€32 million available for European city climate pilots

The Pilot Cities Programme is providing €32 million (US$32 million) in grants and support for European cities to test out climate strategies and solutions.

The call for proposals has been launched by the NetZeroCities consortium and is part of the EU Mission for 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030. Submissions are open to cities based in EU Member states or Horizon 2020-associated countries even if they’re not one of the selected mission cities.

Pilot cities will receive grants of €0.5 million, €1 million, or €1.5 million to deploy and scale up climate solutions, as well as expertise and support services.

The goal is for the pilots to turn cities into ‘test beds for climate neutrality’ leading the way for other communities to follow. Each pilot city will be partnered with two or three other cities across Europe.

Diverse pilots

The grants are funded under Horizon 2020, the European Union’s 2014-2020 research and innovation programme, now succeeded by Horizon Europe. In 2020, the European Commission made €1 billion available under the Green Deal call – the last and biggest call under Horizon 2020.

A statement from NetZeroCities said: “Cities piloting activities will be diverse, consisting of social, cultural, technological, nature-based, regulatory, and financial innovations, as well as new approaches to business and governance.

“Applicants’ proposed activities will be considered, as well as how they interact with the various urban systems relevant to that city, including: mobility, energy systems and built environment, material and resource flows, health and wellbeing, natural areas, cultural, social, financial and institutional systems, and accessible public spaces.”

NetZeroCities will also provide support in securing funding and financing for further implementation or replication of solutions.

The deadline for submissions is 4 November 2022.

European cities on a mission

The EU Mission for 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030 was announced in May.

The 100 cities come from all 27 member states, and an additional 12 cities from countries outside the bloc were also selected to take part.

A total of €360 million is being allocated to kickstart the project in 2022 and 2023, and it is hoped this will spur further investments from the private sector.

The Mission cities will develop ‘climate city contracts’, which will include an overall plan for climate neutrality across sectors such as energy, buildings, waste management and transport, together with related investment plans. Although they are not legally binding, the contracts are intended to serve as highly visible commitments.