Alba Iulia (Romania) and Benedito Novo (Brazil) have much in common, including commitments to working to localise the SDGs. Through the IUC programme, the cities have exchanged knowledge to learn from each other’s main strengths across fields such as smart solutions, culture and tourism.

Throughout its long history of taking climate action, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has continually cooperated with global community of experts and likeminded local governments for support, knowledge, and to learn about new solutions that can be successfully adapted to their local context.

This case study has been prepared to reflect the collaborative work that Kochi (India) has been doing with Vilnius (Lithuania) as part of their IUC programme pairing. Kochi and Vilnius have chosen to focus on solid waste management as a topic of mutual interest. They have been diligently working on addressing this topic for the overall improvement in the level of service deliveries in each city.

Since 2016, the International Urban Cooperation Programme has been a vehicle for cooperation between the European Union and Latin America on the topic of innovation for local and regional development. In this endeavour, the Smart Specialisation approach originally deployed in the EU, and its potential to foster localised, innovation-driven sustainable territorial development, have been a great source of inspiration. Building on the 20 regional pairings between regions from the EU and Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Peru), this Science for Policy Report analyses the outcomes and the lessons generated by transcontinental cooperation and examines the potential to enshrine the EU touch on Smart Specialisation in the innovation landscape of Latin America.

This third publication of the International Urban Cooperation (IUC) financial series aims to give an overview on innovative financing mechanisms. While traditional forms of municipal finance retain their importance, the role of new financial instruments and the engagement of the private sector become vital. Still, as experience show even when creditworthiness is not an issue, most of local and regional governments are either not aware or are afraid of using unconventional tools of financing. The aim of this booklet is to collect the most frequently used innovative financing schemes also applied in emerging economies, illustrated with case studies.

The Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur (France) and City of Haikou (China) have been cooperating since July 2018, working together in the areas including tourism, e-health, and smart monitoring in urban areas. The pairing is also developing an innovative academic collaboration, and establishing partnerships in the fields of athletics and culture.

This report gives an account of how the IUC programme contributes to the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda. It outlines the challenges facing cities and how their cooperation has contributed to solving them. The report then takes a closer look at how international agendas affect cities and how progress reporting is set out, particularly given the challenge of accurately capturing the local contribution and achieving a sample that represents diverse cities. Next, the IUC programme and its components are briefly presented, followed by an analysis of how cities and regions engaged in the programme have contributed to the Sustainable Development Agenda. The report concludes with lessons learnt and considerations for a future programme of a comparable nature.

The report summarizes the key activities during the five-day visit to Vilnius, Lithuania by a delegation from the Indian city of Kochi. The report provides a useful overview of the processes, best practices, and lessons learned in relation to solid waste management, urban mobility, water supply and wastewater, and urban development. Roles and responsibilities, technologies, partnership options and future plans were also elaborated. The visit provided the opportunity to select the topic of cooperation between the two cities (i.e., solid waste management).

The Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mean that for the first time there is one Agenda for a Sustainable Future that brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious global climate efforts. Despite this favourable environment, a serious gap between funds available and funds deployed in local projects still exists.

One of the greatest challenges we face today lies in mobility. Sustainable urban mobility requires a mind shift: where transport in private cars and trucking give way to different modes of public transport, like bicycle lanes and pedestrianised areas, electric vehicles, car sharing and rail freight. More and more cities around the world are rising to the challenge. Creating solutions that ensure the vital flow of people, goods and services, while mitigating climate change and creating healthier cities with better air quality and more inclusive development.