The escalating climate crisis has positioned cities and regions as pivotal players in global climate action. As epicenters of vulnerability and innovation, urban areas are uniquely equipped to lead the charge toward sustainability and resilience. The RethinkAction project proudly contributes to this transformative movement, offering practical insights, tools, and methodologies that support to identify and catalyze impactful land-use based adaptation and mitigation solutions (LAMS). Sharing these innovations at international platforms underscores the project’s commitment to fostering collaborative, scalable approaches for a sustainable and resilient future.

Platforms for Global Exchange

In 2024, RethinkAction was showcased at key global forums, including EURESFO, URBIS24, the ICLEI World Congress, and COP29. These events provided unparalleled opportunities to engage with diverse stakeholders—from policymakers and urban planners to technologists and community leaders. Each forum amplified the project’s mission of co-creating practical, user-centric solutions for urban sustainability and land-use decision-making.

On November 20, at 13:45, the RethinkAction project co-organized and was featured as the main project in a session at the Digital Innovation Pavilion during COP29 in Baku. Led by Pourya Salehi, the session, “Rethink Action: Leveraging Digital Technologies for Climate Actions, Co-creation of Strategies, and Monitoring in Cities,” highlighted how digital tools such as AI, IoT, and geospatial mapping are transforming urban climate and land-use strategies. The invited experts on the panel moderated by Pourya included Sönke Kreft from UNU, Miroslav Polzer from IAAI, Joaquin van Peborgh from OpenEarth Foundation, Peter Oksen from WIPO Green, and David Corbett from ICLEI. They shared innovative solutions in connection to RethinkAction and emphasized the importance of stakeholder co-creation, social innovation, and policy reform in driving impactful climate actions leveraging emerging technologies. They showcased how these tools enable cities to adopt sustainable practices, build resilience, and foster collaborative ecosystems for global scaling solutions. Peter Oksen from WIPO Green expressed interest in including the RethinkAction platform in the WIPO Green list of tools (a global marketplace that connects green technology solutions with partners to scale innovation for sustainable development) once the platform is fully functional.

Earlier in 2024, the RethinkAction project took center stage at the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO) 2024, held on June 27 in Valencia, Spain. As a co-organizer, the project led a session titled “Digitalization for Climate Action: Co-Creation, Collaboration, and Just Transitions.” This dynamic session, moderated by Selene Angelone (Senior Expert, ICLEI European Secretariat), provided a platform for exploring how digital tools can advance equitable and impactful climate action. Panelists included Roos Meilink (Chief Resilience Officer of The Hague), Alison Gilliland (EU Climate Pact Ambassador), Joanna Heyda (Head of Climate Policy Division at the City of Warsaw), and Pourya Salehi (Head of Urban Research, Innovation, and Development at ICLEI World Secretariat). They highlighted the critical importance of co-creation in ensuring that digital solutions are both inclusive and actionable. The discussion underscored the significant potential of digitalization in accelerating climate action. However, realizing this potential requires inclusive processes and cooperative partnerships to harness technology effectively for building sustainable and resilient communities.

At forums such as the ICLEI World Congress, RethinkAction emphasized the principles of co-creation, inclusivity, and adaptability. These values enhance the robustness of digital tools and ensure their responsiveness to the unique needs of cities navigating the path to climate resilience.

The Vital Role of Projects in International Sustainability Discourse

Large-scale sustainability events, such as COP29, are crucial arenas for shaping global climate agendas and incubators for knowledge exchange and innovation. They underscore the importance of international collaboration in addressing complex urban sustainability challenges. It is essential that tangible, on-the-ground projects are embedded into these high-level dialogues to bring concrete experience and tested methodologies to supplement and inform future policy commitments and pathways. On one hand, events like these offer projects like RethinkAction the opportunity to present practical case studies that translate high-level dialogues into actionable insights grounded in real-world contexts. On the other hand, these projects enrich the events by bringing tangible examples of what is being implemented on the ground, showcasing the potential of innovative tools and methodologies to drive meaningful change. This two-way dynamic ensures that theoretical discussions are complemented by practical evidence, creating a robust feedback loop that benefits both policymakers and practitioners - bridging the gap between conceptual frameworks and their real-world application.

For RethinkAction, these events offer a critical opportunity to:

• Demonstrate Real-World Impact: Showcasing tangible case studies and digital tools helps global decision-makers visualize the practical implementation of ambitious climate targets.
• Promote Mutual Learning: Sharing methods and lessons learned encourages other cities to adopt or refine similar practices, while RethinkAction gains insights from peer projects and stakeholder feedback.
• Catalyze Global Partnerships: Building alliances at international events amplifies the project’s reach, fostering a global network of practitioners ready to adapt and replicate proven solutions.
• Strengthen Policy Relevance: By grounding international dialogues in actual urban and land-use experiences, projects ensure that high-level commitments reflect on-the-ground realities, thereby enhancing policy coherence and long-term resilience.

Scaling RethinkAction’s Impact

Looking ahead, RethinkAction is poised to expand its reach beyond the initial six case study regions. In 2025, the project will issue a call for early replicators, inviting cities worldwide to participate in adopting and tailoring elements of the RethinkAction platform. This initiative aims to:

• Empower cities with cutting-edge tools and actionable insights to address land-use and climate resilience challenges.
• Foster a global community of practice, enabling peer-to-peer learning and shared problem-solving.
• Drive systemic change by integrating innovative methodologies into local planning and decision-making processes.

Alongside this initiative, three EU-focused webinars will provide a structured avenue for knowledge exchange, equipping stakeholders with the insights and tools needed to implement the platform successfully. Cities that join as early replicators will have the opportunity to explore piloted solutions and how they align with their specific challenges and priorities. This collaborative process ensures that the tools and insights developed through RethinkAction are as impactful as possible.

Join Us in Shaping a Sustainable Future

The scale and urgency of the climate crisis demands bold, collective action. RethinkAction has significant potential to drive collaboration, innovation, and impactful solutions in collaboration with the pilot regions and early replicator community. As we prepare to launch the call for replicators, we invite cities, organizations, and stakeholders to join us in rethinking the way we plan for a sustainable, climate-resilient future. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting initiative, and learn more about the project’s ongoing efforts at RethinkAction. Together, let’s transform vision into action and shape a world equipped to meet the challenges of tomorrow.