Decarbonization of Cities and Communities (Cities TCP)

The Cities TCP, launched in January 2022, continues the work of the IEA EBC "Working Group on Cities and Communities".

Cities consume between 60 to 80% of the energy produced worldwide and account for roughly an equal share of global CO2 emissions. As over 55% (and counting) of the population lives in cities, they will need to play a significant role to achieve global energy and climate change targets.

However, cities face extensive challenges when it comes to transformation processes of their energy and mobility systems such as a high level of complexity, adverse priority setting, lack of comprehensive knowledge or skills, detached technocratic decarbonization approaches or the insufficient appropriation of financial resources.

These barriers often lead to uncoordinated decision-making within cities. For each of these obstacles, a large number of studies, findings, and in-depth knowledge exist, which are rarely made available or implementable for cities.

The Cities TCP addresses these barriers and provides

• scientific and evidence-based information, tools, and recommendations to support urban decarbonization efforts, and
• an international forum and communication channel for researchers and city experts with a strong focus on innovation-related projects and the exchange between participating TCPs to share innovation in each field and between TCPs and practitioners to share best practices and pool resources.

The Cities TCP

• collects, integrates, processes, and disseminates knowledge from, to and within TCPs and countries/cities,
• initiates the exchange of expertise between TCPs with relevance to urban energy systems,
• connects non-technical aspects as a crucial boundary condition for successful implementation of technical aspects and enables the dialogue between technical and non-technical experts,
• brings together best practices on leading principles, (existing) scientific (IEA) knowledge, and the application of technologies in cities to guide national city initiatives,
• introduces energy and resource-related urban perspectives and needs into IEA TCP research through needs- and evidence-based research questions,
• conducts research and innovation-related projects on urban energy and mobility system transformation, which entail a cross-cutting and/or non-technological aspect and focus on urban implementation, and
• supports the system integration of all relevant technologies and the linking of technologies in cities

in the following topics:

The scope of the Cities TCP is truly cross-cutting and initiates and fosters the exchange between and integration of different TCPs and target cities' needs in an unprecedented way. The TCP provides a suitable structure that facilitates the transfer of accumulated IEA knowledge to cities, supports cities in their decarbonisation endeavours, and enables the international and intergovernmental exchange and the communication and cooperation between IEA TCPs.

Austria, Netherlands, Norway

ExCo representative
Anna Wang, MA
Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment,
Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology
Phone: +43 (1) 71162-65
E-Mail: anna.wang@bmk.gv.at

ExCo deputy representative
DI Helmut Strasser
Salzburger Institute for Regional Planning and Housing
Phone: +43 (662) 623455-26
E-Mail: helmut.strasser@salzburg.gv.at