Cities Mission Conference 2024

We are excited to have held the third annual conference for the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. The European Commission and NetZeroCities invited Mission City mayors and practitioners, representatives of national and regional authorities, and others to connect and engage on Mission-critical concepts and ideas.  

The 2024 edition, ‘Empowering Cities – the Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission in Action’,  was held in Valencia on 25-26 June 2024. This invitation-only event was organised by the European Commission and the Mission Platform, and brought together political representatives and practitioners from the 112 Mission Cities to celebrate the Mission’s progress, share valuable insights and experiences, and inspiration. 

The conference featured a diverse line-up of speakers, each bringing unique experience and expertise to your climate neutrality journey across the two-day programme, which offered a rich variety of sessions.

The Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission Conference returned for a third edition in June 2024 on the theme “Empowering cities – The Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission in Action”. The event gathered political representatives and practitioners from the 112 Mission Cities, the Mission Platform, managed by NetZeroCities, along with high-level representatives from EU institutions, and a wide range of stakeholders, including regional and national authorities, the financial community and representatives from the private sector.

Held on the 25 and 26 June, the two-day event provided an integral space for knowledge sharing, capacity building, and face-to-face collaboration towards a climate-neutral future. Workshops and policy sessions addressed key challenges as well as the practical aspects and collaborative strategies for the effective implementation of Climate City Contracts. Opportunities for city leaders, the importance of multi-level governance and national platforms as well as connecting Missions, was at the centre of the event. With a particular focus on the transformative journey towards climate neutrality undertaken by cities, the Conference was a significant opportunity for the Mission to celebrate progress, join forces, and share inspiration.

This 2024 edition was held in the framework of the Valencia Cities Climate Week, as part of the Valencia EU Green Capital 2024. The Valencia Cities Climate Week encompassed several key events alongside the Cities Mission Conference, in particular the European Urban Resilience Forum 2024 (EURESFO) and Energy Cities’ Annual Forum. This was a unique opportunity to create synergies and promote urban sustainability, as well as to find common solutions to achieve climate neutrality and resilience.