Sustainable Cities: A KPI-Driven Sustainable Evaluation Framework for Smart Cities

Cities are currently dealing with the sustainable transition from carbon-based economies to carbon-neutral cities. The H2020 mySMARTLife project seeks to demonstrate innovative technologies through the implementation of about 150 innovative energy solutions in the cites of Nantes, Hamburg and Helsinki. The evaluation framework that was defined and validated in the project enables the assessment of the environmental, energy, economic, social, ICT and governance aspects of replicable and sustainable smart city solutions with a high market potential. The main features and the process for their definition will be described in this paper.

Setting Emission Reduction Trajectories in Mediterranean Cities with the Use of Science-Based Targets: The Pathway towards Climate Neutrality and the Ambitious European Goals by 2050

Mediterranean cities, having already suffered from climate change and at risk of being further affected if actions are not taken, need to reduce their emissions and set themselves on a path towards achieving the Paris Agreement ambition of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. There are several methodologies that have been developed recently for cities in order to set a science-based target in line with a 1.5 °C scenario, that can be adopted by Mediterranean cities. In this short communication, we have selected to refer to two of them with the aim of inspiring experts from Mediterranean cities and providing relevant tools and further learning resources in order to make this task achievable. The new framework is guiding cities towards a greener and more sustainable transition. With a concrete framework to limit greenhouse gas emissions, the Mediterranean Basin can follow the global push to net-zero emissions by mid-century.

The Meaning of Electric Cars in the Context of Sustainable Transition in Brazil

The transition from fossil-fuel cars to those powered by electricity seems to occur differently in Brazil compared with what has been observed in other countries, where it is motivated by the goal to reduce CO2 emissions and the need to reduce dependence on fossil-fuel imports. At present, fleets are reduced, values are high, and the infrastructure is incipient. This article presents a problematization of the local scenario and the results of a survey with local consumers. The goal is to determine whether this market tends towards a scenario where an electric car is perceived as a substitute for a fossil-fuel vehicle, with new technology but the same function (transportation) or if it tends towards a reinterpretation, seeing integration with the electricity grid. The results indicate gaps and opportunities in service design, public policies for smart cities, and new ICTs associated with smart grids.

Specific Skills and Adapted Support

Although urban brownfields hold significant inherent potential, especially in limiting urban sprawl, a large number of sites are still awaiting a regeneration project. Moreover, many of these projects only partially or superficially address sustainability principles. Hence, concrete courses of action are required to support the evolution of current practices towards increased sustainability. These courses of action, which rely on specific skills and adapted supports, require a complementary approach. In other words, strategies should be conducted consistently at the territorial, metropolitan, and project levels. In this regard, the present chapter provides a series of courses of action to be implemented at these levels. Our aim here is to foster the sustainable transition of metropolitan areas, and more precisely brownfield sites, into lively neighbourhoods.

Evaluation of R&D activities in the maritime industry: Managing sustainability transitions through business model

The maritime industry is always at the forefront of knowledge and new technology. In recent years, the companies have used large resources in research and development (R&D) towards environmentally friendly technology. At the same time, there exist many issues around this: are those companies enough good at the utilizing of R&D fonds, i.e., do they put new technology together with solutions that are best adapted to the customer requirements (export-oriented), on the one hand, and are they efficient and sustainable, on another hand? Hence, the current paper aims to study how the R&D costs contribute to value creation and sustainable transition in the maritime industry. To achieve this goal, R&D activities in the maritime industry were analyzed using correlation and linear regression analyses between 2010 and 2019. The results show that those indicators that have the greatest positive impact on value-added are R&D expenditures in the business enterprise sector and turnover from product innovations. Also, it was revealed that there is a negative impact of trade indicators on value creation. In addition, the study proves that R&D activities are contributing to the sustainable transition of the maritime industry. Overall, it was concluded that without sufficient public support, strategy, and new business models, export-oriented industries benefit less from innovation. Acknowledgment The study is supported by a grant from the Research Based Innovation “SFI Marine Operation in Virtual Environment (SFI-MOVE)” (Project no: 237929) in Norway.