Air pollution, heat stress and drought are problems that are relevant both for Ukraine and for the whole world. Today, there are a large number of initiatives and programs aimed at tackling the challenges of climate change. In particular, in March 2020, the European Union (EU) began implementing a new environmental model of development, announcing the transition to a circular economy. The aim is to bring the EU economy into line with a "green" future, to strengthen competitiveness while protecting the environment, and to ensure the efficient use of resources.

The European Commission (EC) has approved a plan of measures aimed at increasing the service life of electronic gadgets, batteries and vehicles, improving waste collection and recycling. Such a plan includes new mandatory requirements for the packaging of goods, the composition of plastics, the possibility of reuse of textiles and building materials. Also, this initiative is aimed at replacing disposable packaging, utensils and cutlery in the field of catering, waste minimization.

The European Green Course contains a roadmap to a "climate-neutral" economy in which growth is not tied to resource consumption. The EC estimates that the circular economy could further increase EU GDP by 0.5% by 2030, creating about 700,000 new jobs.

Roman is convinced that sustainable urban ecosystems are the cooperation of cities and entrepreneurs, which are the drivers of development. The huge number of modern challenges (COVID-19, sandstorms, high temperatures) shows that the existing ecosystem is very fragile. There are four factors for determining the sustainability of urban ecosystems: mobility, surfaces, economy and urban culture. And we have to work on improving these factors, namely: surface design, urban planning, changing roads and their colors, creating shades along the roads, painting roofs, and so on.

According to Roman, we must take into account the development of new sustainable technologies by modern entrepreneurs, as well as monitor the creation and implementation of urban initiatives.
When we talk about air quality, decarbonization is an essential issue for our lives. In Ukraine, there is a new generation of entrepreneurs who solve mobility problems, taking into account the environmental component. They also strive to become leaders in solving energy problems and creating climate innovations that care about air quality and weather forecasting.

An expert from the Netherlands was Andrea Orsag, co-founder of MissionC, a strategy-based company in Amsterdam that aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy worldwide. Consultant with more than 1️0 years of experience in the areas of risk management, strategy and intersectoral change management, both in the commercial sector and for non-profit organizations around the world.

According to Andrea, in 2050, 70% of the world's population will live in cities. And it is important to address the challenges of climate change and to create ecosystems for people. Therefore, the main focus is on environmental businesses that benefit the economy.

The city of Amsterdam is below sea level - this requires the development of water systems to prevent floods. The city has a huge number of water barriers, tunnel systems and canals. Rising sea levels create new challenges for the city, which cannot be solved without the use of modern technologies and improved environmental conditions.

The problem of air pollution is also relevant for the Netherlands. Therefore, the country has developed an action plan for air purification and directives that will help achieve zero emissions by 2030. The main steps are: the transition to electric transport and stimulating cycling across the country, the use of alternative energy sources, the transition from a linear to a circular economy by 2050.

Andrea named three types of values that should be considered in the transition to a circular economy: organic waste and its recycling, consumer goods and their reuse, building materials for reuse.

The expert from the Netherlands is convinced that it is worthwhile to start implementing environmental standards at the national level. This will encourage large enterprises to seek solutions to reduce waste and provide an opportunity to create initiatives at the municipal level.

The webinar presented four solutions of Ukrainian and Dutch startups, which offered their solutions in the webinar topic:

Albert Groenewoud, The head of marketing strategy for health care uHoo (Netherlands) presented an algorithm that determines indoor air quality and gives advice on how to improve its performance. And also, recommends ways of protection in the existing conditions. The uHoo team is convinced that it is necessary to create conditions in which it is possible to deactivate the virus and strengthen the immune system. Because the value of the virus index is related to the purity and humidity.

Dmytro Grabovets, Yourairtest project manager from Noosphere (Ukraine) presented a web application for collecting and analyzing air quality data. Thanks to YourAirTest products, users will be able to receive up-to-date information on air quality, sources of air pollution and, if necessary, influence the situation through discussions, collective inquiry, petitions, etc.

Pavlo Tkachenko, co-founder and developer Saveecobot (Ukraine) presented a single environmental chatbot that combines data on pollution, pollutants and environmental protection tools. This project works within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and uses different types of data and information collection methods. The project envisages the possibility of each person's impact on the state of the environment by participating in the discussion of the amount of emissions already at the stage of establishing enterprises.

Alexander Gunkel, the founder of Space4Good (Netherlands) presented a project that uses artificial intelligence and space satellites to solve social and environmental problems. This makes it possible to obtain up-to-date information on soil landslides, tectonic landslides, assess the condition of green areas, as well as monitor sea and land temperatures. The variety of sensors and resolution makes it possible to determine the types of pollutants by comparing data obtained from satellites and ground stations.

The SYNCHRO SPACE team is grateful to the co-organizers, experts, startups and all participants of the webinar and is confident that the exchange of ideas and experiences will accelerate the movement towards the circular economy. It will also contribute to the effective development of new solutions for cities in the IV urban hackathon SYNCHRO SPACE.

Special thanks to the moderator of the event Kateryna Pylypchuk for skill, professionalism and creating a positive background throughout the webinar. Kateryna is the Executive Director of FIABCI-Ukraine, a member of the FIABCI International Board.

The event was made possible with the support of the Embassy of the Netherlands, as well as UNDP Ukraine / UNDP in Ukraine, FIABCI-Ukraine, and partners: Ukrainian Startup Fund and TechUkraine.