NetZeroCities, managing the Platform of the EU Cities Mission, is launching on 3 September 2026, the second edition of Online Planning Lab, a free, hands-on online course designed to empower city representatives, policymakers, and urban change-makers with the knowledge and tools they need to drive systemic change. What is the Online Planning Lab? The 2026 Online Planning Lab will offer a flexible and practice-oriented learning experience to support cities in advancing their climate planning. The programme is structured around six modules, covering key topics such as policy, technical solutions, stakeholder engagement, and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning [...]

The city of Torino in northern Italy has been announced as the next host of the EU Cities Mission conference on 27-29 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 [...]

We’re excited to share three new online and in-person peer-learning opportunities! These opportunities are part of the EU Cities Mission, and are facilitated by the Mission Platform, currently managed by NetZeroCities. Twinning Learning Programme Online Discussion Groups (Cohort 2) Online Course: “Design your City’s Net Zero Strategy: Online Planning Lab” These peer-learning programmes are open to all cities from the EU and Horizon Europe  associated countries aiming for climate neutrality by 2050 or earlier, and that embrace the Cities Mission mindset. They have been designed for cities to share learnings, tackle challenges collaboratively, and benefit from the experience of over [...]

“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 [...]