From January 2025, 24 more cities will quicken their pace towards climate neutrality as they join a vast peer-learning network of 184 cities across Europe and beyond, delivered through the EU Cities Mission and facilitated by NetZeroCities, the Mission platform.
The latest cities (listed below), representing 14 countries across Europe, have been selected as the third cohort to become ‘Twin Cities’ through the Twinning Learning Programme and paired with Mission Cities to learn from and feed into innovative climate-related pilot activities.
Cities with similar challenges and pursuing similar solutions related to their emissions are matched and will share their insights across domains such as buildings, energy, mobility, and waste, while leveraging governance, financing, and policy innovations.
Over 17 months, collaboration and knowledge exchange are at the heart of the programme and Twin Cities will gain insights and successful approaches from Pilot Cities to apply in their own local area, accelerating their transition towards climate neutrality and contributing to Europe’s collective climate goals.
Twin Cities will also have access to support from world-class practitioners and experts to facilitate the programme and help them achieve their climate goals.
The 24 cities add to a growing network linking with the EU’s Cities Mission – which aims to make more than 100 cities climate neutral by 2030 and to enable all European cities to follow suit by 2050 – and includes five cities from associated countries of Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation fund.
The twinning programme offers concrete support to cities not already engaged with the EU Cities Mission (either as Mission Cities or on its previous Pilot or Twin programmes) and that have already committed to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest. This includes limited financial support: two in-person trips to and one visit from the matched Pilot City will be covered by the programme budget.
Relationships formed between cities during the programme are also envisaged to continue beyond the programme, encouraging long-term ties and partnerships on shared climate problems and possible actions.
“With the selection of the third cohort of 24 Twin Cities, the Twinning Learning Programme now brings together 104 Pilot Cities and 80 Twin Cities, making it the largest peer–learning initiative under the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, significantly advancing the Mission’s second objective to ensure that the work of Mission Cities to act as experimentation and innovation hubs can enable all European cities to reach climate neutrality by 2050. Shaping this extensive programme is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work in NetZeroCities.” – Meline Gonzalez Piloyan, a project coordinator who co-leads the Twinning Learning Programme
Dos Hermanas
“We are delighted to be selected as part of the NetZeroCities Twin Cities Cohort 3. This programme will be key to advance in our city strategy and develop innovative initiatives toward climate neutrality. We strongly believe that international collaboration drives municipalities to overcome common barriers and accelerate positive change. This opportunity represents an important step towards building a greener and more sustainable city” – Fernando Perez Serrano, Councillor Delegate for Urban Habitat
Newcastle upon Tyne
“Cities, as major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, are uniquely positioned to lead the way to a sustainable future. This is why initiatives such as the Twinning Learning Programme are vital for providing a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing across Europe.
“We’re incredibly proud to be joining forces with Helsinki and hope to learn from them about reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy production, optimising and decarbonising district heating systems, exploring how AI algorithms can manage heat demand, and improving public awareness and participation in sustainable heating and energy practices.
“We will also share our learnings with them on heat network partnerships, low-carbon neighbourhoods, and how city-wide anchor institutions can deliver net zero together.” – Councillor Juna Sathian, Newcastle City Council Cabinet Member for Climate and Transport
Girona
”It is very good news that cities the size of Girona were allowed to participate in a programme at a European level as important as the Twinning Learning Programme, and have the opportunity to learn from other pioneer cities in actions towards climate neutrality. From Girona, we also have reference experiences at a climate level such as GiroNat, a project to renaturalise the city, in which we have met projects from other cities and they have learned from ours, and the results were very profitable. We are excited with the idea that Girona might be one of the cities chosen by NetZeroCities, we will make the most to share and create a network, and we hope to be able to solve problems and provide solutions to advance in these complex and transversal challenges.’’ – Sergi Cot Contalosella, the Action Climate Councillor of Girona City
Bandirma Municipality
”We are delighted to have joined the NetZeroCities Twinning Learning Programme to combat climate change and deliver a greener and livable future for our citizens. With this partnership, Bandırma SECAP represents a strong step forward in our commitment to deliver a sustainable future. We look forward to working with Dunkirk Municipality to learn about their good practices and share our mutual experiences.” – Dursun Mirza, Mayor of Bandırma Municipality
Holbaek Municipality
“In Holbæk Municipality, we are very pleased and proud to have been selected as a ‘Twin City’ alongside Oslo as a ‘Pilot City’. A collaboration with Oslo will provide Holbæk with knowledge and tools to achieve the goals outlined in our climate strategy ‘Holbæk 2050,’ particularly in reducing emissions from heavy transport. Through this partnership, we can benefit from Oslo’s experience in developing infrastructure, optimising grid capacity, and regulatory frameworks for electrified transport. This collaboration will enable us to accelerate our climate goals of sustainable heavy transport and climate neutrality by adapting and implementing Oslo’s practices and experiences with green transport infrastructure,” – Karen Thestrup Clausen, Chairman of the Climate, Environment, and Nature Committee in Holbæk Municipality.
Town of Jakobstad
“The town of Jakobstad is very happy to be selected as a Twin City. We are working towards carbon neutrality 2035, as is the goal for the Jakobstad Region and for Finland. We are currently focusing on energy efficiency and developing the infrastructure for bicycles, but we are also working on a broader scale, implementing our climate goals and measures. The Twinning Learning Programme will hopefully give us tools and best practices to move towards carbon neutrality even more efficiently.” – Elisabeth Andersson, Climate Coordinator in the Jakobstad Region
Communauté d’Agglomération de La Rochelle
”For several years now, we’ve been conducting our decarbonisation projects in a creative, innovative way, involving as many stakeholders as possible and, above all, with a desire to exchange ideas with our peers. So it is with great enthusiasm that we seize this opportunity to work jointly with the cities of Dublin and Cork thanks to the Twinning Learning Programme. We’re convinced that these exchanges will be extremely profitable for our projects and rich in human relations.” – Joffrey Perrussel, Director of the Low Carbon Strategy in La Rochelle Urban Community.
Limerick
“Limerick, like other cities across Ireland, Europe and indeed the globe, is rightly putting a greater focus on sustainability and the need for climate-resilient infrastructure than ever before. Sustainable transport options form a key part of that focus. Ensuring Limerick continues to grow and improve its infrastructure for people to walk, wheel and cycle safely, along with rail development and enhanced bus facilities, will provide the options for people to buy into this change. I congratulate the team in the Active Travel department in Limerick City & County Council and the Transportation and Mobility directorate as a whole for their work in Limerick’s application to the ‘NetZeroCities’ initiative and look forward to seeing the learnings from and progress of our partnership with Tampere, Finland.” – Mayor of Limerick, John Moran
Reggio Emilia
”The city of Reggio Emilia is promoting an integrated strategy to address the climate transition, with the goal of tackling challenges such as pollution, soil quality, and the well-being and health of citizens. This strategy targets businesses, communities, and local stakeholders. In this context, we look to Europe to strengthen its innovation potential: being selected as a Twin City within the programme represents an extraordinary opportunity to enhance skills by sharing ideas and knowledge with other European cities already engaged in structured actions. We believe that this will accelerate a sustainable transition by combining social cohesion, economic development, and impactful environmental actions through the participation of citizens, businesses and the entire territory.” – Mayor of Reggio Emilia, Marco Massari
Municipality of Pescara
“I am really happy and proud that our application to the Twinning Learning Programme has been accepted. Pescara’s twinning with the cities of Leipzig and Dresden, marks an important step in strengthening our European vision and addressing together crucial challenges such as renewable energy and energy efficiency. This cultural exchange represents a unique opportunity to share experiences and best practices, encouraging a change of mindset that is essential for the future of our community. It is not only about sustainability and energy transition, but also about social regeneration, with a focus on our suburban neighborhoods. It will be an important cultural exchange that will allow us to continue to build a Pescara that is even more open, innovative and close to citizens’ needs.” – Mayor of Pescara Carlo Masci (Lawyer)
Municipality of Medijana
”The City Municipality of Medijana has recognised energy transition as one of the key areas for sustainability and secure future of the community. It is our expectation that we will achieve, together, the implementation of innovative solutions into specific activities, with the inclusion of broad public and local partners, all with the aim to improve local energy independence and enable the access to clean energy for all citizens.” – President of the City Municipality of Medijana, Mladen Đuric
Menteşe Municipality
‘‘In Menteşe, 65.9% of the city consists of forested areas, and the green space per capita reaches 7 square meters. Additionally, these areas are irrigated using treated water, which represents a significant step toward sustainable urban management. Currently, 95% of the green spaces managed by the municipality are irrigated with reclaimed wastewater. This approach contributes to both the conservation of natural resources and Menteşe’s carbon neutrality goals.” – Erdem Şenel, Environmental Engineer
”Menteşe Municipality has implemented a standard building project initiative to economically support rural residents and prevent unregulated construction. This initiative facilitates the implementation of standardised buildings. With the planned renewal of these standard projects, we aim to create modern and technical solutions for various stakeholders, including people with disabilities, the elderly, and vulnerable groups. New buildings will be designed as zero-emission structures, significantly reducing the city’s energy consumption and carbon footprint. Since the projects will be developed by us and offered to stakeholders free of charge, residents will not incur project preparation costs.” – Beytullah Ceylan, Project Specialist
Municipality of Valongo
“It was with great enthusiasm that the Municipality of Valongo received the news of selection to take part in the Twinning Learning Programme and becoming matched with the Municipality of Thessaloniki. We believe that participating in this programme, which brings together territories to build collaborative solutions to the challenges of sustainable development, is also an opportunity to comply with the values and objectives of the European Union, namely the promotion of inclusion and territorial cohesion. Climate challenges are a global issue and a common shared responsibility and therefore it is required a joint reflection and a concerted action if we want to preserve our ecosystems and biodiversity, as we know them today. The Municipality of Valongo expresses its full commitment and enthusiasm to this initiative, which represents another step in consolidating its commitment to sustainability, but also to the greater value of preserving this common home, our planet”. – Mayor of Valongo, José Manuel Ribeiro
Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality
”We are thrilled and honoured to be selected as a Twin City. This collaboration offers us a unique opportunity to learn best practices and accelerate our climate action objectives through multi-city pilot activities aimed at reducing building emissions and energy usage in Gaziantep. Accordingly, we will act under the slogan ‘Discover a Clean Energy Life’, thus inviting our cities to work together in building a more livable future and speeding up the transition to sustainable energy resources.’ – Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality
Fyli Municipality
“As the Mayor of the Municipality of Fyli, I am deeply honoured that our city has been selected as part of the Twin Cities Cohort 3, in collaboration with the city of Brussels. This selection highlights our commitment to addressing climate challenges and fostering sustainable development through international partnerships. Working closely with Brussels within the Cities Mission will significantly strengthen our efforts to transition to a climate-neutral future. Together, we aim to exchange knowledge and best practices to achieve our shared goals.” – Christos Pappous, Mayor of Municipality of Fyli
Twinning Learning Programme Cohort 3
No | Pilot Activities | Twin Cities |
1 | Oslo- PURE: Power-up a REnewable society (PCP Cohort 2) | Holbaek Municipality, Denmark |
2 | Trondheim- Carbon Capture Storage in waste-to-energy (PCP Cohort 2) | Municipality of Tomar, Portugal |
3 | Kosice, Bratislava – Building power (reducing building emissions and energy usage (PCP Cohort 2) | 1) Ajuntament d’Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain 2) Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, Turkey |
4 | Angers Loire Metropole – Ambition | Heraklion Municipality, Greece |
5 | Antwerp – LINK | City of Ghent, Belgium |
6 | Athens – Ascend: Athen’s Superblock | Dos Hermanas, Spain |
7 | Bordeaux – Acting by Collaborating Differently (ABCD) | Girona, Spain |
8 | Brussels – Empower – Empowering Local Energy Independence through Electricity Sharing and Solar Production | Fyli Municipality, Greece |
9 | Dunkerque – Net-Zero Urban Industrial Growth (NZUIG) | Bandirma Municipality, Turkey |
10 | Elbasan – Green and Sustainable Energy in Elbasan Buildings | Menteşe Municipality, Turkey |
11 | Gabrovo – NetZeroHero | Municipality of Medijana, Serbia |
12 | Helsinki – Systemic Heat Shift (SHS) | Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom |
13 | Izmir – Digital Solutions for Electricity Decarbonisation by Global Climate Community Izmir (GCC-Synergy) | Larisa Municipality, Greece |
14 | Kalamata – SchoolHeroZ: A Holistic Roadmap to Net Zero Schools | Balvi, Latvia |
15 | Dublin and Cork – Build Capa-cities | Communauté d’Agglomération de La Rochelle, France |
16 | Leipzig and Dresden – EnAct4CleanCities | Municipality of Pescara, Italy |
17 | Dortmund, Heidelberg and Munich – Climate City Dash 2.0 | Reggio Emilia, Italy |
18 | Paris – Neighbourhoods Engaged for Accelerated Carbon Reduction (NEAR) | Assen, Netherlands |
19 | Sonderborg, Denmark – Zero Industry | Municipality of Haarlem, Netherlands |
20 | Reykjavik – Piercing through Gridlocks | Town of Jakobstad, Finland |
21 | Tampere – Mobility Mindshift: Co-designing a mindshift for sustainable mobility | Limerick, Ireland |
22 | Thessaloniki – ReGenWesT: Thessaloniki west centre Green Deal | Valongo Municipality, Portugal |
23 | Trikala – Trikala’s City Climate Neutrality Hub with intelligent energy management | Municipality of Treviso, Italy |
ENDS
Additional information for editors:
NetZeroCities is a project consortium consisting of 34 partners, managing the EU Cities Mission platform. The project supports the 112 European cities known as the Mission Cities in drastically reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to achieve climate neutrality. The EU Cities Mission supports the European Green Deal in building a low-carbon, climate-resilient future through research and innovation.
The Twinning Learning Programme is a 17-month programme that aims to transfer knowledge and build capacities across the Pilot Cities and Twin Cities engaged in the programme. It will start at the end of January 2025 and will end in May 2026 for the cities selected in this third cohort. Twin and Pilot Cities pursuing a similar theme to reach climate neutrality have been matched to shape each other’s development through knowledge exchange and collaborative problem-solving. Relationship building as well as the mutual learning experience are at the core of the exchange.
Upon completion of the programme, Twin Cities will apply relevant learning from Pilot City activities across their own city.
Media contact: Alan MacKenzie – alan.mackenzie@iclei.org