Inputs from European cities aiming to become climate-neutral by 2030
The European cities of Stavanger, Turku, Košice, Braga and Pamplona all have ambitious goals to reduce their cities’ carbon footprints and some are also aiming to become one of the 100 Climate-Neutral Cities by 2030. We will hear from the Mayor of Stavanger, Mrs. Kari Nessa Nordtun, the Mayor of Turku, Mrs. Minna Arve, the First Deputy Mayor of Košice, Mr. Marcel Gibóda , the Mayor of Braga, Mr. Ricardo Rio and the Director for Sustainability, Mobility and Strategic Projects, Mr. Alejandro Astibia in the City of Pamplona about their paths towards climate-neutrality. They will give us important insights into what measures they have taken so far, in which sectors they are experiencing challenges, and how they are including their citizens in the path towards climate neutrality.
Programme:
10:30 – 10:55 How will the cities of Stavanger, Turku, Košice, Braga and Pamplona reach climate neutrality?
Introduction by: Anthony Van de Ven, Head of Office, Brainport Eindhoven EU Office Brussels
City of Stavanger – Kari Nessa Nordtun, Mayor of Stavanger
City of Turku – Minna Arve, Mayor of Turku
City of Košice – Marcel Gibóda , First Deputy Mayor of Košice
City of Braga – Ricardo Rio , Mayor of Braga
City of Pamplona – Alejandro Astibia, Director for Sustainability, Mobility and Strategic Projects
Anthony van de Ven (M) is the Head of Office in the Eindhoven Brainport EU office and in this capacity has responsibility for, among others, the European project activities, the city of Eindhoven and other partners in the Eindhoven region engage in. He has over 25 years of experience in policy advocacy and project acquisition and project management in a wide variety of European funding programmes, ranging from the various EU Structural Funds programmes to the EU Research Framework programmes. Along the years he gained valuable experience in working on advocacy initiatives and projects across EU borders, an essential skill for those engaged in EU projects. Due to his position, and the fact that he works on the broad issues of energy and climate change, urban health and well-being, digitalization in an urban context, with both the public sector as well as with business partners in the region and the knowledge organizations (TU/e and KIC INNO-ENERGY) he is able to grasp quickly the various sustainability aspects facing local authorities. As he is based in Brussels and part of an extensive network of public sector colleagues from across the EU, he is able to share knowledge quickly and easily.
Kari Nessa Nordtun was elected Mayor of Stavanger on 21th October 2019. She represents the Labour Party, and is now serving her first four-year term as Stavangers’s 53rd mayor. Prior to her election as mayor, Nordtun served for 8 years in Stavanger Municipal Council.
She has been a member of the Municipal Executive Presidency since 2013 and a Municipal Executive Board member since 2015. Nordtun has a law degree from the University of Bergen, and during her time in university she worked with pro bono legal advice. She also studied European law in Brussels.
Minna Arve has served as the Mayor of Turku since 2017. Turku-born Arve is a Master of Economics and a nurse. During her career Arve has worked as the Managing Director of Turku Chamber of Commerce, Party Secretary of the Finnish National Coalition Party, full-time Chairperson of the City Board in Turku, and Marketing Manager of HyTest Oy. She has also led a long career in municipal politics.
As the Mayor of Turku, Arve has highlighted major issues such as sustainable growth, urban inclusion, the prevention of social exclusion, and new means of industrial and business policies.
Mr. Marcel Gibóda graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences and International Relations at the University of Matej Bel in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. From 2010 to 2014, he served as the head of mayors office in the City ward Košice Sever. From 2014 to 2019, he worked in the Automotive Industry in Quality Management for Faurecia Innenraumsysteme GmbH in Slovakia and Germany. Since 2014 he is elected member of the Košice City Council and serving as First Deputy Mayor of the City of Košice from 2019. He is responsible for the European projects, International cooperation, Strategy development, Environmental issues and Public Transport. Currently, he is spearheading the process of Košice to become the European Green Capital.
Mr. Ricardo Rio has been the Mayor of Braga since 2013. He is currently President of the Association’s Board. cross-border of municipalities “Eixo Atlântico do Noroeste Peninsular”, the President of the Executive Council of the Intermunicipal Community of Cávado and chairs the Boards of Directors of Municipal Companies Theatro Circo and InvestBraga, member of the Executive Committee of the Global Parliament of Mayors and a member of the Committee of the Regions.
Mr. Rio graduated in Economics at the Faculty of Economics of Porto, where he completed an MSc degree in Economics. He also completed the Advanced Course in Political Studies of the Institute of Political Studies at the Catholic University of Lisbon.
He was the General Secretary of the Portuguese Association of Financial Analysts and Director of the Capital Markets Institute of Euronext Lisbon. At the same time, he worked for several years as a public and business consultant, including in multiple Programmes of Porto Business School. At a public level, Ricardo Rio has been an alderman in the Braga City Council since 2005. He was also a member of the Braga Municipal Assembly from 2001 to 2005.
As a Construction, Mobility and Sustainability Director for Pamplona city Council, I manage a multidisciplinary area of 35 people team with engineers, architects, lawyers and other roles; and a total budget of around 15 million euros. I am in charge of the refurbishment of the municipality buildings, new urban infrastructures (streets, bike lanes, etc.) and implementation of the Mobility Strategy and the Energy Transition and Climate Change Strategy.
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