City Leaders Dialogues: The net zero road to COP26 and beyond

Overview of series

Cities are vital to ensure the world builds back better after the Covid 19 pandemic and they’re just as important when it comes to creating a sustainable urban future. It’s often said that nations pledge but cities deliver. So as world leaders prepare for the COP26 Climate Change Summit in Glasgow this November, the role of cities will be crucial in delivering on their pledges.

As part of this global conversation, the UK’s Connected Places Catapult launched a series of Mayoral Dialogues, led by Prof. Greg Clark CBE, Chairman of Connected Places Catapult. On The Net Zero Road to COP26 and Beyond, we ask how global city leaders and stepping up to one of the biggest challenges humanity faces: a changing climate and the need to reduce global carbon emissions.

We explore city carbon neutrality plans ranging from net zero neighbourhoods, active travel, sustainable homes, and the decarbonisation of transport. We’ll be asking how city leaders are financing net zero programmes, how they’re fostering the innovation economy, and how global collaboration between cities can spark new ideas and unlock opportunity.

Spotlight on Bristol

Professor Greg Clark CBE, Chairman of Connected Places Catapult has a fireside chat with Mayor Rees, Bristol City Council, who will be showcasing best practices from Bristol that are leading the way on the net zero road to COP26 and beyond following the city’s pledge to be a carbon neutral and climate resilient city by 2030.

Who Should Attend and Why?

• If you’re a place leader, we want you to gain inspiration from others and identify new opportunities for collaboration on net zero projects. We'll be looking at some of the challenges that place leaders tackle daily in cities, such as 1) thinking creatively about the totality of a place when setting visions and plans, 2) making the business case for local investment in a sustainable future, and 3) the power of city-to-city collaboration, both local and global.
• If you are an innovator, a start-up or an SME we want you to get a better understanding of what place leaders are thinking when it comes to procuring and enabling innovation when budgets are tight and capacity is often stretched.
• If you are a researcher we want you to get a better understanding of the role that R&D plays in a city’s innovation economy, and how city leaders are thinking about the role of skills and talent in harnessing new opportunities for collaboration and growth.
• No matter who you are, we want you to leave inspired by how global city leaders around the world are marshalling the skills, talent, creativity and assets of their places for the transition to a net zero city.