Conference Agenda

Speakers

• Rune Floberghagen, Head of the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes, ESA – European Space Agency Presentation
• Francesca Elisa Leonelli, EO Green Transition Data Applications Scientist, ESA

Keynote Speakers

• Petya Pishmisheva, Coordinator, EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy
  Presentation
• Pourya Salehi, Head of the Urban Research, Innovation, and Development Team, ICLEI World Secretariat
  Presentation
• Dennis Mwaniki, Geospatial Data Expert at Data and Analytics Unit, UN Habitat
  Presentation
• Claudia Baranzelli, Programme Manager, Laboratory for Geospatial Analysis, OECD
  Presentation

• The Nature Restoration Law in urban areas: implications for the future of earth observation
  Benjamin Caspar, Coordinator of Urban Nature and Biodiversity Policy. European Commission – DG Environment

Cities perspectives

• Sabrina Alfonsi, Councilor of Agriculture, Environment, and Waste Cycle, City of Rome
• Markus Annilo, Digital Twin Technology manager, City of Tallinn

Moderators

Francesca Elisa Leonelli, ESA
Marc Paganini, ESA

Keynote Speakers

• From pixels to practice: Bridging urban remote sensing science with urban decision-making
  Karen Seto, 1. Frederick C. Hixon Professor of Geography & Urbanization Science, Yale University School of the Environment 2. Coordinating Lead Author, IPCC 5th and 6th Assessment Reports
  

• Urban Insights from Space
  Inge Jonckheere, Head of the Green Solutions Division, Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes, ESA – European Space Agency
  Presentation
  
  

Panel Discussion

• Petya Pishmisheva, Coordinator, EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy
• Karen Seto, Yale University
• Iacopo Testi, ex MIT SenseableCities Lab, ENEL X, Urban AI
• Klemens Himpele, CIO, City of Vienna
• Thomas Kemper, Team Leader GHSL, JRC

Moderator

Stefanie Lumnitz, ESA

• An expanded climate and innovation agenda: Delivering on human needs beyond optimisation of existing systems
  Dennis Pamlin, Executive Director/Senior Advisor, NCI/RISE
  Presentation

  Too much of existing innovation and climate action are stuck in the 90’s with a static problem approach. The result is that most “solutions” currently take a static and short-term perspective that only optimise existing systems. The result is a situation where much of what is called “climate solutions” threatens global sustainability in the long run and undermines many innovations. Static approaches rely upon a narrow frame of reference - optimizing existing infrastructure and systems towards reducing emissions (carbon tunnel vision). Although emission reduction is essential, it is an approach that tend to look back. Static approaches obstruct scaling the multiple benefits of cross-sectoral innovation and guide action towards superficial carbon accounting rather than systemic changes needed to deliver flourishing lives for all and global sustainability. In contrast a dynamic solution approach is proposed to guide the next generation if climate action and innovation. Here a human needs are at the centre and a future where 10-11 billion can live flourishing lives on a flourishing planet.

• Leveraging the power of earth observations in support of urban resilience and sustainable urbanization
  Martyn Clark, Urban Resilience Coordinator at the Group on Earth Observations

  Rapid urbanization presents a complex landscape of both opportunities and challenges for cities worldwide. International policy frameworks, such as the SDGs, and the New Urban Agenda, emphasize the urgent need to create sustainable, resilient urban environments. GEO, through its focus on Urban Resilience, leverages Earth observations to empower cities to address pressing issues like climate change, infrastructure development, and resource management. By bridging the science-policy divide, GEO develops user-centered solutions that harness the power of Earth observations to build a more sustainable and resilient urban future.

• Health impacts of urban and transport planning; the role of air pollution, green space, heat and noise
  Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Director of Urban planning, Environment and Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona

  Half the world population lives in cities and this is likely to increase to 70% over the next 20 years. Suboptimal urban and transport planning has led to e.g. high levels of air pollution and noise, heat island effects and lack of green space and physical activity and thereby an increase in morbidity and premature mortality. I will discuss the current disease burden in Europe, further data needs and potential urban interventions to reduce the burden using a dataset of nearly 1000 European cities as part of the EU Horizon project funded UBDPolicy project (https://ubdpolicy.eu/)

Session Chairs:
Claudia Baranzelli
Efren Feliu Torres

Session Chairs:
Kavitha Muthu
Oliver Sanchez

Session Chairs:
Stefanie Lumnitz
Matthieu Denoux

Session Chairs:
Francesca Elisa Leonelli
Markus Annilo

Session Chair:
Nicolas Longepe

Speakers

• Caroline Arnold, DKRZ (Germany)
• Tran Hoang Ba, (Japan)
• Eric Park and Hagai Raja Sinulingga, TelePIX (South Korea)

Award Ceremony Hackaton MapYourCity AI4EO
Presentation

Session Chairs:
Thomas Kemper
Petya Pishmisheva

Session Chairs:
Marc Paganini
Pourya Salehi

Session Chairs:
Zoltan Bartalis
Dennis Mwaniki