Cities 1.5

The traditional economic concepts that the Global North has been using since WWII assume that there is an infinite planet and that pollution has no economic consequences - assumptions that are wildly wrong. In contrast, ecological economics is a model designed to respect the fact that our economy exists on a finite planet and puts more emphasis on the quality of economic activity than its quantity. But a shift in mindset of this magnitude to embrace this new way of thinking requires guidance and a proper roadmap if it’s to be successfully integrated into urban policies. This episode sees Cities 1.5 looking to translate the theoretical into the practical by speaking to one of the world’s leading ecological economists, Tim Jackson, for a stand alone interview to help demonstrate what cities can do to deliver shared prosperity - not just an unsustainable goal of infinite growth.Featured guests:Tim Jackson is Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey and Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity - a multi-disciplinary, international research consortium that aims to explore the economic, social, and political dimensions of sustainable prosperity. He is an award-winning economist and published author of several books, including his latest: Post Growth: Life After Capitalism. LinksPost Growth: Life After Capitalism by Tim Jackson (Polity Press, 2021)“Prosperity Beyond Growth: An Emerging Agenda for European Cities,” by Ben Rogers et al., Journal of City Climate Policy and EconomyProsperity without growth? The transition to a sustainable economy report by Professor Tim Jackson,Economics Commissioner, Sustainable Development CommissionProsperity without Growth (book) by Tim JacksonTransition Network websiteBeyond GDP: A proposed new economic framework: Vancouver - C40 Knowledge HubImage credit: © Rosanna Wan C40If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

In this episode, we discuss what cities can do - and are already doing - to combat climate change, while also considering how cities can communicate these policies. Communication means exchanging and listening to ideas; and in the climate context, to fight back against the propaganda of the fossil fuel industry, far-right political movements and online conspiracy theorists. Mayors and governments need to think about how they communicate with their constituents about their plans for phasing out fossil fuels and the path towards a healthier climate - especially our youth leaders, who deserve a seat at the table today to help shape the world they will inherit tomorrow. Featured guests:Andrea Everett is the Senior Director of Survey Research and Data Science at Climate Nexus. Her interest in opinion research began in graduate school, with a desire to understand how public attitudes affect foreign policy outcomes. She holds a PhD in politics from Princeton University and a BA in political science from Stanford.Lori Lodes has been the Executive Director of Climate Power since its inception in 2020. She is a communications specialist who has worked for prominent advocacy groups, unions, political campaigns, and corporations. Climate Power and Lori are also helping cities and mayors to seize the opportunities presented by the Act.Alysa, Ecrin, and Zeynep are middle school students from Toronto, Canada in Miha Isik's social awareness project class. Along with their classmates, they wrote, composed, performed, and directed the music video “No Future No Children.”Links for this episode:“The City Research and Innovation Agenda: Prioritizing Knowledge Gaps and Policy Processes to Accelerate City Climate Action,” by Cathy Oke et al, Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy5 myths about gas stoves, the latest culture war clash - Vox, 20 January 2023The cost of fossil gas: The health, economic and environmental implications for cities - C40 Knowledge HubWhat is the Inflation Reduction Act? - USA TodayClimate action and the Inflation Reduction Act: A guide for local government leaders - C40 Knowledge HubIf you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

Striving for Climate Justice and Resilience is one of the most important goals at the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy and C40 Cities. The forthcoming Volume 2.3 of the journal will be dedicated specifically to climate justice and resilience because the people and places least responsible for the problem are the ones who often bear the largest burden, and cities need to be doing their part to make resilience more equitable. Featured guests:Geci Karuri-Sebina is an Associate Professor at the Wits School of Governance at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Her main area of research and practice is urban planning and governance, and she also has experience in development foresight, policy, and innovation.Chandni Singh is a Senior Researcher at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) in Bangalore and a Lead Author of the IPCC’s Assessment Report 6 in 2022 on ‘Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.’ She works on issues of climate change adaptation, disaster risk and recovery,  and rural to urban migration within the Global South. Karen Chapple is the Director of the School of Cities, and Professor of Geography & Planning at the University of Toronto. Her main area of focus in her studies is inequalities in the planning, development, and governance of regions in the Americas. Currently, Karen is engaged in many research projects related to inequality and sustainability planning, with a focus on residential and commercial/industrial displacement.Links:“Keeping 1.5°C Alive in the Global South: Life or Death” “The Grassroots Story: Why Keeping 1.5°C is Vital from the Global South Perspective" University of Toronto is building Canada’s largest urban geo-exchange system Rainwater Harvesting in Mexico City as a Measure to Reduce the Impacts of Floods, Increase Water Security and Guarantee Rights to Water and HealthIf you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

There’s a crucial link between good green jobs and public transport - in London, and around the world. This episode features a live podcast conversation that was organised by C40 Cities and the International Transport Workers Federation and recorded at London Climate Action Week in June 2023. Inspired by the mission of delivering a fair, inclusive, and just climate transition, this session titled “Investing in public transport: boosting green jobs and climate action” includes voices from London, England, as well as representatives for its transportation industry. Featured guests:Mikaela Loach is a youth climate justice activist and co-host of The YIKES Podcast, where they break down issues like climate impacts in an accessible, intersectional, and nuanced way to guide towards unified action. She is the bestselling author of It’s Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform Our World.Seb Dance is Deputy Mayor of Transport for London, delivering the Mayor’s transport strategy and ensuring 80% of all journeys in London are on foot, by cycle or by public transport by 2041.  Livia Spera is General Secretary of the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF), which represents over 5 million transport workers in 41 countries. She was nominated as the ETF Acting General Secretary in 2019.Paul Ainsworth has been employed as a bus driver by Go Ahead for over 20 years. He also holds a range of elected roles within Unite, one of the United Kingdom’s leading unions, and has recently been elected to the union’s national Executive Council.Links:European Transport Workers’ FederationC40 Good Green Jobs CampaignThe Future Is Public TransportPublic transport Global Coalition StatementSpotlight On: Green Jobs and a Just Transition How cities can make public transport inclusive, equitable and accessible for everyone How to make public transport an attractive option in your city Good green jobs: How to ensure an equitable, just transition for workers Bogotá's 'La Rolita' project | TrainingIf you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

As we aim toward a 1.5 degree future, we need to fundamentally shift the way we lead our cities. One substantial change is that cities need to look to a new form of governance - one that places climate action at its heart. A critical tool for cities is a climate budget: a governance system that offers a way for cities to turn climate commitments into funded and measurable actions across their government. C40 recently worked with a group of international cities to adapt climate budgeting to their own unique urban and social contexts, and this in turn will support other cities who can more easily adopt the policy now that they can learn from these proven examples.Featured guests:Catrin Robertsen is Head of Climate Budgeting at C40, a new programme supporting cities to improve their governance systems to operationalize and deliver climate targets. Before joining C40, Catrin worked for the Climate Agency for the City of Oslo as the lead technical advisor on Oslo’s climate budget. Prior experiences include national emissions inventories and impact assessments at the Norwegian Environment Agency. Catrin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and a Master’s degree in Economics, specializing in development and natural resource economics, from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.Trond Vedeld currently works at the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR) at Oslo Metropolitan University as a research professor in urban and international studies. Trond does research in Political Economy, Public Administration and Urban Politics, Climate Governance, and Climate services and has published extensively on issues of political economy, public administration and urban politics, climate governance, and collaborative governance/co-creation in European and African cities.Links for this episode:C40 Knowledge Hub's Landing Page for all things climate-budget related“Why New York and London are betting on climate budgets” by C40 Chair, Mayor Sadiq Khan of London and Mayor Eric Adams of New York CityNorwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research"How to lead collaborative governance for climate transformation: A guide for city leaders and decision makers", by Hege Hofstad and Trond Vedeld, Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy"Oslo is Demonstrating Ambitious Leadership through its Climate Budget" by Governing Mayor Raymond Johansen, Journal of City Climate Policy and EconomyImage credit: © Rosanna Wan - C40If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

According to the UN, cities generate up to 75 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions - so we know that cities are the key to unlocking many of our much-needed climate solutions. While larger cities with greater population densities have bigger ecological footprints, emissions are being generated by all cities from around the world; small but mighty cities have a critical role to play too. We all share the same coastlines, and we all breathe the same air - and it might be time to look to smaller cities who are leading the way on climate change to see what else we can be doing. Featured guests:Mayor Melissa Blaustein was elected to the city council of Sausalito in 2020, and has been Mayor since 2023. Since becoming Mayor, she has pushed for Sausalito’s own climate action plan - which is vitally important for cities of any size, especially when you’re as close to the ocean as Sausalito. From addressing sea level rise, to electrifying the city’s transportation operations, Sausalito is proving beyond a doubt that they can keep up with their C40 neighbour, San Francisco.Mayor Michael Cahill was elected as the 34th mayor of the City of Beverly, Massachusetts in 2013. Beverly might be a smaller, quieter suburb to the C40 city of Boston, but the city is driving some big sustainable ideas: from harnessing solar and geothermal technology, to petitioning the state to support much-needed green infrastructure, they’re another shining example of a small but mighty C40 neighbour who is leading the way on city climate action. Links for this episode:Better together: How cities can collaborate for faster, more effective climate actionSausalito Low Emissions Action PlanRedlining’s Legacy Of Inequality: Low Homeownership Rates, Less Equity For Black HouseholdsFossil gas researchSolar power in BeverlySolved by David MillerClimate Mayors NetworkImage credit: © Lizzie Lomax - C40If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

Cities 1.5 is returning for Season 2 — and we’re STILL dedicated to maintaining rising global temperatures to a maximum of 1.5º Celsius.Starting September 12th 2023, join host David Miller each Tuesday as he speaks to even more mayors, youth leaders, researchers, and urban climate defenders who are working toward transformative solutions to today’s most pressing climate challenges. We’ll be exploring topics like climate budgeting, innovations that are saving cities, case studies, the latest climate report findings, and more. The fight toward a resilient world is closer than you think — subscribe to Cities 1.5 so you don’t miss a single episode. And if you can’t wait until September, check out Season 1 of Cities 1.5 wherever you get your podcasts.Cities 1.5 is hosted by David Miller, Managing Director of the C40 Center for City Climate Policy and Economy, and is produced by the University of Toronto Press. Cities 1.5 supports the mission of the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy.If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

Cities 1.5 is returning for a second season — and we’re STILL dedicated to maintaining rising global temperatures to a maximum of 1.5º Celsius.Starting September 2023, join host David Miller each Tuesday as he speaks to even more mayors, youth leaders, researchers, and urban climate defenders who are working toward transformative solutions to today’s most pressing climate challenges. The fight toward a resilient world is closer than you think — subscribe to Cities 1.5 so you don’t miss a single episode. And if you can’t wait until September, check out Season 1 of Cities 1.5 wherever you get your podcasts.Cities 1.5 is hosted by David Miller, Managing Director of the C40 Center for City Climate Policy and Economy, and produced by the University of Toronto Press. Cities 1.5 supports the mission of the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy.If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

Global youth activists have emerged as the most inspiring voices in the climate movement. They have organized and campaigned to demand concrete and ambitious action from world leaders, and they have successfully put the climate emergency at the center of the global political agenda. Youth activists are rightfully challenging the status quo: showing us exactly how ineffective our current actions are and offering us solutions on what needs to be done today to ensure a climate-safe future…because it’s the only option left. Featured guests:Pamela Escobar-Vargas is an activist, speaker, and an environmental researcher. She graduated with a degree in international relations from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and has been an Adjunct Professor of Public International Law, Foreign Policy of Mexico II, and Constitutional law. Pamela has participated in forums such as COP26 and the Pre-Summit on Food Systems. She is currently a youth delegate for the C40 Global Youth and Mayors Forum. You can read Pamela’s article, “Keeping 1.5°C Alive in the Global South: Life or Death” in the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, volume 1, issue 1.Betty Osei Bonsu is a circular economy enthusiast from Ghana currently pursuing her Masters degree at the United Nations University in Germany. She serves as the Uganda Country Manager for the Green Africa Youth Organization, implementing sustainable community projects while enhancing youth climate activism. She hosts the YouTube show B. Inspired with Stories from Africa, a storytelling platform focused on community values. She is a member of the C40 Global Youth and Mayors Forum. You can read Betty’s article, “The Grassroots Story: Why Keeping 1.5°C is Vital from the Global South Perspective” in the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, volume 1, issue 1.Juliet Oluoch is an environmental conservationist and climate activist from Nairobi, Kenya. Growing up, Juliet saw the devastating impacts of flooding in the neighbouring community of Kisumu County, and was inspired to pursue a degree in Environmental Conservation and Natural Resource Management to find answers to pressing climate issues. Juliet has also been involved with the African Youths Initiative on Climate Change, first as a Communications Coordinator and now as the Deputy National Coordinator. She supports her activism with academic research, with a special focus on sustainable cities.Esther Yealie Kamara is a gender equality and climate advocate born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Esther is a student at Sierra Leone Fourah Bay College studying Gender and Development Studies. She is involved with organizations such as Women Deliver, and supports food security initiatives like urban farming and seed banks in Freetown. She graduated from Hilance InteIf you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

As the impacts of climate breakdown intensify, the cost of living crisis takes hold globally, and levels of inequality remain stubbornly high, it begs the question: is our economic system working to meet the needs of people and the planet? The climate science is unequivocal and clear - the 1.5 degree threshold is swiftly approaching, and we can no longer rely on conventional economic models that do not recognize the ecological limits of the planet. Cities around the world are leading the way in establishing innovative wellbeing models, to creating thriving, just and resilient urban environments. This episode unpacks why our current models aren’t working and how purposeful government led action at the city level can support shared prosperity.Featured in this episode: “Global wellbeing is at risk – and it’s in large part because we haven’t kept our promises on the environment” UN Secretary-General António Guterres: https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1119532Featured guests:Katherine Trebeck is a political economist, writer, and advocate for economic system change. She co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Alliance and also WEAll Scotland, its Scottish hub. She is writer-in-residence at the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh Futures Institute and a strategic advisor to Australia’s Centre for Policy Development. She sits on a range of boards and advisory groups such as The Democracy Collaborative, the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy, and the Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity.Saiorse Exton is an activist for climate and equality, based in Ireland. She founded her local branch of the 'Fridays for Future' movement and organizes nationally and internationally. For her Rise project, Saoirse rewrote Irish mythology from a feminist perspective – foregrounding the strong characters that traditional narratives tended to suppress. She ended her second term as Equality officer of the Irish Second-Level Students' Union in 2022, where she developed a passion for legislative and student-led activism.  She is a member of the C40 Cities Global Youth and Mayors Forum, working with Mayors from around the world to implement change in sustainability policy.Image credit: Equity © Erick M Ramos & C40If you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/