IEA EGRD Workshop: Technologies and innovations for the climate-neutral city

Organizer

The event is organized by the IEA Experts Group on R&D Priority-setting and Evaluation (EGRD) in collaboration with the Austrian Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) and the "Decarbonization of Cities and Communities" program (IEA Cities TCP).

Cities are key players in the fight against climate change. They account for 75% of global CO₂ emissions and 78% of worldwide energy consumption, but they also hold immense potential to drive new solutions and pathways toward a sustainable future.

This workshop, organized by th IEA Experts Group on R&D Priority-setting and Evaluation (EGRD) will focus on how cities can achieve climate neutrality. The discussions will center on key factors for R&D policies to foster technologies and systemic innovations for sustainable and resilient urban development.

Key questions

• How can cities achieve the goal of climate neutrality? What are the key challenges and main risks?
• What are the resilient transformation paths for the system innovation for the future?
• New technologies and new business models: Where do we stand and what is needed?
• Which instruments and activities must be supported? Which are the main factors to be considered regarding R&D policies and decision making?

Expected Outcomes

The workshop will highlight key challenges and opportunities and provide concrete recommendations for the development of climate-neutral cities.

More details to come – save the date!

Agenda Day 1 (12. May 2025)

Location: BMIMI, Radetzkystraße 2, 1030 Wien, Festsaal

• 08:30 Registration and coffee/tee

• 09:00 Welcome and Opening remarks
  Henriette Spyra, Directorate General "Innovation", Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure - BMIMI (t.b.c.)

  • About EGRD and the Workshop
    Birte Holst Jørgensen, Chair EGRD
  • Mission "Climate-neutral City" - Getting Austria's towns and cities fit for the future
    Anna Wang, Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure
  • Cities TCP – Decarbonization of Cities and Communities
    Helmut Strasser, Salzburger Institute for Regional Planning and Housing, chair of the cities TCP IEA Cities

• 09:35 Session 1: Setting the scene: Vision - What should climate neutral cities look like in 2050

  Facilitator: Birte Holst Jørgensen

  • Smaller, lower, slower, simpler: low tech, low cost solutions for a sustainable future
  • David Sim, Architect SAR/MSA, FRIAS
  • Resilient Cities
    Nicola Tollin, University of Southern Denmark, Resilient cities
  • Action planning for climate neutral cities in Europe: From the Covenant of Mayors to the Mission on 100 climate neutral and smart cities
    Paula Bezzera, EU Commission
  • Discussion

• 11:00 Coffee Break

• 11:25 Session 2 - What do we need to achieve the vision?

  Facilitator: Johannes Tambornino

  • Empowering Urban - Energy Transitions Smart cities and smart grids
    Vida Rozite, Energy Policy Analyst at International Energy Agency (IEA)
  • Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM)
    Benjamin Jance, Co-Managing-Director, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM)
  • From Research to Resilience: Driving Urban Transitions through a Transnational R&I Partnership
    Orsolya Küttel, CEO Driving Urban Transitions Partnership
  • Key technologies for carbon neutrality in warm cities
    Yoshiyuki Shimoda, Professor at Osaka University and Director-general/RITE
  • Discussion

• 12:50 Lunch Break

• 13:40 Session 3 – Showcase regions: Case studies from leading smart and sustaibable cities

  Facilitator: Atsushi Kurosawa

  • Phasing Out Gas - Vienna Heating and Cooling 2040," initiative "100 projects out of gas", Project „Deutschordenstrasse"
    Waltraud Schmid, Urban Innovation Vienna
  • Driving Decarbonisation and SDG Localization: Insights from Leading Smart and Sustainable Cities in Asia
    Junichi Fujino, Principal Researcher at IGES - Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
  • "30 Years of integrated, ressource-efficient Urban Development in Graz – Status Quo and Outlook
    Christian Nussmüller, City of Graz, Executive Office for Urban Planning, Development and Construction
  • Klagenfurt on the way to climate neutrality by 2030 and beyond
    Stefan Guggenberger, Climate Neutral City Klagenfurt

• 15:25 Drinks & Snacks

• 15:30 Technical Tours

  • 100% renewable heating and cooling supply in social housing - the demonstration Project Käthe-Dorsch-Gasse 14, 1140 Vienna
    Simon Handler, ha.con
  • Demonstration Project "Exit from Gas: Deutschordenstrasse", 1140 Vienna
    (t.b.c.)

• 17:25 End of event

Agenda Day 2 (13. May 2025)

Location: die HausWirtschaft, Bruno-Marek-Allee 5/1, 1020 Wien, NordbahnSaal

• 08:30 Registration and coffee/tee

• 09:00 Session 4 - Research for Climate-Neutral Cities: Innovations for a Sustainable Future

  Facilitator: Herbert Greisberger eNu

  • Urban transformation through research and development: How to recognise the key role of social innovation
    Christian Peer, Senior Scientist future.lab Research Center, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Vienna University of Technology
  • Green, local, digital = quarter-concept of Bedburg Kaster: Proven as a Role-Model?
    Arndt Brauckmann, E.ON Energy Solutions GmbH
  • IEA EBC Annex 83 on Positive Energy Districts: research activities, outcomes and future research
    Francesco Guarino, University of Palermo, Department of Engineering, Assistant Professor
    Francesco Reda, Smart cities and intelligent buildings, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd.
  • System demonstrators for climate neutral cities – learnings from a mission-oriented instrument for urban transformation
    Björn Svensby, Vinova
  • Netherlands, locally-led governance of residental heat transitions and urban heat planning, lessons learned and recent updates in policy instruments
    Marion Bakker, Netherlands Enterprise agency (RVO), Policy advisor Energy- innovation Heating and Cooling, Vice chair IEA cities TCP, Delegate IEA Heat pumping technologies TCP
  • Discussion

• 10:45 Coffee Break

• 11:15 Session 5 – Final discussion: Workshop summary and R&D recommendation

  Facilitator: Herbert Greisberger eNu

  Concluding session - key messages

• 12:15 Guided Tour: 'Die HausWirtschaft' as a driver of urban transformation
  Christian Peer, Head of Urban Transformation Center & Social Innovation Cluster, future.lab Research Center, Technische Universität Wien

• 13:15 End of event

Target Audience

The workshop is aimed at professionals from academia, industry, policy, pioneer cities and civil society who are engaged in advancing sustainable urban transformation.

Participant Information

Attendance in person is by invitation only. Online participation is open to all.

Karin Granzer-Sudra
Austrian Society for Environment and Technology (ÖGUT)
E-Mail: karin.granzer-sudra@oegut.at