SDG Accelerator events

Towards sustainable housing for all: progress to date and challenges ahead

29 June 2023: The keynote given by Prof Catalina Turcu at the 2023 ENHR Conference in Lodz, Poland, reflects on progress to date and challenges to 2030 for the sustainable housing target, the first target of the Sustainable Development Goal: Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG11). Following a brief overview of the international context and various interpretations of the sustainable housing target such as hazard-free, structurally sound, energy performant or affordable housing, the talk pauses on its implementation in the UK. 

Climate resilient and healthy cities: from research to action, and back

Photo: Ecocity World Summit 

7 June 2023: This is an interactive research knowledge exchange organised during the Ecocities World Summit 2023 in London. The session showcases research projects which work closely with municipal governments, industry and grassroots organisations, and reflects on lessons learnt and, the drivers and barriers of evidence-based action for climate resilient and healthy cities.

Aligning climate and health goals in cities from a sustainability perspective

17 May 2023: This event discusses the benefits and trade-offs of aligning climate and health goals in the city, and how relevant policy goals not only can contradict or compete against each when pursued individually, but also undermine other policy and/or wider sustainability goals such as equality, justice and prosperity for all. The discussion reflects on whether the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework can offer an integrated, coherent and holistic approach to align specific goals in cities, in this case climate change and health, while acknowledging connections with others.

Developing Sustainable Cities: Climate and Health. A two-day research workshop in Stockholm

Photo: Ana Borquez/ Unsplash

17-18 April 2023: A two-day in-person research workshop supported by the UCL Cities Partnerships Programme, open to researchers at  UCL, Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University. During the two days, the participants learn about successful research partnerships between London- and Stockholm-based academics, and work on common research ideas and potential collaborations around five themes: mental health, sustainable transportation, digital tools, communicable diseases and urban systems

Horizon Europe Coordinators Workshop

1 November 2021: The Cities Partnerships Programme convened a Horizon Europe Coordinators’ Workshop, which included two half-days of training and capacity building sessions with the Stockholm Trio and UCL. The workshop’s aim was twofold: to support Principal Investigators and their teams to apply for Horizon Europe funding; and to encourage future British-Swedish collaborations.

Cities Partnerships Programme (Stockholm) Summit and Horizon Europe launch 

21 June 2021: UCL, Karolinska Institute, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University met for the Cities Partnerships Programme (Stockholm) Research and Innovation Summit, as well as to discuss Horizon Europe, the new European programme for research funding. Watch the videos from the event here.