Throughout 2023, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability mobilized representatives from member governments, the third sector, academia, and the private sector in working sessions addressing essential issues for promoting sustainable development at the local level. Several Brazilian regions were visited in five editions: Natal (ICLEI Northeast Regional Meeting), Palmas (ICLEI National Meeting), Porto Alegre (ICLEI South Regional Meeting), Porto Velho (ICLEI Amazon Regional Meeting), and Belo Horizonte (ICLEI Minas Gerais Regional Meeting).

On November 13th and 14th, the Technological Innovation Park in São José dos Campos will host the final edition of the year with the “ICLEI Southeast Regional Meeting”. The event aims to promote discussion about the city models we need to develop today to ensure a more sustainable future. 

Currently, urban areas already house 551 TFP (Total Populations per 100,000 inhabitants) of the world's population, and this percentage is expected to reach 681 TFP by 2050, according to data from the World Cities Report, published by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). The Brazilian Southeast, marked by its large metropolises, brings together some of the country's main urban and economic centers. In 2023, the region reached 84.8 million inhabitants, representing 41.81 TFP of the Brazilian population (IBGE, 2023). The high population concentration in the territory has led to significant challenges for the environment and public management in the pursuit of sustainable and low-carbon urban development.

The event aims to foster urban environments more conducive to economic, social, and sustainable development, ensuring a higher quality of life for people. Urban biodiversity conservation, green infrastructure, sustainable buildings, innovation, and the use of technology to mitigate the effects of the climate emergency are themes in this edition's program, which has as its central focus: "Electromobility and Innovation: Smart Cities for the Climate".  

The first Smart and Sustainable City in Brazil is the venue for the ICLEI Meeting.

São José dos Campos stands out by adopting the use of electric vehicles in public transportation with the VLPs (Light Rail Vehicles on Tires) that circulate along the sustainable corridor of the Linha Verde (Green Line), and also with the renewal of the fleets of the Municipal Civil Guard and Mobility Agents. 

Actions aimed at urban afforestation are also gaining strength and regulation through the Municipal Urban Afforestation Plan, internationally recognized by the FAO and the Arbor Day Foundation. The Plan is based on the development and integration of new technologies, enabling the implementation, conservation, and continuous expansion of afforestation in the city. 

Other successful examples include the new Building Code, which mandates the adoption of sustainable strategies and technologies in buildings for the proper use of natural resources, improved energy efficiency and water consumption, as well as leveraging the use of green building concepts.

The meeting will include a technical visit to Cemaden.

Created in 2011, the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters (Cemaden) It is a unit responsible for the prevention and management of government action in the face of potential natural disasters occurring in Brazilian territory.. Linked to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the The center is responsible for managing information emitted by weather radars, rain gauges, and data from climate forecasts, relaying this information to the relevant authorities throughout Brazil, enabling cities to prepare for meteorological events and their consequences.

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