On December 3rd, Prof. Phoebe Koundouri had the honor of speaking at the inaugural AthensTalks conference, titled “The Human at the Center of the Modern City,” organized by the Region of Attica at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The event brought together experts from politics, science, culture, and business to discuss initiatives aimed at achieving a sustainable and resilient future for Attica.
During the panel discussion on “Resilient and Green Cities: Development with respect for the environment and readiness for future challenges,” Prof. Koundouri addressed the economic dimensions of climate change and stressed the importance of proper resource allocation. [He/She/They] also highlighted the work at AE4RIA – Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Aephoria, showcasing several interdisciplinary, multimillion-euro, EU-funded research projects focused on climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. These projects include: Pathways2Resilience, which aims to co-develop pathways toward climate-resilient regions in Europe; MAIA Resilience EU, which maximizes the impact and accessibility of European climate research; the MULTICLIMACT Project, focused on advancing multi-faceted climate adaptation actions to enhance the resilience and preparedness of the built environment; Climate Impetus, utilizing a dynamic information management approach for climate-resilient adaptation in European regions; and ARSINOE_EU, fostering climate-resilient regions through systemic solutions and innovations.
Additionally, Prof. Koundouri introduced the UNFCCC’s City Challenge initiative, which was launched at #COP29 in Baku by the UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub (UNCC-GIH), in collaboration with partners such as XPRIZE, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the Global Climate Hub, the Global Covenant of Mayors, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), and the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GESI). Open to both cities and rural areas, the #CityChallenge spans a 10-year period and offers a groundbreaking $1 billion USD prize for achieving a reduction of 1 gigaton of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The challenge is structured in three phases: vision development, innovation creation, and solution deployment, encouraging both established leaders and innovators to seek new solutions.
The panel was also joined by Eleni (Lenio) Myrivili, Global Chief Heat Officer at UN-Habitat & Atlantic Council, George Pagoulatos, Greece’s OECD Ambassador, and Stavros Solomos from the Academy of Athens. The discussion was moderated by Nikitas Koronakis.
