As the central component to the new edition of the ICC programme, Local Green Deals (LGDs) were the key focus of the two-day Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC) Strategy Lab in November 2023. An intensive training session was delivered to cities by ICC LGD coordinators and trainers before they joined breakout sessions to share best practices and common challenges faced while creating and implementing LGDs.
ICC cities showcased strong commitment with LGDs
Just a few short months into the programme, ICC cities have shown a great interest in LGDs, with 182 LGDs already planned by ICC cities. Of these, over 50 LGDs are now at the implementation stage.
With the launch of the second phase of the programme, it is important to congratulate the efforts and progress made so far. It is even more critical to encourage cities to move forward in the planning and implementation of LGDs.
A tailor-made training session for ICC cities
Through examples and a clear step-by-step, ICLEI representatives Niklas Mischkowski and Giacomo Santangelo gave cities a clear picture of how to build an LGD from scratch and granted insights into the potential challenges, nuances and best practices for each step.
Building a strong case and appointing an efficient team are the initial steps. The example of Mannheim’s (Germany) growing team was given to illustrate how mapping out responsibilities can streamline processes. Highlighted as the next step was to identify commitments, strategies and action places. This creates space for collaboration with businesses, enhancing relationships and visibility among local communities.
The final step was laying the groundwork for LGD partnerships. Forming alliances and creating spaces for internal stakeholders is critical for this final step in creating an LGD. The example of Umea (Sweden) was provided in this instance, as it transformed its Climate Roadmap into its own LGD. This LGD project is a fine example of stakeholder collaboration, with over 40 stakeholders involved.
These steps were overarched by further advice: LGDs should be practical, pragmatic, concrete, strategic and aimed at avoiding uncertainty.
A learning experience through mentoring sessions
Following the steps-by-steps presentation, smaller mentoring sessions were held during which the cities outlined their current positions, challenges and support or advice required. ICC mentor cities Espoo (Finland), Amsterdam Region (The Netherlands), Dortmund (Germany), Aalborg (Denmark) and Mannheim (Germany) provided advice to the participating core cities.
In small breakout groups, ICC cities presented their progress regarding LGDs and highlight their numerous challenges such as cross collaboration between departments. The format helped them to discuss between each other about these to identify common challenges and receive advice from both the mentor cities and fellow core cities which helped them to find appropriate solutions. For example, the difficulties over securing political buy in and building momentum and support for LGDs can be addressed through creating a strong communication narrative that ensures the public understand the benefits of LGDs and feel ownership over them, therefore ensuring there is public demand and accountability for them.
The discussion and breakout sessions underscored the critical role of collaboration between cities and the need for a strong direction for creating and implementing Local Green Deals. More information and takeaways from the ICC Strategy City Lab can be found in this Summary article.