AI for Climate Resilience in European Cities: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
26. June 15:30 - 16:45
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a powerful tool in building climate-resilient, adaptive, and low-carbon cities. It helps identify vulnerable areas, simulate future climate scenarios, and assess risks and opportunities for infrastructure, energy, and public services. By processing vast datasets; from climate models to satellite imagery; AI offers insights that support timely, data-driven decisions. Yet, its use also raises environmental and ethical concerns, including transparency, bias, and equity. Cities must address these challenges to ensure AI solutions remain fair, accountable, and effective.
This session explores the latest innovations and future directions of AI-enabled climate resilience strategies across European cities. From predictive analytics and urban heat mapping to energy optimisation and disaster response, participants will discover how AI-powered tools are reshaping urban planning. Featuring an interactive Fishbowl and roundtable discussion, the session brings together city officials, EU representatives, researchers, and industry leaders to unpack the “good,” “bad,” and “ugly” of AI.
Together, we’ll explore political, environmental, social, technological, legal, and economic (PESTLE) factors shaping AI in climate action, and discuss the governance, policy, and practical steps needed to turn AI into trusted, actionable tools for resilient urban futures.
Speakers
Research Engineer
MAria Teresa Sellart Garcia, Research Engineer, CIMNE
Maria Teresa is a researcher at BEE Group, an innovation unit of CIMNE. She holds a dual bachelor's degree in Industrial Electronics and Automation Engineering from the University of Lleida (Spain) and Energy Technology from Novia University of Applied Sciences (Finland).
Following this, Maite completed an extracurricular internship at the Italian start-up EcoBubble, where she enhanced her expertise in pollution-eating design and AI-based maintenance for green areas.
She completed a master's degree in Industrial Organization at University of San Jorge and is currently pursuing a Master's in Data Science at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
In her role at BEE Group, Maite has gained extensive experience in executing and managing EU Commission-funded projects related to climate adaptation in urban environments. She has contributed to projects such as Climate Ready BCN and CLIMRES, utilizing her technical expertise to support energy transition strategies and urban resilience initiatives.
Researcher, National Research Council - CNR
GIORGOS CHalios, Technical Project Coordinator
Giorgos Chalios is a postgraduate student in the Department of Computer Science and Telecommunications at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where he works as a system administrator and technical project coordinator at the SCAN laboratory. Since 2021, he has been responsible for the maintenance of the laboratory's physical infrastructure and network services. His primary research interests include cloud systems management (Linux, Docker, and Kubernetes) and the programming of Internet of Things (IoT) devices (e.g., sensors and drones).
Moderator
Expert Green and Digital Transformation, ICLEI Europe
Tanya Baycheva-Merger, Expert Green and Digital Transformation, ICLEI Europe
Dr. Tanya Baycheva-Merger joined ICLEI Europe in January 2025 as an expert in the Green and Digital Transformation team. She leads the AI & Sustainability initiatives and projects.
Prior to joining ICLEI, Tanya was a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the University of Freiburg, where she focused on the intersection of digitalization and environmental management- particularly on the adoption and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in forest and groundwater management. She holds a PhD in Environmental and Forest Policy, an MSc in Environmental Science, and a BSc in Environmental and Resource Management.