Presentation given by Cristina Martinez, European Commission, at Open & Agile Smart Cities' annual Connected Smart Cities & Communities Conference 2020 on 23 January in Brussels, Belgium

1. Join a multi-level movement
Boost smart green solutions
Sustain the European way of living
CRISTINA MARTINEZ, SMART MOBILITY AND LIVING
DEPUTY HEAD OF UNIT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION
OASC CONFERENCE, The Green Track
22 January 2020
@ConnectCitiesEU

2. Environment and sustainability
challenges in Europe (SOER2020)

3. Besides, earth system interactions
amplify -already serious- human
impacts (climate cascade)
Source: Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

4. Climate insights – from IPCC
u Global Fossil & CO2 Emissions still growing, not peaking (t°records!)
u The emissions gap (current ambition not enough) to a 1,5°C target
u Climate impacts are hitting harder and sooner than climate assessments
indicated even a decade ago (more efficient scientific models)

5. We are today on a 3°C path, that
means a much less habitable earth
u “We have 2 years to bend the emissions curve.”
(Rockstrom, 2018)
u “We think that several cryosphere tipping points
are dangerously close, but mitigating greenhouse-
gas emissions could still slow down the inevitable
accumulation of impacts and help us to adapt (in
Nature, 2019)”
u “The question of survival of humankind, if, how
long, how many, under which conditions, cannot be
any longer excluded from a long-term policy
exercise.” (IPBES report 2019)

6. No more business as usual for
cities:
u Priority: decrease GHG emissions in key sectors
(mitigation); in particular energy management
(especially in buildings)
u Priority: evolve key urban sectors (food chain,
mobility, bio-diversity, water and waste, etc.)
u Priority: evidence-based urban policy-making for
resilience (a new guiding principle?) and adaptation
scenarios (because t° is increasing anyway)
u Priority: support a new eco-social paradigm (beyond
GDP), a new trans-sectoral approach
…while managing everything else, incl. other crisis!

7. The desirable transformations into a
sustainable society

8. New Commission priorities

9. The European Green Deal: a
positive agenda for the Future of
Europe
u Climate/Environment/Just Transition
u Policy areas: Clean energy; Sustainable industry;
Building and renovating; Sustainable mobility;
Biodiversity; From Farm to Fork; Eliminating pollution
u Mainstreaming the EGD in all EU policies and more: Just
Transition fund, National budgets, research and
innovation, education and training, ‘do not harm’ –
policy coherence at EU level, Global leadership, A
European Climate Pact
“The EU should also promote and invest in the necessary
digital transformation and tools as these are essential
enablers of the changes.” (pg.4 of the EGD COM)

10. A Europe fit for the Digital
Age
u Key strategic documents under preparation (Digital
Strategy, Data Strategy, Industry Strategy)
u Proposing a new vision for Digital Policy
u Fostering Digital leadership in Europe
u Technology and data sovereignty
u But digital with a (green) purpose too!

11. The next societal model for
urban communities
u Doesn’t exist yet
u A mix until a new (or various) societal model stabilize(s)
u Glocalization trend (socio-economic processes)
u Circular economy (or better, a regenerative model) to
disconnect growth from the use of non-renewable
resources
u Consuming (much) less, at least in certain parts of the
world, while generalizing and further developing
prosperity
u Creating new societal paradigms (e.g. place of human
(vs machines?), human relations, etc.)

12. ICT technology in all this, friend
or foe?
u ICT= around 8-10% of electricity demand in EU +
waste + rare earths usage
u Acceleration of all other activities (CO2 impact!)
u Digital is also competing on “emissions rights”
and energy availability for other human activities
u The rebound effect of digitalization (not well
assessed)
u Will artificial intelligence assist humanity to find
a balance within planetary boundaries or
increase self (machine)-interest?
u Wise (sober) digitalization necessary

13. Digital with a (green) purpose
u Solutions for ‘how’ questions and new win-wins often
germinate at the interfaces rather than in the silos
(humans/earth/machine).
u Digital can support our transformation into the right
“direction of travel” (EU Green deal): green
ICT/ICT4green
u IF with a compatible purpose
u IF well framed
u IF in response to citizens’ and stakeholders’ concerns
u IF moving beyond technological innovation (tech-fix
claims)
u IF more naturally embedded into social, business model
and governance innovation

14. Disruptive potential of ICT in
cities
u Empower smart communities and cities (to fast adopt a
new and ‘safe operating system’)
u While protecting the infrastructure (resilience)!
u System optimization (efficiency, new processes, etc.)
u Scalable services
u Mitigation and adaptation strategies (modelling)
u Incentivize change for people and the planet (new apps?,
nudging new solutions, etc.)- A Climate Pact?
u Implement and monitor regulation at the local level
(monitor usage, share data, public oversight, etc.)
u Help transition to a Regenerative Economy

15. DRAFT
Using new EU instruments
like HE, DEP for:
u Helping cities to become carbon-neutral and smart
u Sound digital foundation (Fmwk Reg., DUP and standards)
ensuring data and technological sovereignty
u Scaling up smart services for sustainability: Digital twins,
SMaaS
u Other measures (CNSC Mission, nudging apps, etc.)
u Developing a green data economy
u Common ‘EGD’ Data spaces
u Green Services in support of EGD (mitigation/adaptation)
u Transforming ICT into a circular industry
u Regulatory mapping
u Actions for energy-efficiency of Data centers
u Other measures for ICT circularity

16. Role of governments
“The local is the only universal, and as near
an absolute as exists.”
John Dewey, The public and its problems.

17. Support the Declaration!