Cities are often going faster and further on climate neutrality than national and EU actors – so how can they align effectively to maximise their impact and promote their interests as they implement their ambitious plans? Paula Serra Bachs, from NetZeroCities’ partner Eurocities, reports here on a critical conversation of key players from this summer’s EU Cities Mission conference in Valencia.

The scale of the challenge can be hard to comprehend, but the numbers are stark: to eliminate net-greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, Mission Cities could need a combined 650 billion euros in investment.

But these 112 cities are not doing it alone. NetZeroCities, the platform supporting them on the EU Cities Mission, has launched the “Climate City Capital Hub” to facilitate funding, investment, technical assistance, and private sector engagement to accelerate their transition towards climate neutrality.

What are the critical steps for cities as they implement their climate plans?

In Valencia in June at the Mission’s annual conference, a timely discussion organised by NetZeroCities and the European Commission on one of the key tools for cities – the Climate City Contract (CCC).

This yielded vital insight from city representatives from across Europe and highlighted:

  • the importance of strategic planning,
  • stakeholder engagement,
  • and adaptive governance in the successful implementation of CCCs.

What do the cities’ climate leaders think?

And now that 112 cities are on the brink of having successfully submitted a CCC and receiving a Mission Label, how can the information gathered in this process be channelled into policy and multilevel governance?

Moderated by representatives from two of the largest city networks – Mar Jiménez, Senior Coordinator at Eurocities, and Silvia Gugu, Senior Governance Expert at ICLEI – the panel focused on showcasing how cities use CCCs to align with other European and national programs and initiatives, aiming to streamline processes and funding for climate action.

They emphasised the need to establish a robust system of ownership and purpose to engage with their stakeholders and work systematically to attract new financing to their territories.

“We discovered that we needed an overview: where do we spend money strategically and how to deploy the climate budget,” says Kristine Hess-Akens from the City of Aachen, where she initiates, develops, and manages EU-funded projects focused on sustainable mobility, sustainability, and climate protection.

Similarly, Ioannis Fallas, Director of the Cluster of Biodiversity and Environment at Kozani, said the “key ingredient” for implementing the CCC “is to have a win-win mindset and involve local people who will be the owners of different actions.”

And how can outcomes that follow the CCC, like new governance structures, be protected when new governments might threaten or undermine this work?

“Updated mechanisms” are essential, said Niina Nousjärvi, Development Manager in Espoo, “and now that we are entering the implementation phase, we need a system of accountability, the best talent, and to strengthen the transition team over the long term.”

The event gathered political representatives and practitioners from the 112 Mission Cities and the NetZeroCities consortium, along with high-level representatives from EU institutions, and a wide range of stakeholders, including regional and national authorities, the financial community, and the private sector.

If you want to read more about the climate plans of Mission Cities, take a look at this neat analysis and comparison of the first CCC submissions.