The journey to climate neutrality doesn’t have to be a lonely one. In fact, the NetZeroCities Portal is a brand-new platform designed for cities to connect with each other and with climate neutrality experts, and to access online solutions as they work to reduce their emissions. As the online component of the EU Cities Mission that NetZeroCities currently manages, the Portal brings all of the latest on urban climate neutrality under one roof: a social networking space; a wide library of case studies, fact sheets, methods, and videos; targeted networking groups; and tools and templates that help map out the practical steps of an urban climate transition.
The Portal is open and accessible to a variety of users and provides insights on pathways towards climate neutrality in cities. It is growing fast – quickly forming a community of changemakers and practitioners that has already reached more than 1300 users, all of whom are connecting to create an environment of mutual learning, support, and exchange.
The Latest Resources on Climate Neutrality
The Climate Transition Map Tool on the NZC Portal
The interactive Climate Transition Map allows users to dig deeper into the different phases of the climate neutrality journey. This tool developed by NetZeroCities is a step-by-step guide designed for Mission Cities that can also be useful to any city interested in taking ambitious climate action. Pop-up features allow users to click through the various steps of the journey to find dedicated visuals and write-ups of each of the phases of the climate transition and allows them to navigate to resources such as templates, case studies, factsheets, etc. in order to take action on the different phases.
From there, the Knowledge Repository is the ideal place to navigate through the latest resources and best practices in an equitable transition to climate neutrality. The database has filters and a search bar to make it quick and easy to find the latest information on a given topic. There, users will find case studies, articles, and fact sheets to guide them through the latest approaches and thought leadership.
Knowledge Repository section on the NZC Portal
How to Get the Most Out of the Portal
To start, the “Explore” page guides users through the various modules available and gives an overview of the types of tools that cities can use to reduce their emissions, engage with stakeholders, and measure progress.
All users can be found in the User Directory, which is where city practitioners can reach out to their peers, join communities, and even create groups. Members of the Portal already include Mission City Representatives, NetZeroCities Consortium members, local stakeholders, and public authority representatives — and the list grows by the day. Within this growing community, users can create their own Groups, connecting with open or closed (“private”) formats that can be organized by geography, theme, or any other criteria that cities find in common with one another.
The News Feed is where city users can come together through a social networking space that invites the sharing of updates, questions, and announcements. This personalised “home page” is populated with posts that alert users to events, groups, and resources of interest from across the Portal – and also gets the conversation flowing among cities!
Newsfeed on the NZC Portal
The Events section keeps users up to date on opportunities to engage through webinars and other group meetings. Users can register, comment, and find login links to events listed on the Portal, and use the calendar to keep an eye on (or even create) webinars, topical discussions, and other helpful convenings. Even before a meeting starts, a comment section on each event’s page allows attendees to guide the discussion and pose questions to the event facilitators.
Behind these numerous features is a Help Center and FAQ section, which includes an in-depth onboarding module to get started using the Portal, along with an option to reach out for further support. There, users can also find sets of answers to frequently asked questions on topics like systemic change, investment planning, and more.
Still More to Come
Still in development with the input of cities, a City Dashboard is being created that will include a Barometer and a digital workspace. The Dashboard will provide customisable ways for cities to visualize their greenhouse gas emission data and examine pathways. They can also link to datasets on nature-based solutions, co-benefits, and levers of change.
A Finance Guidance Tool to support cities in identifying finance options and in their investment planning is also being designed. It will be based on a decision matrix which helps define needs and identify a range of options appropriate to the city’s circumstances. A suite of Learning Journeys is also on the way that will guide users through suggested content combinations from the Knowledge Repository and Climate Transition Map, specially tailored to different cities’ situations.
A Portal for All
Every city, regardless of where it finds itself in its journey to climate neutrality, will find something useful in the NetZeroCities Portal – whether connecting to relevant organisations and individuals, publishing and reading resources in the Knowledge Repository, or creating and joining groups to tackle shared challenges. Log on today!
