Even though the Wuppertal Institute conducts implementation-oriented research in some 50 countries around the globe, it’s still quite an extraordinary feat for a single project to produce tangible results in multiple, very different cities across four continents. But this is exactly what the SOLUTIONSplus project has achieved: together with 47 consortium partners and over 100 associated partners, a team from our UN-Habitat Collaborating Center Research Unit has not only developed and established tailor-made solutions for electromobility in diverse urban environments in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi to Nanjing in China and Kigali in Rwanda to Madrid. Through numerous synergy effects, the researchers also promoted social, ecological and economic development in the respective project regions.

The foundation for this were the SOLUTIONSplus living labs, which had a strong focus on value generation and job opportunities: together with regional stakeholders, the researchers developed and tested locally adapted electric vehicles for urban passenger and freight transport – including the matching business models, which were also tested in practice to ensure economically successful and sustainable implementation. The SOLUTIONSplus start-up incubator played a vital role in the realisation of the developed concepts: start-ups from Africa, Asia and Latin America received seed capital, technology and training and were brought together with global industry and knowledge partners to bring the jointly developed ideas to the road. And with success: SOLUTIONSplus case studies have already been reproduced in over 20 replication projects in other countries.

Thanks to more than 100 publications, an e-mobility toolbox and a comprehensive replication guide, the accumulated knowledge from four and a half years of research and implementation work is available to future stakeholders who want to repeat the project's successes. This is already proving fruitful: More than 15 follow-up projects are currently underway at local, regional and global level.

And by the way: although this success story comes from a different research unit, our Innovation Labs Research Unit engages with living labs on a daily basis – from social urban emissions trading systems to co-creative and sustainable circular economy regions to smart user interfaces for energy-efficient households.

This issue of "Carbon Mechanisms Review" provides insights into the results of the interim negotiations in Bonn, Germany, and assesses their implications for the upcoming COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Other topics include the transparency of the quality of carbon credits, efficient cookstove programmes and capacity building for governments in the Global South.

The voluntary carbon market has the potential to mobilise considerable private capital for climate protection measures. In a recently published policy paper, researchers from the Wuppertal Institute describe the benefits, challenges and risks of the voluntary carbon market – and provide recommendations for host countries on how to best utilise this policy tool.

Researchers from the Wuppertal Institute have developed a comprehensive guide to the contribution claim model, an alternative to conventional CO2 offsetting. The guidelines have been designed for organisations and companies of all sizes that want to further develop their climate protection strategies and focus on sustainable alternatives.

The latest issue of Carbon Mechanisms Review sheds light on the current market landscape and presents innovative trends in national carbon pricing instruments and carbon crediting mechanisms around the world. Other topics include the anticipated timeline for the first Article 6.4ER issuances as well as the creation of a favourable environment for the introduction of the carbon market in East Africa.

Argentina has the potential to solve its energy problems by utilising wind energy. The Wuppertal Paper "The Influence of Context-Specific Factors on the Diffusion Dynamics of Onshore Wind Energy in Argentina" analyses the development of wind energy in Argentina since the 1990s and highlights the role of political, economic and energy system-specific conditions on the diffusion process.

SOLUTIONSplus project partners developed customised solutions for low-CO2 urban mobility in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe – and simultaneously promoted social, ecological and economic development. A replication guide makes the lessons learnt available to current and future stakeholders who wish to replicate the project's successes.

15 to 17 October in Brussels, Belgium and online

At the 10th Just Transition Platform Conference, Jannis Beutel will present a toolkit that addresses the role of strategic spatial planning for the reuse and repurposing of coal sector sites. Registration for in-person participation is already closed, but registration for online participation is still open.