By Sean Errey, Climate KIC

Climate neutrality has become a central goal in global climate action, but what does it mean, and what are cities doing to achieve it? In this post, we’ll look at both of these questions, so read on!

What is Climate Neutrality?

Climate neutrality refers to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by balancing emissions into the atmosphere with the absorption or removal of gases from the atmosphere.

Unlike carbon neutrality, which focuses solely on carbon dioxide (CO₂), climate neutrality encompasses all greenhouse gases (GHGs), including methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and fluorinated gases.

The goal is to reduce emissions as much as possible and offset any remaining emissions through various mechanisms, such as reforestation and carbon capture and storage.

For the EU Cities Mission and NetZeroCities, a comprehensive and drastic reduction of GHGs is a priority to achieve a sustainable and just future.

Protecting and enhancing the natural environment and investing in green technologies is also important, while carbon offsetting is not regarded as a holistic long-term solution and should only be used to address residual emissions.

What Does Climate Neutrality Mean for Cities?

Cities play a pivotal role in the transition to climate neutrality. Urban areas are significant sources of GHG emissions, accounting for close to 70% of global CO₂ emissions, but they also offer unique opportunities for innovative solutions and policy interventions.

Challenges and Opportunities

Cities face many challenges in reaching climate neutrality, including high energy consumption, transportation emissions, and waste management issues. However, they also have the potential to lead by example through:

  1. Policy and Regulation: Implementing robust policies and regulations to accelerate action at scale. This includes setting stringent emissions targets, offering incentives for renewable energy adoption, and enforcing building codes that mandate energy efficiency.
  2. Community and Stakeholder Engagement: Bringing residents, businesses and city-wide stakeholders together to adopt and participate in local action initiatives, i.e. citizens’ assemblies. Objectives include fostering collaborations between government, private sector and community organisations to drive impactful change. These collaborations develop trust and encourage an equitable and just transition.
  3. Technology and Innovation: Utilising technology-driven tools for better energy management and emission measurement. This involves adopting smart grids, energy storage systems, and demand-response tech to optimise energy use. Additionally, retrofitting old buildings and improving planning for new builds – to increase energy efficiency while leveraging regionally available renewable energy sources – can significantly reduce emissions and operational costs.

Examples of City-Led Climate Neutrality Initiatives

Many Mission Cities are implementing successful and ambitious strategies to move towards climate neutrality through the support of NetZeroCities. Read more about some of these activities via our site, including:

Climate Neutrality and the EU Cities Mission

The EU Cities Mission supports 112 European cities to reach climate neutrality by 2030 – an unprecedented undertaking to help Europe deliver global climate commitments and create a better future for all its citizens.

This is a complex and ambitious goal, but the Mission has already initiated and is propelling better and better collaboration between cities, which is the key to accelerating their progress.

And that same ambition aligns with the European Green Deal and the broader goal to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. As they are responsible for up to 70% of the relevant legislation, cities are at the forefront of this vital work.