Urban_WINS, a new European project funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and in which ICLEI is involved, will study how cities consume resources and products, and how they eliminate the waste produced. At the core of the work is developing and testing innovative plans and solutions aimed at improving waste prevention and management. These strategic plans will be tested in eight pilot cities in six European countries.

The City of Cremona (Italy), a municipality which has been active in ICLEI’s Procura+ European Sustainable Procurement Network for over seven years, is coordinating the project and hosted the recent kick-off meeting. In his welcome speech, Cremona's mayor Gianluca Galimberti highlighted the approach that Urban_WINS will use to develop its research: understanding cities as living organisms. Mr Galimberti also remarked on the impact this project can have by turning problems into opportunities and by raising awareness on the fact that choices we make today when consuming resources can be crucial for our future.

Active participation from citizens, governments, organisations, research institutes and education centres is foreseen through physical meetings and assemblies in the eight pilot cities. A total of 27 partners are part of an interdisciplinary consortium that will work on Urban_WINS for the next three years.

For more information, contact philipp.tepper@iclei.org or follow the project on Twitter.