Policies as an Opportunity for Investment in Urban Development", part of the satellite events of the 61st session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The event will take place on 30 July 2024 from 10:30 a.m. at the Millennium Hotel, Sofia, Da Vinci Hall 2, and will be attended by the Minister of Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov, Deputy Minister of Energy Krasimir Nenov, Mayors and Deputy Mayors from Sofia Municipality, Burgas, Gabrovo, Troyan, and others. 

In addition to reducing carbon emissions and increasing energy efficiency, climate policies can contribute to the creation of favorable conditions for attracting investments in innovative solutions and improving infrastructure in Bulgarian municipalities. In this regard, the conference, whereby mayors of leading Bulgarian municipalities, representatives of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the European Commission DG "Scientific Research and Innovation" are invited to participate, will be focused on the role of local authorities in implementing modern solutions for energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and adaptation to climate change. Successive sessions will present results from innovative projects and discuss funding opportunities for local sustainable energy initiatives. Within the framework of the event, thematic panel discussions will take place, which will discuss the ambitious goals undertaken in the EU missions for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities and adaptation to climate change, as well as the possibility for these missions to become a bridge for fast and efficient implementation of investment concepts with measurable and verifiable results.

In the context of the main theme of the 61st session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - "Cities and Climate", the purpose of the event will be to draft and present a declaration on the need to provide local government with the necessary resources and powers to carry out their own policies and attract investment in solutions for sustainable urban development.

The full program of the event can be found here, and pre-registration is required for participation.