KNOWING

What if a city could predict its future? ?? Naples relies on a digital twin against climate risks. Naples has taken a significant step towards sustainable development: the Action Plan for Sustainable Energy and Climate (PAESC) has been approved by the city council. Developed in collaboration with the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (UniNa) / University of Naples Federico II, this plan defines measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change and combat energy poverty. The city is drawing on its experience from several Horizon Europe projects, particularly the KNOWING project. KNOWING provides scientifically sound models and tools to support cities in their climate-resilient transformation. As part of the project, an urban digital twin was developed for Naples - a state-of-the-art tool for analysing energy consumption, identifying climatic risks (e.g. heatwaves and flooding) and assessing social factors such as energy poverty. This data-based decision-making tool enables the city administration to plan targeted measures and continuously optimise their effectiveness. ???? ??????????????-??????????????, ???????? ?????????????? ???? With this action plan, Naples is demonstrating how European research and innovative digital tools can drive sustainable urban development. The close connection between science and administration creates solutions that work beyond the boundaries of each area ??

What role do you play in climate protection? ?? The EU-funded KNOWING project has analysed how we react to climate change - and identified six characteristic types: ?? Active Antagonists: deny climate change and vigorously resist action. ?? Beneficent Believers: recognise climate change but trust in technical solutions. ?? Concerned Compliers: Are becoming increasingly concerned, but stick to uncomplicated changes. ?? Doubting Distressed: Want to take action but are overwhelmed by conflicting info. ?? Emphatic Engagers: Live sustainability in everyday life and focus on collective climate protection. ?? Fierce Forerunners: Feel strongly affected, demand radical measures and also sacrifice personal comforts. This typology is based on a representative survey in six European countries and provides insights for target group-specific climate communication and policy. Which type are you? Write it in the comments! ?? #climatechange #adaptation #mitigation

Are cities causing their own floods? A groundbreaking study analyzed rainfall patterns in over 1,000 cities worldwide and found that urban areas experience significant precipitation anomalies compared to their rural surroundings. ??? In simple terms: large urban areas significantly influence local weather, often creating “wet islands” with more rainfall in and around cities, including more extreme rainfall events. So… why is this happening? ?? Urbanization is reshaping weather patterns in three big ways: 1?? Urban Heat Islands: Cities trap heat due to concrete, asphalt, and fewer trees. This heat creates rising air currents that increase cloud formation and rainfall - especially in hot, humid regions. 2?? Air Pollution & Aerosols: Pollution from cities acts like tiny “seeds” for raindrops, changing how clouds form and sometimes intensifying storms. 3?? City Structures Affect Wind & Moisture: Skyscrapers and dense urban layouts can slow down wind, prolonging rain events and altering storm paths. Who’s Getting the Most Rain? ???? ?? Africa & Oceania: These regions show the biggest increases in urban rainfall. Some African cities receive 200+ mm more rain per year than surrounding rural areas. ?? Tropical & Temperate Cities: Hot, wet climates experience the most extreme urban rainfall anomalies compared to drier, colder regions. ?? Coastal Cities: These areas often see stronger extreme rainfall events, likely due to increased moisture from the ocean. And it’s only getting worse: The study found that in the past two decades, urban rainfall has increased by up to 62mm per year in some cities. What Can Cities Do? ??? Redesign Drainage Systems – Cities need to upgrade infrastructure to handle heavier rains. ?? More Green Spaces – Parks, green roofs, and permeable pavement can help absorb excess water. ?? Factor Urbanization Into Climate Models – If we don’t account for this, cities will remain unprepared for future floods. What’s Next? This study is a wake-up call for urban planners, climate scientists, and policymakers. Cities aren’t just adapting to climate change - they’re actively shaping it. ?? Source: X. Sui, Z. Yang, M. Shepherd, D. Niyogi, Global scale assessment of urban precipitation anomalies, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Microsoft's new 25-year agreement to purchase over 7 ?????????????? ???????????? ???? ???????????? ?????????????? from a reforestation startup has sparked debate. While reforestation is a well-known carbon sequestration strategy, the integrity of nature-based carbon credits remains a critical concern. Beyond the reliability of credits, however, lies a deeper discussion: ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????????????????? ???????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????????????? ??????????????? The KNOWING project is investigating precisely this question for its demonstration region, South Westphalia in Germany. Once densely forested, parts of the region are now landscapes damaged by past (climate-related) disasters and could be an area for future wind power projects. Initial modelling with the CLUMondo tool has revealed considerable potential for reforestation throughout South Westphalia. The results emphasise an important finding: reforestation strategies are important. ?? ?????? ???? ??????????????-?????????????? ?????????????? ???? ??????????????, ?????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?? ????????????, ?????????? ?????????????????????????? ?????? ???????? ?? ?????????????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????????????? ???????? ????????, ?????????????? ?????????????????????? (as shown in the pictures). The takeaway? Now is the time for action. The path to climate neutrality depends on a region’s starting point, and KNOWING helps decision-makers understand where they stand and how to move forward. ???? ???? #KNOWING #Adaptation #Mitigation

An excellent paper elaborates a deep understanding of how climate adaptation pathways need to follow awareness and match capacities in human resources and budget. This is also how KNOWING is developing climate mitigation pathways by offering questionnaires, tools and methodology for evaluating a city's or region's awareness and capacity and designing a pathway to take the next step towards climate neutrality.

???? ?????? ???????? ???????????? ?????????????????????? ???????????? ?????? ????????????? Since 2021, 40 families in the San Giovanni a Teduccio district, Naples, have been connected through an ???????????? ??????????????????. ?? The solar power produced is primarily used for the members' needs.? ?? Surplus energy is shared with the community through a local grid.? ? The members of the community benefit from lower energy costs. ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????????????????????? ???? ???????????????????????????? ??????????????????? KNOWING partner Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (UniNa) / University of Naples Federico II wants to support cities strategically integrating sustainable energy communities into their climate plans. To this end, it has used visioning approaches, system modelling and practical case studies developed in KNOWING. For example, system modelling to analyse dynamic interactions between climate, energy, economy and society. ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ?????????????? ???????????? ?????? ?????????????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ???? ?????????????? ????????????????????! ?? How can such models be applied in other regions? What experiences have you had with energy communities? #KNOWING #Adaptation #Mitigation

?????? ???????? ?????????????????????? ?????????????? ????????? The Zagreb County??????????????? ?????????? wants to attract more tourists to the region around Croatia's capital Zagreb. At the same time, the area must adapt to climate change and tourists should not contribute even more to climate change. Climate change is a wicked problem because of its complex and interconnected nature. Students from Velika Gorica High School in Zagreb have developed approaches for solutions in a KNOWING workshop. Thank You Denis Havlik from AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Ivana Alilovi? and Velika Gorica High School!

?? Ha fet clic! ?? Es hat Klick gemacht! ?? Gli è scattato qualcosa! In whatever language (of our demonstrators) you want to say it. When people meet in KNOWING, things move forward. This was certainly the case at our KERs meeting at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology this week. Thanks to all participants for the great exchange! ?? It clicked!

The report for 2024 for the globe is in: ?? Earth had its warmest year on record! Global surface temperature was 2.32°F (1.29°C) above the 20th-century average. ?? There is a greater-than-95% chance that 2025 will rank among the top five warmest years. ?? Upper-ocean heat content—the amount of heat stored in the top 2000 meters of the ocean. Ocean heat content is a key climate indicator because the oceans store 90% of the excess heat in the Earth's system. ?? Average annual Arctic sea ice extent had the seventh-smallest extent on record; 2024 Antarctic sea ice extent was second lowest on record. ?? There were 85 named tropical storms across the globe in 2024, which was slightly below average; 18 named storms occurred in the North Atlantic, which was above average. ?? Read the latest from the Annual and December 2024 Global Climate Report: https://bit.ly/Global202413

????? KNOWING #climatescience #adaptation #mitigation #climatechange #globalwarming #climatechangeisreal #environment #change #horizoneurope #eestivabariik #espana #italia #osterreich #croatia