On June 25 and 26, no fewer than 450 mayors, city practitioners, national and regional representatives, and urban sustainability experts gathered in Valencia, Spain, for the third Cities Mission Conference.   Reunited in the 2024 EU Green Capital, the 112 Mission Cities focused their discussions on "Empowering Cities – the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission in Action”. The event, organised by the European Commission and NetZeroCities as part of the Valencia Cities Climate Week, represented a landmark in the journey towards climate neutrality. Progress and Ambition “It is exciting to see the progress [...]

There was a lot of warm energy in the room at Stockholm Spring School on 24–26 April. This was much appreciated since the city did not show its most welcoming weather to the visiting representatives from all around Europe. At the NetZeroCities Spring School, organised by Politecnico di Milano (Polimi) and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), representatives from about 25 of the 112 Mission Cities were present. Earlier editions of the Seasonal School have taken place in Spain, Italy and Hungary.   The Spring School took place at KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology hosted by [...]

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 [...]

“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 [...]