Connecting Cities for a Sustainable Tomorrow: Kaohsiung's Global Call for Solutions Winners Unveiled

To advance the transition to net-zero cities globally, Kaohsiung City Government has launched a "Global Call for Solutions: Green Transitions for Industrial Cities", inviting practitioners from around the world to propose innovative and scalable solutions.

Since its launch in August 2023, the initiative has attracted multidisciplinary teams from 27 cities in 24 countries to share proposals on sustainable energy, green living and urban resilience. Following a rigorous evaluation of all submissions in November, the final winners were selected by a global panel of influential climate leaders, academics and experts including ICLEI KCC, Gartner, and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), etc.

Congratulations to the 15 proposals selected as winners in three categories that recognize the best urban initiatives led by public and private partners that accelerate sustainable energy, promote green living, strengthen urban resilience, showcase innovative climate solutions and demonstrate how to build climate movements in cities.

The following solutions have been selected as finalists for the Kaohsiung City Government Global Call for Solutions 2024 (listed in alphabetical order):

• Artificial Intelligence Forest / CoCoTree Technology (Kaohsiung / Taiwan)
• Baguio Streets for Children / The City Government of Baguio (Baguio / Philippines)
• Blue Filter / Yes Blue Filter Green Solution (Gaza / Palestine)
• CECarbon / GIZ GmbH (Brasília / Brazil)
• Grundfos Distributed Pumping system / Grundfos Pump (Bjerringbro / Denmark)
• InFraReD / Infrared City GmbH (Vienna / Austria)
• Innovative Flood Control Using a Smart City Mobile App / Nakhon Si Thammarat City Municipality (Nakhon Si Thammarat / Thailand)
• Kaohsiung Smart Digital Platform / Thales Group (Paris / France)
• Plastics to Energy / Kyuka ventures innovation hub (Kampala / Uganda)
• Low-Carbon Transport & Electrified Mobility Solutions / Alternative Mobility GmbH (Ahrensburg / Germany)
• Personal Carbon Passbook / GreenhopeBCTW Co., LTD. (Taipei / Taiwan)
• Production of Agroecological Food / Municipality of Rosario (Rosario / Argentina)
• Reco Glass / AC Biode (Tokyo / Japan)
• Recycle Plastic 3D Printing Technology / Kookmin University (Seoul / South Korea)
• Vertically Constructed Ecosystems for Water Reuse & Climate Resilient Neighborhoods / alchemia-nova GmbH (Vienna / Austria)

The shortlisted teams represent 12 countries from Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. Integrating smart technology with sustainable practices, these solutions showcase innovative approaches to issues such as water management, circular economy, air pollution control, green transport and carbon capture.

The launch of the "Global Call for Solutions: Green Transitions for Industrial Cities" is a starting point for Kaohsiung to engage with global communities to work together towards the 2050 net zero goal. The selected global solutions will serve as key references for the transformation of industrial cities around the world towards a sustainable future.

Going forward, the selected best practices in each category will be invited to showcase their achievements to the world at the 2024 City Climate Summit (City COP) and the Smart City Summit & Expo (SCSE) in Kaohsiung next year. Plus, the teams will work with the Kaohsiung City Government as well as local partners to jointly implement the solution in Kaohsiung.