Nature-based solutions (NBS) are considered essential to solving the climate crisis. They have the potential to simultaneously address climate change, biodiversity loss and human wellbeing and development, by providing different ecosystem services. However, the typically small size of NBS projects, the difficulties to measure and monetize their co-benefits as well as the long time frame for investment returns and the risk profile, undermine their attractiveness for funding. In comparison to NBS alone, the combination of NBS and ecosystem-based approaches, physical measures and technological measures is able to provide measurable outcomes quicker, reducing the risk profile and facilitating faster implementation and long-time maintenance, broadening opportunities for ecosystem innovation and increasing investment attractiveness. Aiming for bankability-by-design, RISE-IN will assess a set of climate resilient solutions (CRS), including NBS and ecosystem- based approaches and physical measures, by mapping and quantifying their co-benefits and identifying innovative financing and investment opportunities accordingly. Co-creation and participatory processes with local stakeholders, including investors and businesses, will enable the screening of the most adequate solutions for each site, in terms of functionality and funding and within a framework of just resilience. The assessment will be complemented by 3 climate risk assessment models that will reduce uncertainty regarding risks associated with extreme events, water run-off and capital loss. RISE-IN will demonstrate this concept for flood management (most costly type of disaster in Europe) in Cesena (IT), Christchurch (NZ) and Póvoa de Varzim (PT). RISE-IN demonstrations will be further tailored for replication in Ghent (BE), Zhytomyr (UA), Kadikoy (TR) and in 3 additional sites of Demonstrator Cities (Demo Cities) to prove the impact of the concept to facilitate bankability and upscale implementation across EU and Internationally.

U_CAN facilitates a practical bottom-up approach with Ukrainian cities towards climate neutrality. Following the European standards and the European Green Deal (EGD), the project starts with a core group of 8 Ukrainian cities, Dresden as a Mission City, NGOs and research institutions. This networking and co-creation process addresses the current challenges of the Ukrainian cities and their key sectors. Within 48 months, the CNSC-UA twinning partners exchange experiences with further network municipalities throughout the country, adapting to European climate standards with experts like DIN and transitioning together. The core stakeholders work closely with their city administration in building capacities in the key sectors identified. In light of the war, co-creation and Citizen Science augmented training activities ensure an effective, value-based and needs-oriented approach. Communication and dissemination by EU partners near the UA borders enable – besides an online platform – the personal exchange of experiences with the CNSC twin cities. This step-by-step synergy building and facilitation includes vision workshops, road mapping and stakeholder co-creation to twin European and Ukrainian cities. This leads to use case development in each pilot city supporting pilot implementation of measures for climate mitigation and adaptation. This is combined with an extensive plan for dissemination, exploitation and communication led by European and Ukrainian umbrella organisations, standardisation initiatives, and local and national representatives. These efforts are assisted through functioning and already working city partnerships, seamlessly integrating the Ukrainian Cities into the vision of the EGD. The given diversity in geopolitical characteristics ensures the involvement of all relevant sectors and the equal distribution of support, ranging from smaller cities to the Ukrainian capital and most important lighthouse City Kyiv.