48 European cities to advance climate neutrality ‘transformation’ via €22m programme

Europe's climate neutrality targets have been given a boost with 48 ambitious European cities set to receive a share of 22.6 million euros through the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. 

The cities will join the 'Enabling City Transformation Programme' and support sustainable urban development and Europe's climate neutrality goals, including the European Green Deal, by creating practical, replicable solutions. 

Mission Cities were invited by the EU Cities Mission platform – currently managed by NetZeroCities –to propose innovative actions to overcome systemic challenges, which attracted over 40 applications from across 24 countries in the EU and Horizon-associated countries. 

Twenty-six successful proposals will address the systemic challenges that cities face when it comes to scaling up the implementation of their climate plans, pursued under the EU Cities Mission through their Climate City Contracts.

Learnings from the programme are intended to support many other cities across Europe and enable city-wide transformation, as well as create a portfolio of interventions that supports the goal of the EU Cities Mission to help more than 100 cities become climate-neutral by 2030. 

This builds upon the testing and experimentation approach developed in the Pilot Cities Programme – another initiative run by the Mission Platform offering structured support – and moves towards the large-scale implementation needed for a sustainable, long-term transformation to climate neutrality in cities. 

The final selected portfolio consists of 16 awards of €0.5-0.6 million, four €1.0 million awards, and six €1.5 million awards, and reflects diversity in geography, city size, typology, and innovation approaches, ensuring transformative potential and broad replicability across Mission Cities. 

The 48 cities participating in the 26 projects will kick off the 18-month programme in March 2025, following a final formalisation process. 

"Mission Cities are moving ahead with major actions to accelerate their progress. Their work as part of the Mission so far has created a great opportunity for NetZeroCities to help them with their priorities for the transformation pathway they are pursuing. We are very excited to work with these cities to drive toward successful implementation and real climate impacts." – Thomas Osdoba, Director, NetZeroCities

"It was a challenge but a pleasure to have to choose between so many excellent proposals. The NetZeroCities platform will enable the initiatives in each city to enable better, faster transitions elsewhere, and the consortium partners are delighted to be part of that learning and support." – Work package lead for 'Agile City Support at Mission Scale', Anthony Zacharzewski, NetZeroCities

Programme: 'Net Zero District' Lead: Prato. 

"With this project, we aim to tackle a challenge that is fundamental for us: demonstrate that Europe's largest textile district can align with the sustainability goals required to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. Businesses themselves will be the key players in this journey, through a co-design process rooted in a well-established teamwork among the various sectors and stakeholders of our territory." – Ilaria Bugetti, Mayor of Prato (Project Coordinator). 

"We are very pleased that this project has been selected for funding by the European Commission, as it will allow us to work together with businesses to identify the most effective and innovative solutions for energy and water management, bringing benefits to both the environment and the competitiveness of the Roman entrepreneurial system. In the district we will focus on, the Tiburtina district, we will demonstrate how today's major climate challenges can be addressed and tackled, through the efficient and virtuous management of natural resources in production cycles, and by adapting to increasingly intense and frequent impacts of floods and heatwaves." – Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor of Rome (partner). 

"This new funding from the European Commission confirms the validity of the path undertaken by the Municipality of Bergamo towards climate neutrality. The project represents an important opportunity to collaborate with private stakeholders in the Porta Sud district, an area of urban regeneration that could become a PED (Positive Energy District), by establishing today a laboratory to identify the best strategies for energy and water management. It will also serve as an opportunity to further strengthen the cross-sectoral governance of ecological transition processes, both within the Municipality and through collaboration with other project partners." – Oriana Ruzzini, Councillor for Ecological Transition, Environment, and Green Spaces, Municipality of Bergamo (partner) 

"With this new challenge, AESS continues its support to the Mission Cities. Alongside Bergamo, Parma, Prato, and Rome, the internal capacities of municipalities will be strengthened, creating new synergies between districts and local administrations. The path towards PEDs (Positive Energy Districts) reinforces our belief that cities are true laboratories for testing models and driving innovation to achieve climate neutrality. This is a unique opportunity to focus on new solutions for energy and water management at the district level." – Benedetta Brighenti, President of AESS (partner) and Vice President of FEDARENE, the European network of local energy agencies.

Programme: 'A+CLASS -Alliance for Climate Leadership' Lead: Guimarães 

"We are confident that this project will play a pivotal role in supporting cities' efforts to monitor climate contracts, fostering active engagement from citizens and the private sector, and accelerating progress toward achieving climate neutrality by 2030. Moreover, as a project between Guimarães, Porto and Lisbon, this initiative highlights the critical importance of synergies and collaborations among Mission Cities from the same country." – Sofia Ferreira, Councillor for Environment and Climate Action City of Guimarães 

Programme: 'Cap4ClimB – Capacity for Climate Transition Budapest' Lead: Budapest 

"We are delighted that Budapest received a positive evaluation for its Enabling City Transformation application. The programme will empower the Municipality to strengthen engagement and deepen collaboration with the private sector and build internal capacity. We firmly believe that partnering with the private sector is essential as two thirds of the city's emissions are associated with them. Our joint efforts can significantly influence the reduction of the city's emissions and the achievement of our sustainability goals." –  Gergely Karácsony, Mayor of Budapest

Programme: 'GRIP (Green Responsible Innovative Procurement)' City: Oslo

"I am thrilled that Oslo is one of the 48 selected cities under the Enabling City Transformation Programme. Together with the cities of Aachen and Kosice, we will use this opportunity to advance climate-friendly procurement within the Net Zero Cities network. It offers a unique opportunity to test approaches and to collaborate across European cities. We are looking forward to taking the green procurement work to the next level, in partnership with other forward- thinking cities across Europe. – Vice Mayor for Environment and Transport, Marit Vea

List of cities joining the Enabling City Transformation Programme:

ENDS 

Press contact – alan.mackenzie@iclei.org