The Missing Link in Climate Action: Boundary Spanners connecting science, policy and practice

Accelerating climate action in cities requires collaboration across sectors, disciplines, and governance levels. Yet research, policy, and practice often remain fragmented, limiting the translation of knowledge into implementation. This session explores the role of Boundary Spanners—individuals and organisations that connect science, policy, communities, and practice—to enable transformative urban climate action. Boundary spanning helps bridge institutional silos, support knowledge co-production, and strengthen multilevel governance—key priorities in the Global Research and Action Agenda (GRAA).

The session begins with short presentations introducing boundary spanning practices and their relevance to urban climate transitions. A panel of practitioners operating at the interface of academia, city governance, innovation labs, and civil society will then share experiences of navigating institutional and knowledge boundaries. Participants will engage in an interactive workshop to identify barriers, enabling conditions, and capabilities needed to strengthen boundary spanning roles across climate initiatives. The session will generate actionable insights into knowledge co-production.