From IUC-Asia to IURC Asia, Australasia and China
The IUC project has entered into its second phase “International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC)”. In Asia and Australasia, the project supports EU cities partnerships with pairs in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand. IURC contributes to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the […]
IUC-GCoM Publication on Climate Action Support to Cities in South East Asia
Publication: “EU-China Urban Climate Change Adaption: Policy and Practice”
The IUC Asia project contributed to a bilingual publication (English/Chinese) by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) which compares adaptation measures to climate change implemented by cities in Europe and China. The publication will support the preparation of the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035 by the Climate Change Division of the Ministry of […]
IUC Asia December 2020 Newsletter available
The latest edition of IUC Asia’s December newsletter covering the programme’s component 1 has just been released. This component encompasses the EU-China cooperation on sustainable and innovative cities. The newsletter begins with how, in spite of the challenges faced with meetings during the COVID pandemic, the work of the IUC Asia has continued unabated, holding […]
Mannheim Releases Video on Innovation Cooperation with China
The City of Mannheim has released a video summarising cooperation on innovation with China. The video includes testimonials by Jia Song, the China Desk Officer at Mannheim City, Anja Hüttl from Next Mannheim and Felix Kurz from the German Chinese Friendship Association Rhein Necker and MEI WEN TI GmbH. The video is made in German […]
EU Cities Garden Pavilions under Construction in Yangzhou
The garden pavilions designed by the IUC pilot cities of Barcelona, Rome and Bologna Metropolitan / Nuovo Circondario Imolese are currently under construction in Yangzhou, which is located in the Jiangsu Province of China. The construction is scheduled to be finished by April 2021, when the Yangzhou Horticulture Expo 2021 begins. The pavilions showcase sustainable […]
International Urban Cooperation Asia
Around 54% of the world’s population lives in cities – and the number is growing.
More urban dwellers means more wealth creation, but also higher pressure on urban services (energy, water, health, transport, housing), which in turn produces adverse effects on the environment and challenges to the quality of life.
At the global level, this creates a major challenge in terms of climate change. It also makes cities best placed to tackle this issue.
European cities are keen to cooperate with other cities around the world, to share knowledge and create innovative solutions, and to generate new economic opportunities in the process.
The IUC programme helps them do this, and it can help your city too!
IUC creates city-to-city or region-to-region cooperation involving EU and non-EU partners.
Part of the solution is to work closely with the private sector, and the programme will help to bring together businesses inside and outside the EU.
In Asia, the programme is divided into two parts covering the region, specifically China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam. Please scroll-down to see further details about the two project components.
I. City-to-city Cooperation on Sustainable Urban Development
EU cities are paired up with peers from China to cooperate on issues relevant for their sustainable urban development. Chosen cities are being supported to share knowledge and best practices on sustainable urban solutions.
This will be achieved partly through the development of local action plans, which will outline activities and pilot projects to achieve tangible results. A global knowledge-exchange platform will be established with resources and best practices on overcoming specific urban development barriers.
Countries covered: EU Member States and China
II. Sub-national action under the Global Covenant of Mayors initiative
Cities and other sub-national localities in the Asian countries are encouraged to join the Global Covenant of Mayors initiative. Through the Global Covenant of Mayors, local governments commit to acting on mitigation, adaptation and access to energy.
Signatory cities benefit from support in the form of technical expertise and cooperation to act on their energy and climate commitments.
Asian countries and special territories covered: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam.
IUC Asia Events
- 29June 29, 2020
DESIGNING CIRCULAR CITIES IN MALAYSIA STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION WEBINAR
Based on the recent initiative of the Malaysian Government to introduce a Circular Economy Roadmap (CER) for plastics by end 2020, the stakeholder consultations aims at supporting stakeholders, including state governments, private sector, research and civil society (quadruple helix), in taking a unified and collective approach towards a sustainable, circular economic system and an inclusive approach including the informal sector and vulnerable groups as well.
The new EU Circular Economy Action Plan will serve as a basis for action in Malaysia, where the IUC project will bring best practices from the European pilot cities to achieve circular product design through, e.g. improved durability, reusability, upgradability and reparability of products; increased recycled content in products; and restricting single-use and countering premature obsolescence of products. There is an expected benefit for the European cities to access the growing market of circular economy investments in Malaysian cities.
This stakeholder consultation webinar will enable representatives from government, private sector, research and civil society to dialogue with experts from European cities and organisations on the subject matter. Participants will also explore how city-to-city cooperation with European pairs will support the transition of Petaling Jaya to a circular city.
The Malaysian city of Petaling Jaya would like to share their top five (5) challenges in their transition to a circular economy (1) Food and organic waste (2) Plastic pollution and packaging (3) Construction material flow and design (4) Household e-waste (5) Lack of digital sharing tools & platforms as an enabler for circular cities.
In turn, European experts will be invited to share the transition to circular, sustainable economy and how it opens the way to emerging industries and new jobs with higher added value. Best practices will be shared from European cities as well as from members of the Circular Economy Club. Identifying and advancing these opportunities is important, where the IUC Asia project will introduce some of the most cutting-edge innovations and initiatives in the field.