€12m EU-funded initiative launches to bring nature into cities

Dublin - 8th June 2017: 37 organisations from 19 countries came together in Dublin last month to celebrate the launch of CONNECTING Nature - a €12m EU-funded project, led by Trinity College Dublin, which aims to establish Europe as a global leader in rethinking the way nature can be used more effectively in our cities.  There is growing recognition and EU-wide investment in smart, 'engineered' nature-based solutions designed to bring more nature and natural processes to cities, landscapes and waterscapes. These innovative solutions help to improve urban environments but equally importantly they have significant potential to create sustainable jobs in urban communities and to enhance the health and well-being of our citizens.

Mayors, elected city officials, academics and industry participants from across Europe and neighbourhood countries listened to speakers from the European Investment Bank, Social Finance UK and the European Venture Philanthropy Association as they identified current opportunities to finance large scale city-wide investment in nature-based solutions.  The market is significant.  Right now, over 70% of Europe's population live in cities and this is expected to increase to over 80% by the middle of the century. This translates to 36 million new urban citizens, who will need housing, employment and care by 2050.  Nature-based solutions can help to address many urban challenges, such as unsustainable urbanization and related human health issues, degradation and loss of natural capital and the ecosystem services it provides (clean air, water and soil), climate change and an alarming increase of natural disaster risks. 

Through CONNECTING Nature, the project partners in 13 cities will develop innovative nature-based solutions in small, medium and large cities, with the aim being to roll successes out across a suite of other cities in Europe and beyond. For example, the Mayor of Genk, Belgium, (population ~65,000) is exploring ways to transform the city from a centre of coal mining to one of sustainable energy. Meanwhile in Poznan, Poland, (population ~500,000), officials are stimulating interest from city dwellers by asking them to propose and then vote for different nature-based projects at a neighbourhood and city-wide level. This ‘Citizens Budget’ was €3.3m in 2016. And in Glasgow, Scotland, (population ~600,000), the Council is aiming to ensure that all of its citizens soon live within 400 m of accessible green or blue spaces. Currently, 60% of its people live within 50 m of derelict land.

Tbilisi, capital of Georgia, together with Yerevan, capital of Armenia, are included in the CONNECTING Nature as Multiplier Cities. Georgian partner of CONNECTING Nature is GIS and RS Consulting Center "GeoGraphic" (www.geographic.ge).

CONNECTING Nature is an Innovation Action funded by the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme of the European Union. The five year project began on 1st June, 2017.

For more information visit:

Website: www.connectingnature.eu

@CONNECTINGNBS https://twitter.com/CONNECTINGNBS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConnectingNBS/?fref=ts

Email in Georgia: connectingnature@geographic.ge