GCU chosen to host world-leading urban climate conference in 2028

Glasgow Caledonian University will welcome urban climate experts from around the world to Glasgow in 2028 after a successful bid to host the world's largest international gathering of urban climatologists.

The 13th International Conference on Urban Climate (ICUC13) will take place from 14 to 18 August 2028, bringing together researchers, practitioners and policymakers to explore how cities can respond to rising temperatures and other climate-related challenges.

Glasgow will be the first UK city to host the conference, which has been held every three years since 1989 in countries including Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the United States.

Our successful bid received the largest share of votes from members of the International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC).

For us, hosting ICUC13 is an opportunity to bring an international community of researchers to Glasgow while sharing some of the work we’re doing to understand and respond to the effects of climate change in cities.

The conference is being led by Professor Rohinton Emmanuel, Professor of Sustainable Design and Construction, who will serve as principal organiser with support from a UK-wide Advisory Committee.

Professor Emmanuel said: “The urban climate conference is the biggest gathering of urban climate experts in the world. This large and prestigious gathering of urban climatologists gives us the opportunity to showcase the heat resilience research at Glasgow Caledonian University.

“So, what do we mean by urban climate?

“It’s about understanding how the places where we live and work are affected by changing weather patterns and temperatures, and how we can design and adapt our cities to become more resilient.

“That includes looking at urban heat, how buildings and streets affect local temperatures, and how trees, green spaces and other nature-based solutions can help communities cope with extreme heat.”

Professor Emmanuel leads our research in this area, including work examining Glasgow’s urban heat island effect – where built-up areas can become significantly warmer than surrounding locations – and how urban design and green infrastructure can help communities adapt to rising temperatures.

As an elected member and Secretary of the IAUC Board, Professor Emmanuel has published more than 150 academic papers on topics including urban climate risk, urban heat islands and nature-based solutions.

ICUC13 will give us an opportunity to connect our research with people working on these challenges in different places and to welcome them to Glasgow.

The successful bid was led by Professor Emmanuel with support from Destination Glasgow and our Conference and Events team.

We’ll share more information about the conference programme and registration as planning progresses.