Hanna Gronkiewicz-Walz served a five-year term, between 2019 and 2024, as Chair of the Mission Board for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. She left the Board in October 2024 after being elected to the European Parliament. A politician, lawyer and professor of jurisprudence, her previous roles include Mayor of Warsaw, Chair of the National Bank of Poland, and Vice-Chair of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Mission Board member Jorn Verbeeck interviewed Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz on the achievements and future of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, an initiative of the European Commission that the Mission Board helped design. She reflects on the importance and added value of the mission-based approach in urban contexts, as a way to enhance implementation, collaborative governance, climate finance and citizen engagement.
Looking back on your mandate as Chair of the Cities Mission Board, which moments remain vivid? And what are some tangible examples from cities you have been following?
I was glad to see the recommendations in the Mission Board’s report of 2020 taken up by the Commission. We advocated for a holistic approach that enables cities to undertake integrated actions instead of dividing them across separate sectors. We also proposed the Climate City Contract as a tool for local administrations to orchestrate the local transition. Many cities were already working towards climate neutrality, but the mission consolidated and accelerated their efforts through additional tools and support via the Mission Platform. An unexpected yet welcome success was the high number of applications: close to 400 cities applied to be part of the mission cohort, out of which 112 cities were selected, including 12 from outside the EU.
Examples of success include Oslo working with climate budgets, cities like Leuven that has effectively involved a coalition of urban actors in decision-making processes, and medium-sized cities like Łódź that, despite limited resources, have found innovative solutions on their path to climate neutrality. There are many such examples in the Climate City Contracts of the 53 cities that have received the Mission Label, with more to come. Overall, the Cities Mission achieved impressive progress in a short period of time.
Where can cities provide the best pioneering role in a fast-changing society and geopolitical landscape? How can we best support cities as agents of change?
Cities are the government level closest to citizens, able to respond quickly to social and geopolitical changes while remaining mindful of local conditions. Their pioneering role stems from their impact on the quality of life of their inhabitants, from economic opportunities, health and well-being, to safety, education, culture and much more. The Cities Mission is designed precisely to leverage this potential. And as the mission advances, it confirms what the cities have voiced for a long time: better financial, technological and regulatory support is needed, including from the national and EU levels, as well as closer collaboration with the private sector and citizens through purposefully designed channels.
Equally important, the mission confirms that cities learn best from other cities. This is why we need to support networks for collaboration and knowledge exchange where cities can learn from both successes and mistakes. The Cities Mission Platform supports such exchanges by linking its Pilot Cities Programme to a Twinning Learning Programme. Related and complementary EU programmes such as Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) or city twinning initiatives can also accelerate the transfer of knowledge. I would mention here as well the knowledge exchange between national mission platforms under the CapaCITIES European network. National structures can also facilitate in-country or cross-border exchanges among cities.
During your time as Mayor, you backed civic rights and equality movements. How do we get citizens more engaged and, in the process, help advance the mission’s objectives?
Engaging citizens requires treating them as partners in urban transformation processes. Education from an early age, promoting cultural activities, designing inclusive and inviting public spaces, and building local identities around climate goals can strengthen their involvement. Examples include organising educational days in schools, workshops for residents, partnerships with civil society associations, or online consultation platforms.
Overall, a commitment to democratic values and the promotion of equality helps build trust, which is essential for long-term change. Citizens who feel heard and involved are more likely to support difficult but necessary decisions. This is why Mission Cities have created pathways and incentives for their citizens to become part of the design, implementation and financing of the local transition: from Citizens’ Assemblies to participatory budgeting, from behavioural nudges to tax and social measures for building renovations and low-emission mobility.
How can financial levers be better aligned with cities? How can we dismantle the ‘enough capital, not enough projects’ mantra? Can the Cities Mission play a role in this sense?
Climate City Contracts include an investment strategy that identifies what is possible with municipal funding as well as the funding gaps that will need to be covered through external support from grants, public funding and private capital. For the latter, the mission acts as an intermediary, connecting cities with financial institutions, offering training and providing project standards via its Capital Hub. The European Investment Bank has created a lending envelope of EUR 2 billion to co-finance projects stemming from Climate City Contracts.
But such external technical and financial assistance to cities will still not fix the root of the problem. Moving beyond the mantra of “too few bankable projects” requires simplifying application procedures and strengthening project teams in cities. I also think that public-private partnerships and support programs such as the European Fund for Strategic Investments should be made more accessible to cities, especially to medium-sized ones.
What is the biggest added value that the Cities Mission Board can bring to the mission process?
The Board played an important role in the design of the mission. They are now advising on its implementation, notably the mission’s assessment, the review process for the Climate City Contracts and the activities of the Capital Hub. Board members are also supporting, and in some cases have initiated the setup of, national mission platforms – including in their connections with ministries, the private sector and the civil society.
The Board should remain a space for innovative thinking on how we can strengthen and widen the mission, in its first objective to achieve 100 climate-neutral and smart cities in Europe by 2030, but also in its second objective of inspiring all cities to follow in the 2050 horizon. Board members have such a varied policy and sectoral expertise. I am convinced that they will continue to use their expertise to advocate for a solid positioning of the Cities Mission in the next EU long-term budget, the multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034.
You remain a strong supporter of the Cities Mission. How do you explain the Mission to friends, family and your fellow MEPs? What more can we do to increase support for the Mission, including from the European Parliament?
I describe the Cities Mission as a big and much-needed plan to make cities healthier, greener and better places to live. The longer-term argument of ‘protecting the planet’ is of course important, but the mission is first and foremost about change that can benefit people now. It is about convenient and non-polluting mobility, lower energy bills, better digital tools and new jobs. It also builds local solidarity, convening communities, businesses and local administrations. The result of the mission will be cities that are sustainable, enjoyable and safe. In short, better urban homes for us all.
Depending on the generation we address, it is essential to explain the consequences and price of non-action. For parents and grandparents, for instance, this includes the effects of the climate crisis on the health and security of our children and grandchildren. And we still need to get our messages to the young generation right: after all, it is them who will live with the accelerating effects of climate change in the longer-term. At the same time, we need to communicate convincingly that climate change is neither a fabrication nor a passing trend, but a real problem that demands collective action. We all share a common responsibility to act — because our collective present and future depend on it.
One of the best ways to communicate the Cities Mission to the members of the European Parliament is to share success stories from cities. The mission is generating real change on the ground and, in the process, is redefining how the EU works directly with cities and also directly impacts the lives of Europeans. This is why the European Parliament should throw its support behind this urban initiative, asking the Commission to strengthen its political and funding support for it – including in the ongoing negotiations for the 2028-2034 EU budget.
