Multi-level governance: coordinating for climate adaptation
26 June 16:15 - 17:30
Location: Sala José Iturbi
As highlighted in the latest European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA), most major climate risks impacting European countries are “co-owned” by the EU, its Member States or other government levels. To address and reduce climate risks in Europe, the EEA assessment stresses that the EU and its Member States need to work together and also involve regional and local levels, when urgent and coordinated action is required.
Addressing this call for action, this session follows a high-level panel on multi-level governance and a technical breakout session looking at the collaboration between national and local levels in the framework of the EU Mission for Smart and Climate Neutral Cities. In this context, this final panel discussion aims at analysing multi-level governance from a climate adaptation perspective. It provides an opportunity for reflections on the role of vertical cooperation, considering the peculiarities of adaptation vs mitigation action, and for presenting and reviewing current strategies for possible replication.
Involving a variety of speakers representing the different governance levels, this panel aims to explore their role in fostering vertical coordination for climate adaptation. In particular, acknowledging the centrality of regions as intermediaries between national and local level, as well as their diversity throughout the continent, the session will explore challenges and solutions with regard to coordination for financing, policy development, participation, communication and technical coordination between governance levels. Additionally, this session will look into multi-level approaches to enable a transformation of the local and regional economy in line with EU policy frameworks and regulations and climate adaptation objectives.
This session is part of the Multilevel governance, cooperation and just transition: resilience leaves no one behind stream.
Speakers
Head of International Affairs and Foreign Investment Department, Cluj-Napoca City Hall (Romania)
Emilia Botezan, Head of International Affairs and Foreign Investment Department, Cluj-Napoca City Hall
Emilia Botezan is the head of the Foreign Affairs and Investments Department in the City Hall of Cluj-Napoca. She has been in the institution for more than 20 years. In this period of time she came into contact with many international delegations and investors interested in Cluj-Napoca and with her department developed different tools for promoting the city as an interesting destination for investments.
Emilia Botezan is the person who offered the investors the first glimpse of the city’s potential. However, she says, it’s not the numbers and the charts that convinced investors to come to Cluj, but the feeling of trust and the quality of people that make Cluj a destination for business and for innovation and research.
Green Cluster Manager, Pärnu County Development Centre (Estonia)
Toomas Toodu, Green Cluster Manager, Pärnu County Development Centre
Toomas Toodu's contribution to promoting climate awerness and the implementation of sustainability principles has been significant. For the past two years, he has led the green cluster at the Pärnu County Development Centre, aiming to support local businesses and residents on sustainability issues, helping them transition to more environmentally friendly practices and technologies. Toomas is known for his passionate commitment to sustainability principles, managing to inspire both colleagues and community members to think and act in ways that contribute to the preservation of the environment for future generations. His work at the Pärnu County Development Center has made a significant contribution to advancing the green transition in this region, making Pärnu County a model for integrating sustainability into the local economy and community life.
Deputy director of climate and ecological transition, City of Paris (France)
Yann Françoise, Deputy director of climate and ecological transition, City of Paris
28 years serving to cities for tackling climate change. Yann FRANÇOISE is Deputy head of Climate and Ecological Transition Directorate, Head of the climate department at City of Paris. Since 2004, he has been led Paris Climate Action strategies gathering commitments and actions of all Paris’ community, from citizens to companies. This department has developed different tools and plans for reducing Paris’ carbon footprint and adapting Paris face to climate change issues. UNFCCC awarded in 2021 the Paris Climate Action. In 2021, he published “Paris face to climate change” a survey on Paris climate change vulnerability. In 2022, with IOM, he coordinated a survey about “climate migrations and Paris, risk and opportunities”. He represents the city of Paris at technical level at Global Covenant, C40, and other international organisations. He is co-author of Summary for Urban Policymakers of IPCC reports (SR1.5 & AR6).
Jen Heemann, Expert in local action for energy and climate
Jen Heemann, Expert in local action for energy and climate, IEECP
Jen Heemann has over a decade of experience in developing co-creation, knowledge exchange, and learning activities for energy and climate strategies in cities and regions. As a researcher and project manager, she specialises in enhancing public authorities' capacity to implement climate-related measures. Jen coordinates the REGILIENCE (Resilience Strategies for Regions) project and contributes to EU-funded initiatives like PROSPECT+ (Capacity building for cities and regions – from learning to action!) and ENERGee Watch (peer-to-peer learning programme). She holds an MSc in Urban Management and Development from Erasmus University Rotterdam and has dedicated her career to local and regional climate action planning processes.
Head of Climate, REGEA
Miljenko Sedlar, Head of Climate, REGEA
Miljenko is the head of the climate department at the North-West Croatia Regional Energy and Climate Agency. Holding a degree in natural sciences from the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. Miljenko focuses on supporting cities and regions in achieving climate resilience. Specializing in climate risk and vulnerabilities assessment and development of strategic plans to mitigate risks from climate change, also working on climate-proofing urban infrastructure, integrating resilience into city planning through adaptive design principles. A key focus is on nature-based solutions, promoting sustainable and cost-effective strategies for urban resilience and biodiversity. Personally, Miljenko enjoys DIY projects, agriculture, and sports, aligning with a commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
TENURED PROFESSOR, TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF VALÈNCIA_INGENIO
JORDI PERIS BLANES, TENURED PROFESSOR, TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF VALÈNCIA_INGENIO
Tenured Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de València and senior researcher at INGENIO [CSIC-UPV]. PhD in project management and innovation with a background on telecomunication engineering and political science. His research has focused on urban sustainability transitions with an emphasis on planning, management, innovation and governance processes. He understands research as a process with the potential to contribute to advance urban transformations through action-research dynamics and the co-production of knowledge through dialogue, reflexivity and learning. He has been General Coordinator of Urban Strategies and Sustainable Agenda in the Mayor's Office of València City Council with a direct responsibiliti on the València 2030 Urban Strategy, the València 2030 Climate Mission and the València Green Capital 2024. He has previously been 2nd Deputy Mayor of Valencia City Council and Councillor responsible for citizen participation, innovation and climate change.
Moderator
Junior Expert, Resilience and Climate Adaptation, ICLEI Europe
Erica Manuelli, Junior Expert, Resilience and Climate Adaptation, ICLEI Europe
Erica is a Junior Officer at ICLEI Europe. As part of the Resilience and Climate Adaptation team, she is currently involved in diverse European projects, supporting regions in their climate resilience-building process (Regions4Climate, Pathways2Resilience) and focusing on citizen engagement for adaptation solutions (AGORA). She holds a Bachelor in International Studies (University of Milan, Italy) and a MSc in Environmental Governance (University of Freiburg, Germany). Her mother tongue is Italian and she speaks fluent English and French, as well as good German and beginner Spanish.
Associate, Programs and Grants, Resilient Cities Network
Federico Aili, Associate, Programs and Grants, Resilient Cities Network
Federico Aili is an urban planner working as an Associate for Programs and Grants at the Resilient Cities Network. He holds a degree in Geography and a master’s degree in Urban Planning from the Politecnico di Milano, as well as a master’s degree in Urban Management and Development from Erasmus University of Rotterdam, where he focused on urban environment, sustainability, and climate change. In 2018, Federico started his career at the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) and later joined the ISOCARP Institute, working mainly on EU-funded projects involving nature-based solutions. Since November 2021, he has been part of the Resilient Cities Network, contributing to various climate resilience projects such as REACHOUT, UP2030 and REGILIENCE. Federico is dedicated to managing and planning more sustainable and resilient cities.