For the second consecutive year, the Guaíba riverfront was the stage for one of the largest innovation ecosystem events in Latin America: the South Summit 2023. Investors prospecting for business opportunities, startups presenting solutions. Professionals and students circulating along the Cais Embarcadero. Public and private sectors, the market and academia formed an audience of over 20,000 people gathered to discuss the Porto Alegre of the future, which includes envisioning a more sustainable city.

At the event, Mayor Sebastião Melo and the World Bank Director in Brazil, Johannes Zutt, announced the companies contracted to execute the Porto Alegre Climate Action Plan (PAC POA). Through a consortium formed by Waycarbon, ICLEI South America, EcoFinance, and Ludovino Lopes Advogados, in conjunction with the Porto Alegre City Hall under the coordination of the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment, Urban Planning and Sustainability (SMAMUS), the challenge is to collaboratively build a set of concrete actions and measures to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the climate crisis in the capital.

About a month and a half after the announcement, Porto Alegre held this Tuesday, the 16th, the 1st Workshop of the Climate Action Plan. The online event was attended by representatives from the government and civil society (professors and directors from local universities, technicians from various municipal departments, researchers, non-governmental organizations, community leaders, social movements, and citizens). Solutions were discussed and contributions were presented for the development of the Plan.

The objective of the meeting was to present the proposed steps for the development of the PAC (Growth Acceleration Program), to encourage contributions from key stakeholders on topics such as Climate Risk and Vulnerability Analysis, Greenhouse Gas Emission Scenarios, and Water Footprint, and to begin mobilizing the population and public agents to participate in the development of the project, which has a total duration of 18 months.

A global entity promoting local development.

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network that brings together more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in more than 125 countries, in Brazil it is represented by 9 states, 23 capitals and 53 cities.

As part of an effective project to equip cities towards sustainability, ICLEI promotes regular meetings, providing access to qualified information and training, exchanging best practices, and actively participating in the development of Climate Action Plans, such as those already being implemented in Brazilian capitals like Fortaleza, João Pessoa, Recife, Belo Horizonte, Palmas, Salvador, São Paulo, Curitiba, and the Suape Complex (plus 8 cities in the port's strategic territory).

The PAC POA is being implemented through a consortium formed by WayCarbon, ICLEI South America, Ecofinance Negócios, and Ludovino Lopes Advogados, contracted by the Porto Alegre City Hall to provide specialized technical services, coordination, and execution of activities. The initiative is financed by the World Bank, with resources from the City Climate Finance Gap Fund, a multi-donor fund, which has the support of the governments of Germany and Luxembourg.