In this episode, we welcomed two very special guests: Bernard Clerfayt, the Minister of the Capital Region of Brussels, Belgium, and Bertrand Piccard, twice-around-the-world man and Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation.

Listen now to a very insightful conversation on topics such as the digital transition, the COP27 outcome, the European energy crisis, and the existing solutions from a government and a nonprofit organization perspective.

You can download The Solar Impulse Foundation's Solutions Guide for Cities on the BABLE platform. Make sure to check out our feature on page 208!

Overview of the episode:

03:00 - Teaser: One thing that our guests have in common, despite their very different backgrounds

04:05 - What is Bertrand Piccard's background story?

05:50 - Where did Bernard Clerfayt's political carrier start?

06:50 - Could Bertrand and Bernard switch places and roles?

08:44 - What are the main challenges in Brussels regarding the Smart Transition?

10:30 - "I wonder if a real failure is better than a false success." - Bertrand Piccard about COP27

14:55 - Why are some existing energy solutions not yet implemented by cities?

15:40 - What are the urgent next steps to face the current European energy crisis?

20:30 - How do we accelerate what is already happening?

21:37 - How can we make the solutions in The Solar Impulse Foundation's Solutions Guide for Cities happen in the public sector?

26:40 - What can we do about the digital divide in cities?

29:23 - How can we raise awareness about how much resources we are wasting?

33:27 - Flip the Script: our guests ask each other questions

38:40 - Ending Question: To you, what is a Smart City?

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Want to join us for an episode? Contact our host Tamlyn Shimizu.

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