NZC news Archives - NetZeroCities

‘All cities are frontrunners for the climate transition’: how leading cities are taking others with them towards sustainability

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-12-15T12:21:22+01:00December 15th, 2025|

Author: Alan MacKenzie Over 100 cities are racing to reach climate neutrality as part of the EU Cities Mission – but their work stretches much further in pursuit of a critical second goal. Keen to share its experience, Mannheim recently hosted delegates from ambitious cities and regions who were equally keen to learn from them on energy and engagement. In a plain, glass-walled conference room, a dozen people watch politely but attentively as the speaker explains detailed PowerPoint slides, describing his city’s actions in a modest, ordinary tone – even though the content is, for [...]

Where Europe’s climate transition is taking shape: lessons from 52 cities

Ella Morgan2025-12-12T17:18:13+01:00December 12th, 2025|

Author: Barbara Jarkiewicz Across Europe, a quiet shift has been taking place. In 52 cities, local governments, residents, community groups and businesses spent two years testing new ways to cut emissions and new financing models and how to turn abstract climate ambition into a lived, local systemic transformation. Now, their achievements show what reaching climate neutrality can mean in practice. Their collective effort has produced tangible results. More than 184,000 citizens took part in pilot activities. Cities trained over 1,400 public officers, created 256 new jobs, launched 40 follow-up projects and recorded an estimated reduction [...]

How Bratislava Is Turning Business into a Partner for Change

Ella Morgan2025-12-09T12:08:36+01:00December 8th, 2025|

Author: Barabara Jarkiewicz Bratislava is redefining how cities and businesses can work together to tackle climate change. Through the Bratislava Mayor’s Climate Challenge, the Slovak capital is showing that real progress on emissions requires shared responsibility, trust and transparency. “The city has a direct influence on only about 11% of emissions in Bratislava,” says Marián Zachar, project manager of the Bratislava Mayor’s Climate Challenge. “Companies, residents and private transport are responsible for about a third of the rest. The city wants to lead by example through its own investments and policies, but at the same [...]

‘Trying to talk to the emotions’: Engaging citizens on local climate action needs both head and heart

Ella Morgan2025-12-05T11:38:43+01:00December 4th, 2025|

Written by Alan MacKenzie Cities can’t reach climate neutrality without help – not only do they need the consent of locals for ambitious plans, but they need their ideas too. Grenoble-Alpes Métropole in France is treating the challenge seriously and recently told other cities how they are making collaboration meaningful with their citizens. “We know that it's not only talking to the brain that provokes change, so we also try to change our way of acting and trying to talk to the emotions also,” says Ylva Brasjo from Grenoble-Alpes Métropole’s climate team. [...]

40 ambitious cities speeding to climate neutrality on Europe-wide peer-learning programme

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-12-01T14:13:39+01:00December 1st, 2025|

PRESS RELEASE Over the next 12 months, 40 cities from 24 countries will work together on local climate action, joining a unique programme offered under the EU Cities Mission. Twenty-two new cities will bring the total number engaged through peer-learning programmes in the mission to more than 200. The Twinning Learning Programme is facilitated by NetZeroCities, which manages the EU Cities Mission platform, and will welcome the following cities as ‘Twin cities’ in the fourth cohort of the programme from 1 December 2025: Twin cities Paired with Mission cities Baerum (Norway) Reykjavik (Iceland) Cambridge (United Kingdom) 2nd district of Bucharest (Romania) [...]

Pre-feasibility study for the energy community project of the city of Liepaja

Anne-Charlotte Costabadie2025-12-22T17:25:39+01:00November 28th, 2025|

Deadline: 13 January 2026 Please note that a list of questions and answers are published at the bottom of the request for proposals in the document below. Background In scope of the implementation of its Climate City Contract, Liepaja is taking a significant step towards energy independence, economic sustainability, and climate neutrality by 2030 with the establishment of its first energy community. Liepaja is in the early stages of developing a pioneering Energy Community aimed at enhancing energy independence, integrating renewable energy (solar), and deploying battery storage to optimize grid reliability and support vulnerable users. The project is further aiming [...]

Helsingborg’s Bold Experiment to Build a Climate-Neutral Future

Ella Morgan2025-12-11T11:58:55+01:00November 26th, 2025|

Author: Barbara Jarkiewicz Stories from Pilot Cities: Helsingborg 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. Helsingborg is taking on one of the toughest climate challenges in Europe by cutting emissions from the construction sector. The Swedish coastal city is transforming its Oceanhamnen district into a living laboratory where new ways of designing, building and managing materials are tested in real [...]

Zagreb’s Model for Sustainable Urban Transformation

Ella Morgan2025-11-19T09:44:04+01:00November 19th, 2025|

Author: Barbara Jarkiewicz Stories from Pilot Cities: Zagreb 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. In the heart of Croatia, Zagreb is showing how the path to climate neutrality can begin in the most unexpected places. By embedding climate goals into every layer of governance, transforming their financial approach and transforming neglected courtyards into vibrant green hubs, the Croatian capital [...]

City Finance Specialised Services Tender (Panel Arrangement)

Ella Morgan2025-12-10T16:51:06+01:00November 14th, 2025|

Deadline: 12 January 2026 Please note that the deadline for submitting bids has changed and a list of questions and answers are published at the bottom of the RFP in the downloaded PDF file. Background As part of the comprehensive support envisioned by NetZeroCities as the Cities Mission platform, direct capacity support and capability building delivered by City Finance Specialised Services (CFSS) roles has been included in direct response to stated priority needs by Mission Cities. The CFS role is being provided in a combination of ways, and this procurement scope addresses one of those ways. Direct sub-contracting of CFS [...]

Oslo’s PURE Project: Building Climate Neutrality from the Ground Up

Ella Morgan2025-11-17T10:07:56+01:00November 13th, 2025|

Author: Ayden Maher Stories from Pilot Cities: Oslo 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. From Climate budgets to Construction yards Oslo has earned its reputation as one of Europe’s climate leaders. The city was the first in the world to introduce a climate budget, a governance system that ties emissions targets directly to financial planning. That model has since [...]

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