With cities at the forefront of climate neutrality solutions, their experiences hold valuable lessons for national authorities and EU decision-makers in the framework of the European Green Deal. A first Policy Lab, facilitated by NetZeroCities, gathered representatives from 21 Mission Cities to explore the intricacies of circular economy practices, with a particular focus on circular construction and reducing plastic waste. The insights gathered from Mission Cities Oslo, Helsinki, and Stockholm, alongside contributions from eighteen additional Mission Cities, have culminated in the production of a first Mission Cities’ Policy Brief.
This document presents a comprehensive set of policy recommendations aimed at EU decision-makers and national authorities, with deep dives into the regulatory and policy challenges cities face when implementing circular economy initiatives. Drawing insights from the experiences of Mission Cities can provide valuable lessons to inform policy improvements at EU and national level, thereby facilitating European cities in the implementation of their climate neutrality plans and advancement toward their climate objectives.
Take a look at the experiences shared by Mission Cities and the policy recommendations they have formulated:
- Oslo and Helsinki: reducing emissions from and transitioning to a zero-emission construction sector (pages 3-4)
- Stockholm: reducing plastics in the waste stream (pages 4-5)
- Mission Cities’ policy recommendations (pages 6-8).
Download the policy brief here.
This is just the first of many Policy Labs to have unveiled these valuable insights from cities to advise policy recommendations. Seven more Policy Labs are scheduled throughout 2024 which will explore a variety of pressing issues such as climate finance and investment, nature conservation, renewable energy, building renovation, decarbonisation of industry and sustainable transport using a city-focused approach, fostering collaboration between city representatives and EU Thematic Policy Experts.
