European cities test innovative pathways to climate neutrality in the Pilot Cities Programme

2024-03-08T13:46:02+01:00December 20th, 2023|

Author: Elisa Abrantes Over 50 European cities are just short of a quarter of the way through their two-year Pilot City Programme experience, and more EU Mission Cities recently applied to be part of the second cohort, to accelerate their efforts to achieve climate neutrality. Cities that are part of the programme receive an EU grant and support from the NetZeroCities platform over a two-year period to test innovative pathways to climate neutrality, aimed at overcoming entrenched and systemic barriers to change in their context. The Pilot Cities Programme is the main way in which [...]

The Art of Smart

2024-02-20T09:53:48+01:00December 18th, 2023|

Author: Alan MacKenzie The EU Cities Mission aims to make over 100 cities both climate-neutral and smart by 2030 – but what is a “smart city” and how does it help its climate goals? On Sweden’s southwest coast, the city of Helsingborg sees itself “as an enabler of innovation, rather than the innovators ourselves,” says Åsa Bjering, the programme manager for the city’s department of ‘Innovation and Green Transformation’. The distinction is important. A 2020 European Capital of Innovation Awards finalist, Helsingborg is well known for its forward thinking, and Bjering’s department brings together [...]

Budapest Winter School: Engaging Cities in Climate Action

2023-12-05T08:48:48+01:00December 5th, 2023|

Representatives from 19 Mission Cities will go into 2024 with renewed purpose and refreshed skills following a successful NetZeroCities Winter School in Budapest in late November. The 29 participants celebrated the opportunity to collaborate and share learning with contemporaries from across Europe, eager to transform their cities into models of sustainability and resilience. “The event was very informative, stimulating, and interactive. It deepened my understanding of the EU Cities Mission and process. I’m grateful for the organisation of such a meaningful event”, said one participant. Another said: “It was great to make contact with other cities and learn about the different [...]

Krakow: Paving the way to climate neutrality

2024-07-17T14:09:55+02:00November 15th, 2023|

Author: Barbara Jarkiewicz Krakow, alongside several other prominent Polish cities, is dedicated to achieving climate neutrality through the EU’s Mission of “100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030”, with support from NetZeroCities. Within the framework of the EU’s Cities Mission, these urban centres are diligently crafting their unique Climate City Contracts, which will serve as comprehensive blueprints for their individualised climate strategies. Warsaw, Rzeszów, Łódź, Wrocław and Krakow are also taking part in the NetZeroCitiesPilot CitiesProgramme. The cities have joined forces under the NEEST project to develop their Pilot Activity - a practical retrofit tool to curb emissions from buildings. [...]

EU Mission Label award can ‘unlock’ cities’ potential on climate neutrality

2023-11-14T19:14:36+01:00October 12th, 2023|

"The first Mission Cities to secure the Mission Label is a milestone on their way to climate neutrality. We all know how big the challenge is and this key step is a sign of progress and momentum. The EU Mission Label has the power to significantly accelerate the climate transition journey for European Cities and unlock their potential.", says Thomas Osdoba, Director of the Mission Platform, NetZeroCities. After months of hard work and collaboration between Mission Cities, their local, regional, and, in some cases, national stakeholders—with the support of Mission platform partners across Europe—10 cities have had their Climate City Contracts [...]

Engaging Public and Private Partners on Portal CCC Tools & Indicators

2024-07-18T11:12:48+02:00October 3rd, 2023|

Envisaging New Connections NetZeroCities supports cities as they commit to ambitious action to get to climate neutrality. In supporting cities to develop and enact ambitious climate action plans, the EU Cities Mission aims to stimulate new ways of working and connecting, across sectors and institutions. The Climate City Contract (CCC) model helps cities to engage with stakeholders and make systemic change possible – and the NetZeroCities Portal helps cities to put that model into action. With Mission Cities committed to engaging in the CCC process that incorporates many other aspects of their existing climate planning and reporting, we see a significant [...]

NetZeroCities Summer Schools: helping cities accelerate their climate transition

2023-08-01T16:17:51+02:00August 1st, 2023|

“Inspiring and useful”, “the chance to tell your story”, “a pressure cooker experience on Climate City Contract relevant topics”, “good networking opportunities”, the kind of intensive training that really reduces the amount of extra work”…this is how Mission Cities refer to their experience participating in the first two NetZeroCities Summer Schools!  In June and July, some 60 Mission Cities representatives embarked on an intensive learning track to accelerate their way to 2030 climate neutrality. With two NetZeroCities Summer School sessions organised in Milan and Como, Italy, early June, and in Santander, Spain, mid-July, cities had the opportunity to join an exciting [...]

The EU Cities Mission Journey Newsletter #4

2023-07-18T17:29:01+02:00July 18th, 2023|

The fourth EU Cities Mission Journey newsletter has been published and is available here. This fourth edition focuses on the Mission in Progress: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Conference 2023, the Call for Twin Cities, the first edition of the Summer School that took place in Milan and the different activities taking place in Mission Cities. The newsletter also showcases NetZeroCities resources, such as the Companion Guide for Civic Environment Mapping and the Transition Team Playbook, and provides an overview of recent events NetZeroCities participated in, as well as a list of upcoming events of interest. If you want to keep up [...]

Mission in Progress: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Conference 2023

2023-07-17T14:11:56+02:00July 12th, 2023|

One year has passed since the Let's Go! Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission Kick Off Event  where pioneering cities started an unprecedented journey to become the first 112 climate-neutral cities by 2030. At the end of June, Mission Cities kept up the momentum as they convened for the second Cities Mission Conference. The Mission in Progress: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Conference 2023 was a chance to come together to exchange on their journeys to climate-neutrality. The conference was a poignant event for cities, with Dovydas Kaminskas, Mayor of Tauragė eloquently noting: “This is a problem-solving conference.” It was a space [...]

The EU Cities Mission Journey Newsletter #3

2023-04-04T14:02:54+02:00April 4th, 2023|

The third EU Cities Mission Journey newsletter has now been published. Read it here. This third edition focuses on the progress achieved by cities to date showcasing different initiatives and events organised by Mission Cities to advance their climate neutrality objective. The newsletter also highlights the results of the Pilot Cities call, presents the role of NetZeroCities Climate Neutral City Advisors and explains the concept of social innovation with a video. If you want to keep up to date with NetZeroCities news and events, subscribe to receive the newsletter in your inbox here!

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