In this episode we speak with Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph, Canada. We also have David Messer, Executive Director Smart Cities Office, City of Guelph and Carole Saab, Chief Executive Officer, Federation of Canadian Municipalities. These guests join hosts Ben Jance and Cathy Oke in the first episode of the second season of the City Climate Innovation special series. Situated in Southern Ontario between Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake Ontario, Guelph contains over half the population of Wellington County, with over 143,000 residents as of the 2021 census. The city is home to the University of Guelph, an institution of over 30,000 students which leads the nation in Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine. However, the City of Guelph hasn’t stopped there, having also provided the Circular Opportunity Innovation Launchpad as a mechanism for maximising coordination between its robust private sector, food producers, and research & innovation resources.

In this special episode we speak with Carolina Basualdo, Mayor of Despeñaderos, Argentina. We also have Jorge Rodríguez, Coordinator, Permanent Technical Secretariat, Mercociudades, and Valentina De Marco, Coordinadora, Alianzas y Proyectos Internacionales, RAMCC. These guests join hosts Ben Jance and Cathy Oke in the fifth episode of City Climate Innovation, special episodes of the ClimateTalks Podcast produced by GCoM, a series of special episodes of the ClimateTalks Podcast series, to discuss Innovate4Cities and consider the potential for multilevel support for climate action. Fifty kilometres south of the state capital of Córdoba, Despeñaderos stands out for the progressive action Mayor Basualdo has taken towards gender equality and community engagement of all citizens, young and old, in climate change action to safeguard the future of their city. When Despeñaderos joined GCoM in March of 2022, they were in the midst of launching the innovative “Resilient Women” program, aiming to achieve climate change mitigation goals while providing opportunities for women who have experienced gender-based violence to engage in entrepreneurship in circular economy initiatives. Recognized by the Ibero-American Union of Municipalities and the government of Córdoba, Despeñaderos is leading the way in the fight against gender-based violence and promoting gender equality in the region.

In this episode, we speak with the mayor of the municipality of Kloto I in Togo, Monsieur Winny Yawo Dogbatse. Mayor Dogbatse also serves as GCoM Board Member and the Chair of the Regional Mayors Forum of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA). He is joined by Monsieur Koffi Alowonou, Director of Community Technical Services for Kloto I. They have taken time to outline some of the details involved in rolling out the Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) across the unique, multifaceted jurisdictions of Kloto from their current positions in Kloto I. “The cities of Kloto are located in a geographical area with particularly favourable climatic conditions, which give their territory major assets, especially flourishing agriculture and important forestry resources. These assets favour the economic development of the region, while ensuring food security and carbon sequestration in the country. The Minister of the Environment and Forest Resources, Foli-Bazi Katari, described the Grand Kloto and Plateaux regions as “the lungs of Togo”. The city of Kloto I , is the seat of Kloto Prefecture, home to approximately half the population of the area, and the challenge Mayor Dogbatse has recognized is one of the, “question of creating urban forests within the populations to mitigate the heat, to sow plants that can resist global warming and to bring sustainable added value to the coffee and cocoa sector,” providing appropriately considered livelihood opportunities for one of the more populous regions of Togo. Mayor Dogbatse also recognized the leadership displayed by Kloto I sets precedent not only for National Committee for Sustainable Development (CNDD), but as a representative of Sub-Saharan Africa in the Global Covenant of Mayors, and Climate Talks is grateful to have these perspectives to share in this latest episode of the City Leaders series.

In this episode we speak with Abigail Binay, Mayor of Makati, Philippines. Since 1975, the City of Makati has been part of the National Capital Region comprising the greater Manila area, incorporated as the seventh city in Metro Manila in 1995. With a population of over 629,000 within an area of 21.57 square kilometers, Makati is one of the most densely inhabited urban environments on the planet, which gives rise to a range of governance considerations. Seeing an average temperature during summer months reaching 34 degrees Celsius with consistently high humidity, inhabitability is an imminent threat with wet bulb temperatures of 35 degrees becoming increasingly common. Additionally, subjected to the threat of the world’s most severe typhoons, the exposure to climate hazards is particularly pronounced for Makati. To address climate threats and improve resilience for the residents of Makati, Mayor Binay’s office has initiated a range of interventions, including the declaration of a climate emergency, and the establishment of their CafeTalks climate outreach series. With an Investment and Incentive Code put in place to reorient private sector action, mobilized capital, primarily through public-private partnerships, has helped to bridge adaptation financing gaps for major projects, with adaptation finance incorporated into core administrative policies. We also have joining us today some crucial team members from the City of Makati, Merlina Panganiban – Head of the Makati City Urban Development Department, Xenon Walde – Environmental Planner and Manager, Department of Environmental Services, and Liza Velle Ramos – Research & Planning Division Head, Makati City Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Office. Providing a broader perspective on the value of municipal action, we’re also joined by Dr. Bernadia Tjandradewi, Secretary-General, UCLG-ASPAC. These guests join hosts Ben Jance and Cathy Oke, in the third episode of City Leaders, special episodes of the ClimateTalks Podcast produced by GCoM, a series of special episodes of the ClimateTalks Podcast series, to discuss Innovate4Cities and consider the potential for multilevel support for climate action.

Australia’s second-oldest capital is jumping into the future climate-first with its new Climate Futures Strategy, which involves modelling potential climate impacts across Tasmania with the support of the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre. Fostering the development of Local Government Area Climate Profiles, a range of climate variables were factored into the decision-making process to examine potential challenges Hobart and the rest of Tasmania may face in the decades leading up to 2100. Working with the community to build a Climate Strategy, the broader Hobart community across all sectors was brought into the consultation process from October through December 2023. The Strategy will outline the actions Hobart knows it must take as a Council and a community to reach the intended goal of a Climate Ready Hobart. In this episode we hear from GCoM Board Member Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds, talking about research and innovation in the City of Hobart, and how it will shape the new city climate ready. Jess Robbins, Climate Futures Lead, City of Hobart, talks about the participatory process underway to develop the new strategy. We also speak with ICLEI World Secretariat’s Pourya Salehi to understand just how important digital transformations are for city climate action.