Anne-Charlotte Costabadie, Author at NetZeroCities

Transition teams: Spotlight on the crews steering cities to climate neutrality

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-07-11T18:44:49+02:00July 11th, 2025|

Written by Lilybell Evergreen, Bhuvana Sekar, and Alan MacKenzie As cities across Europe pursue climate neutrality as part of the EU Cities Mission, their efforts to innovate, collaborate, and learn are being organised in very different ways. But what do these efforts have in common that other cities can learn from and replicate? Each of the Mission’s 112 cities has its own story – its own structures, goals, challenges, and opportunities – but another view of this diversity is offered by looking at the people closest to the cities and how they work with others to [...]

What Happens When Cities Talk? Lessons from the First Online Discussion Groups

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-07-10T13:32:31+02:00July 10th, 2025|

As Europe’s cities accelerate their climate ambitions, the need for structured, practical collaboration is becoming increasingly essential. In response, NetZeroCities launched the first Online Discussion Groups in autumn 2024, a peer-learning initiative open to all cities designed to help them move from climate planning to delivery. The initiative was specifically designed for cities that are not part of the 112 EU Mission Cities, but that share the same bold climate ambition and mission-driven mindset. These Mission-minded cities joined the Online Discussion groups to accelerate their transitions by learning from those already further along. Over the course [...]

Aarhus bets on co-creation and compromise for its green future

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-07-08T10:37:01+02:00July 7th, 2025|

Author: Elisa Abrantes Stories from Pilot Cities: Aarhus is one of the 112 cities participating in the EU Mission to deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities, and the Pilot Cities Programme – a component of the Mission that focuses on exploring and testing pathways to rapid decarbonisation over a two-year period. What happens when an entire area in a city becomes a test site for tackling climate change? In Spørring, a peri-urban community between the city and its rural surroundings, Aarhus municipality is rolling out new initiatives aimed at cutting emissions while using land more efficiently. [...]

Climate on a budget: funding the change across Europe

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-07-08T16:33:32+02:00July 7th, 2025|

Author: Barbara Jarkiewicz Stories from Pilot Cities: Klagenfurt, Gozo and Vilnius are part of the 112 cities participating in the EU Mission to deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities, and the Pilot Cities Programme – a component of the Mission that focuses on exploring and testing pathways to rapid decarbonisation over a two-year period. ‘How are we going to finance the transition?’ is the question echoing the corridors of town halls and policy meetings across Europe. Climate targets are set. Plans are drawn. But turning vision into reality often comes down to one of the key [...]

Save the date: Torino to host Europe’s most ambitious cities for major climate neutrality conference in 2026

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-07-08T13:54:08+02:00July 7th, 2025|

The city of Torino in northern Italy has been announced as the next host of the EU Cities Mission conference on 28-29 May 2026. The programme is expected, however, to begin on 27 May with sessions outside of the main conference venue. More information will follow soon and we recommend that attendees await this before making travel plans. Torino – one of 112 aiming to reach climate neutrality before 2030 – will welcome hundreds of counterparts across Europe, as well as representatives from European political and financial institutions, business, climate organisations and other experts. This [...]

Torino on ‘a path of profound change’ – Q&A with Mayor Stefano Lo Russo

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-07-08T13:54:37+02:00July 7th, 2025|

Torino in northern Italy has been announced as host of the next EU Cities Mission conference on 28-29 May 2026. NetZeroCities caught up with its mayor to ask about the city’s own climate ambitions and why it wished to host the Mission’s annual event. What motivated the city of Torino to host the 2026 EU Cities Mission conference? Torino is deeply committed to the transition towards climate neutrality and hosting the Cities Mission Conference 2026 represents for us a unique opportunity to strengthen the dialogue between European cities that share the same vision. Being one of [...]

Seeking a City Finance Specialist to support capital and finance needs of specific Mission Cities

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-07-04T09:36:11+02:00July 4th, 2025|

Deadline: 30 July 2025 About the request The City Expert Support Facility (CESF), through NetZeroCities / Climate-KIC, are requesting proposals for City Finance Specialised Services, dedicated to support capital and finance needs for specific Mission cities in the following geographic areas: Bulgaria : Sofia and Gabrovo Czech Republic : Liberec Estonia : Tartu Hungary : Budapest, Miskolc and Pecs Israel : Eilat Latvia : Riga and Liepāja Lithuania : Vilnius and Tauragė Slovakia : Bratislava and Košice In a practical sense, the City Finance Specialist (CFS) will be expected to work collaboratively with each city’s transition team and finance leadership to [...]

European cities invited to join forces with leading peers on climate neutrality programme

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-06-25T08:14:11+02:00June 25th, 2025|

PRESS RELEASE A unique opportunity for cities to accelerate their local climate action and learn from leading cities in Europe is now open for applications, as part of the Twinning Learning Programme. The programme is part of the EU Cities Mission and is facilitated by the Mission Platform, currently managed by NetZeroCities. Cities with a commitment to reaching climate neutrality by or before 2050 can apply to join as ‘twin cities’ with cities Aachen, Bristol, 2nd district of Bucharest municipality, Dunkerque, Eindhoven-Helmond, Elbasan, Gabrovo, Guimarães, Ioannina, Kozani, Liberec, Padova, Reykjavik, Sarajevo, Sofia, Stockholm, Torino, Umeå and Warsaw, offering successful applicants access [...]

European cities celebrate local climate successes in Vilnius – and take home the lessons to reach a climate-neutral future

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-06-11T14:12:33+02:00May 20th, 2025|

“Our slogan - the greenest city in the making - is not just a promise, but an honest acknowledgement that the journey is ongoing. We are not perfect, but we are determined.” Mayor Valdas Benkunskas may have been speaking for the city of Vilnius when he opened the EU Cities Mission Conference, but the sentiment will be shared far beyond the Lithuanian capital. Hundreds of cities across Europe also know this feeling – of embracing the vulnerability of ambition and accepting there will be wrong turns to any new destination. Dozens of these cities, either reaching [...]

Cities Mission Times: Celebrating European Cities’ Climate Ambitions and Successes

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-05-14T12:30:32+02:00May 14th, 2025|

At the recent Cities Mission Conference 2025, held in Vilnius from 6-8 May, attendees received the "Cities Mission Times," a newspaper dedicated to celebrating city successes and advancing climate action towards 2030. Packed with inspiring stories, interviews, and updates, it celebrates cities' collaboration, ambition, and progress on the road to climate neutrality. Inside, readers will discover local climate initiatives and citizen engagement stories, alongside features on finance, private sector action, smart cities, mobility, buildings and housing, energy, national coordination, and even the role of sport in the transition. Each section showcases how European cities are accelerating the journey to climate [...]

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