POLICY BRIEFS
Policy Labs, facilitated by NetZeroCities, explore a variety of pressing issues such as climate finance and investment, nature conservation, renewable energy, building renovation, decarbonisation of industry and sustainable transport. These sessions adopt a city-centric approach, fostering collaboration between Mission Cities representatives and EU Thematic Policy Experts. The outcome of these policy labs is the creation of Mission Cities’ Policy Briefs which offer a comprehensive set of policy recommendations aimed at EU decision-makers and national authorities.
PUBLIC DELIVERABLES
Download the public deliverables of the NetZeroCities project from NetZeroCities, SGA-NZC, and SGA2-NZC.
NetZeroCities
- European climate initiative review and 2030 climate neutrality gap report
- Compatibility framework and operationalization
- Climate-neutral City Contract concept
- CCC resource package for one stop shop platform
- CCC online training sessions for cities recording
- Report on training modules for city guides
- City cluster portraits
- Report on support needs assessment for CCC
- Online Action Plan Scoping and Design Specifications
- CCC as a Governance Innovation Instrument
- Identified city needs for MEL, metrics, indicators
- Comprehensive indicator framework
- Identified climate impact indicators based on existing indicators review
- Report on assessment methodologies for planning and monitoring GHG emission reductions through urban greening and nature-based solutions
- Report on indicators & assessment methods for social innovation action plans
- Indicators for capital / finance needs and replication potential
- Shared data infrastructure concept, including shared data infrastructure, visualisation of KPIs and respective usability evaluation
- Evaluation report for CCC
- Assessment of the evaluation framework for social innovation action plans
- Evaluation report for large pilots
- Design and specification for the platform
- Capacity building programme plan
- One stop shop platform & Platform technical description and user guide
- Annual reports on platform performance
- One stop shop platform report
- Exploitation and business plan / model for the future of the platform and of the project results
- Open call process guidebook
- Text of open call and related communication
- Draft report on implementation and impact of pilots – Year 1 of pilots
- Final report on implementation and impact of pilots – Year 2 of pilots
- Sensemaking workshop reports
- Cross-fertilisation insights report
- Replication and scale up report
- Twins call and selection criteria
- Structured twinning learning programme
- Catalogue of pilot cities
- Mid-term progress report on twinning
- One climate action plan roadmap per twin city
- 30 case studies of best practice
- Multimedia case study published
- Mapping of national and regional city collaboration
- National and regional city collaboration and multi-level governance report
- Report on systemic city transformation methodology and user journey
- Report summarising support given to pilot and twin cities on the CCC
- Report on pilot city systemic innovation needs in portfolio
- Report on capacity & capabilities building approach for systemic transformation in pilot cities
- Exemplar case studies for capacity and capability building among cities involved in pilots or aligned with the Mission
- City climate finance landscape, barriers and best practices in city climate finance
- Training programme & “embedded tutoring” on innovative finance for city officials overview
- Report describing innovative climate finance assessment and knowledge development
- Investment plan framework
- Feedback to First Cohort of Cities
- Financing methods for co-benefits
- Feedback to Second Cohort of Cities
- Policy recommendations
- Desktop research report on engagement
- Readiness in city governments action learning programme
- Citizen engagement model and template action plan
- Civic engagement map
- Civic engagement mapping approach
- Service model for citizen and stakeholder participation (initial version)
- Service model for citizen and stakeholder participation (final version)
- Method for coherent implementation of work at local level
- Learning report on implementation of transversal and systemic innovation
- SI observatory for climate neutrality
- SI methodologies for design, prototyping, testing, monitoring
- SI methodologies for SI scale up
- SI matchmaking service pool blueprints, customer journeys
- SI experimenting services pool blueprints, customer journeys
- SI capacity building services pool blueprints and customer journeys
- Evaluation of the SI learning programme
- Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation Plan
- Updated Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation Plan (1)
- Updated Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation Plan (2)
- Updated Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation Plan (3)
- Project website and social media accounts
- Report on Content Production
- Report on Community of Practice
- Report on three awareness campaigns
- Proceedings of NetZeroCities conference n°1
- Proceedings of NetZeroCities conference n°2
- Proceedings of NetZeroCities conference n°3
- Visual kit for cities
- Report on city needs, drivers and barriers towards climate neutrality
- Training materials for city guides
- Annual reports on engaging with pilot and twin cities
- Mid-term infographics on city interaction
- Final infographic on city interaction
- Mid-term report on city panel activities and recommendations
- Final report on city panel activities and recommendations
- Stakeholder map
- Report on consultation input to CCC concept and multi-level governance process
- Annual report: strategic sub-panel
- Annual report: CCC signatories sub-panel
- City finance and investment policy recommendations
- Policy framework media package
- Policy brief series: linking local lessons learned
- NetZeroCities white paper
SGA – NZC
- D1.1 – Climate City Contract Annual Trends Report V1
- D1.2 – Climate City Contract Annual Trends Report V2
- D1.3 – Climate City Contract Annual Trends Report V3
- D1.4 – Climate City Contract Case Studies Anthology V1
- D1.5 – Climate City Contract Case Studies Anthology V2
- D1.6 – NZC Climate Investment Model
- D1.7 – NZC Climate Investment User Guide
- D1.8 – Assessment of the Investment Model and User Guide
- D1.9 – CCC Resource Pack 2.0
- D1.10 – CCC Resource Pack 3.0
- D1.11 – CCC Mission Label Progress Report
- D2.1 – Model for coherent implementation of work at local level
- D2.2 – Report of Mission City Support v1
- D2.3 – Report of Mission City Support v2
- D2.4 – Support Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP)
- D2.5 – Report of support needs, barriers and enablers of second wave and all cities
- D2.6 – Handbook on city support groups, thematic working groups and sprint groups
- D2.7 – Process for implementation and Delivery of New Services
- D2.8 – Methodology for scaling of services through replication and digitalisation
- D2.9 – Pilot Cities Core support allocation and matching methodology
- D2.10 – Baseline Analysis of the Current State of Climate Investment for Cities
- D2.11 – Review report on the support and services provided to Mission, Pilot and second wave Cities
- D3.1 – SGA-NZC Pilot Cities Programme Deployment Plan
- D3.2 – Pilot Cities Programme Call 1 Guidelines
- D3.3 – Pilot Cities Programme Call 2 Guidelines
- D3.4 – Pilot Cities Programme Call 3 Guidelines
- D3.5 – Overview Pilot Cities Programme Calls and in-take analysis
- D3.6 – Bootcamp Programme Design and City Support Methodology
- D3.7 – Final report – CESF Requests and Deployment
- D3.8 – Final Report – Pilot Cities Programme Portfolio Learning, Impact, Insights
- D3.9 – Final Report – Pilot Cities Programme FSTP Delivery
- D3.10 – Final Report – Bootcamp and Core Support Service Delivery
- D4.1 – Learning vision and framework
- D4.2 – Learning vision and framework V2
- D4.3 – Year 1 Capacity and Capability Building Programme
- D4.4 – Year 2 Capacity and Capability Building Programme
- D4.5 – Year 3 Capacity and Capability Building Programme
- D4.6 – Proceedings and Lessons Learnt from Summer Schools 1 & 2
- D4.7 – Proceedings and Lessons Learnt from Summer Schools 3 & 4
- D4.8 – Mid-Project Insights Report: P2P learning for Mission and Pilot Cities
- D4.9 – Insights Report: P2P learning and sensemaking for Mission Pilot Cities
- D4.10 – Methodology and tools for GHG & economic accounting
- D4.11 – Lessons learnt from application of the Methodology and Tools for GHG and Economic Accounting
- D4.12 – Scaled twinning programme report
- D4.13 – Lessons learnt from Pilot Cities & agile city support
- D4.14 – Anticipation, Horizon Scanning & Foresight Report v1
- D4.15 – Scenarios for desirable futures
- D4.16 – Anticipation, Horizon Scanning & Foresight Report v2
- D4.17 – Recommendations from dialogues between Mission cities and EU
- D5.1 – Updated Design and Specification for the Portal
- D6.1 – Landscape report of net zero partnerships, initiatives and projects
- D6.2 – Framework Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
- D6.3 – Report on signed MoUs
- D6.4 – Periodic reports on structured policy dialogue and mutual learning
- D6.5 – Report on standards for climateneutral cities
- D6.6 – Report on support frameworks for effective national networks and platforms
- D6.7 – Policy, governance labs report (end of programme)
- D7.1 – Initial Feasibility Analysis on the Hub
- D7.2 – Definition of the key characteristics of the Hub
- D7.3 – Definition of the Hub’s protocol of interactions with cities & stakeholders
- D7.4 – Technical Assistance Programme Strategy and Method Statement
- D7.5 – Capital Facilitation Programme Strategy and Method Statement
- D7.6 – Synthesis Report the Cities Mission Capital Hub
- D8.1 – Governance and Process Strategy
- D8.2 – Data Management Plan
- D8.3 – Terms of reference of Committees
- D8.4 – Challenge-based, Innovation Lab periodic reports
- D8.5 – City Expert Support Facility Internal Guide
- D8.6 – Project Carbon Footprint report
- D8.7 – Community of Practice Method Statement
- D8.8 – Overview of the resources implementation Y1
- D8.9 – Overview of the resources implementation Y2
- D8.10 – Overview of the resources implementation Y3
- D9.1 – Dissemination and communication plan
- D9.2 – Internal Communication Strategy
- D9.3 – Proceedings of 2024 NZC Conference
- D9.4 – Exploitation strategy
- D9.5 – Report on Exploitation strategy
SGA2 – NZC
- D1.1 – Non-Mission City Needs & Pathways – First Report
- D1.2 – Non-Mission City Needs & Pathways – Annual Update
- D1.3 – Non-Mission City Needs & Pathways – Second Annual Update
- D1.4 – Non-Mission City Needs & Pathways – Final Report
- D1.5 – Design of Non-Mission City Portal User Experience and Customer Journeys
- D1.6 – Summary report on new portal content for Non-Mission Cities
- D1.7 – Second Summary report on new portal content for Non-Mission Cities
- D1.8 – Non-Mission City Portal Usage & User Satisfaction Report
- D1.9 – Second Non-Mission City Portal Usage & User Satisfaction Report
- D1.10 – Gap analysis of Capability Building programme
- D1.11 – Summary report on new content for capability building
- D1.12 – Second Summary report on new content for capability building
- D1.13 – Design of Accredited Online Hybrid Course for Civil Servants
- D1.14 – Summary report on status and activity of the online peer groups
- D1.15 – Second Summary report on status and activity of the online peer groups
- D1.16 – Progress report on the study visits
- D1.17 – Second Progress report on the study visits
- D1.18 – Report on the design of the twinning programme
- D1.19 – Final report on twinning programme
- D1.20 – Gap Analysis Report and Detailed Workplan
- D1.21 – Summary report on peercollaboration at sub-european level
- D1.22 – Second Summary report on peercollaboration at sub-european level
- D1.23 – Strategic findings of working with Non-Mission Cities – First Report
- D1.24 – Strategic findings of working with Non-Mission Cities – Updated Report
- D2.1 – Role Description of CFS
- D2.2 – City Needs assessment report
- D2.3 – Interim report specifying recommendations for tailor made IPs
- D2.4 – Final report specifying all recommendations for tailor made IPs
- D2.5 – Report on completeness check
- D2.6 – Finance Expert Support Facility Process and Governance Strategy
- D2.7 – Summary report of all completeness checks delivered for IPs
- D2.8 – Training Materials and methodology for delivery including modular breakdown
- D2.9 – Summary of CFS learnings from feedback loops in T2.2. (initial findings)
- D2.10 – Summary of CFS learnings from feedback loops in T2.2. (consolidated findings)
- D2.11 – City Finance Framework Tool
- D2.12 – Report and interim report summarising projects supported
- D2.13 – Report and interim report summarising projects developed
- D2.14 – Training materials for cities on attracting private capital
- D2.15 – Review of learnings and city feedback following workshops and roundtables
- D2.16 – Spreadsheet mapping of available public sources of capital at the EU, national and regional level
- D2.17 – Report outlining IP-compatibility with a comprehensive list of different public sources of capital
- D2.18 – Report on Connectivity Between Public Funding Options, Potential Obstacles, and offsetting Mitigation Strategies for Investment Plans Report
- D2.19 – Report summarising the need for a Special Purpose Vehicle for blended capital
- D2.20 – Report outlining IP-compatibility with a comprehensive list of different public sources of capital
- D2.21 – Spreadsheet mapping all potential private capital partners at a local, national and international level
- D2.22 – Report summarising the engagements with public and private sector sources of capital for the purpose of derisking investible opportunities
- D2.23 – Updated Spreadsheet mapping all potential private capital partners at a local, national and international level
- D2.24 – Updated Report summarising the engagements with public and private sector sources of capital for the purpose of derisking investible opportunities
- D3.1 – Governance and Proceed Strategy
- D3.2 – Data Management Plan
- D3.3 – Communication, Dissemination, & Exploitation Plan
- D3.4 – Review of City Advisor Engagement with Mission Cities
- D3.5 – Proceedings of 2025 Conference
- D3.6 – CESF Process and Governance Strategy
- D3.7 – Report on CESF Deployment
- D3.8 – Non Mission City Impact Metrics and MEL Methodology
- D3.9 – Guidance on Scope 3 Emissions
- D3.10 – Update of NZC, SGA1-NZC and SGA2-NZC Methodologies and Tools for GHG and Economic Accounting
- D3.11 – Data Management Plan Version 2
- D3.12 – Data Management Plan Version 3
- D3.13 – Data Management Plan Version 4
- D3.14 – Communication, Dissemination, & Exploitation Plan Version 2
- D3.15 – Final Report on Communication, Dissemination, & Exploitation
- D3.16 – Report on Internal Governance and Communication across WP and across NZC and SGA-NZC Grant Agreements
Publications
Ulpiani G, Vetters N, Melica G, Bertoldi P. Towards the first cohort of climate-neutral cities: expected impact, current gaps, and next steps to take to establish evidence-based zero-emission urban futures.
Sustain Cities Soc 2023;95.Ulpiani G, Vetters N, Shtjefni D, Kakoulaki G, Taylor N. Let’s hear it from the cities: on the role of renewable energy in reaching climate neutrality in urban Europe.
Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2023;183.Ulpiani G, Vetters N. On the risks associated with transitioning to climate neutrality in Europe: a city perspective.
Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2023;183Ulpiani G, Vetters N, Maduta C. Towards (net) zero emissions in the stationary energy sector: a city perspective.
Sustain Cities Soc 2023Della Valle N, Ulpiani G, Vetters N. Assessing climate justice awareness among climate neutral-to-be cities.
Humanit Soc Sci Commun 2023;10:440.Möslinger M, Ulpiani G, Vetters N. Circular economy and waste management to empower a climate-neutral urban future.
J Clean Prod 2023;421:138454.Ulpiani G, Rebolledo E, Vetters N, Florio P, Bertoldi P. Funding and financing the zero emissions journey: urban visions from the 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission.
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Nature Journal.Bresciani, S., Tjahja, C., Komatsu, T., & Rizzo, F. (2023). Prototyping for Policy Making: Collaboratively Synthesizing Interdisciplinary Knowledge for Climate Neutrality. In: International Conference 2023 of the Design Research Society Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference proceedings (pp. 104-116), Politecnico di Milano, Italy. ISBN: 9788894167436
Bresciani, S., Tjahja, C., Komatsu, T., & Rizzo, F. (2023). Social innovation for climate neutrality in cities: actionable pathways for policymakers. In De Sainz Molestina, D., Galluzzo, L., Rizzo, F., Spallazzo, D. (eds.), IASDR 2023: Life-Changing Design, 9-13 October, Milan, Italy.
Bresciani, S., Rizzo, F., & Deserti, A. (2022). Designing Systemic Change for Urban Ecosystems: A Framework for Assessing Social Innovation. In Cumulus Conference Proceedings Series 10/2023 Detroit (pp. 779-795). USA. ISBN 979-8-218-07901-7
Bresciani, S., Rizzo, F., & Deserti, A. (2022). Toward a Comprehensive Framework of Social Innovation for Climate Neutrality: A Systematic Literature Review from Business/Production, Public Policy, Environmental Sciences, Energy, Sustainability and Related Fields. Sustainability, 14(21).
Bresciani, S. (2024). Assessment Framework for People-Centred Solutions to Carbon Neutrality: A Comprehensive List of Case Studies and Social Innovation Indicators at Urban Level. Springer Briefs in Applied Sciences and Technology. Springer Cham. ISBN 978-3-031-53111
Mondal, R., Bresciani, S., & Rizzo, F. (2024). What Cities Want to Measure: Bottom-Up Selection of Indicators for Systemic Change toward Climate Neutrality Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 40 European Cities. Climate, 12(3), 41.
