Cities, Jobs and Just Transitions : executive summary of the inception report

As for Forecasting new skills, focal points such as the identification of key stakeholders and partnerships required to engage in forecasting, and frameworks used to codify the skills intelligence are presented. Building on these points, UIA projects are highlighted, like the Dutch high-tech city Eindhoven, a smaller Spanish city, Cuenca, in the niche area of urban forestry, and Aveiro in Portugal.

As for Supporting emerging green sectors, several UIA projects link to emerging green sectors (e.g. green fuels and clean transport, energy retrofitting and zero energy buildings, nature based solutions and urban forestry etc.). The Report introduces the readers to aspects of the challenge of “greening” business sectors and listing projects already addressing this challenge such as: Manchester on urban green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, Amsterdam on smart blue-green roof technology and Viladecans on energy transition and new local tools.   

As for Skilling and reskilling, even though local authorities often lack direct competencies on jobs and skills, cities are where the impact of the evolution towards a greener economy is more tangible also in terms of creation of new services, businesses and functions. An active role for local authorities on skilling and reskilling strategies can be important for reducing the mismatch between the skills of employees. Concrete UIA city examples such as Cluj-Napoca and Eindhoven are both creating sets of new skills to improve the employability of specific categories of workers. Other UIA cities, such as Rotterdam, Pozzuoli and Fuenlabrada, are focusing on specific categories to drive citizens’ career opportunities towards green sectors.

The Report touches upon the multifaceted elements relevant for “Cities and Jobs” in the context of Just Transitions. To mention some, the multiple drivers in play in the process of greening skills, jobs and business, the push of the digitalisation also for the green economy, and the interconnectedness of New Skills, Supporting Emerging Green Sectors and Re/Skilling at a local level.

Finally, the Report also shows the analytical way for approaching the delivery of Just Transitions, juxtaposing it with the European sustainable urban development model, helping readers understand how UIA projects are each in their own specific way contributing to making cities fit for a new socio-ecological pact.