First EU mission cities receive climate plan stamp of approval

The first 10 cities under the European Union’s 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission have successfully completed their ‘climate contracts’.

The cities have received an ‘EU Mission Label’, which the European Commission said acknowledges their ambitious plans to achieve climate neutrality by 2030 and also opens up avenues for accessing public and private funding to support these efforts.

The cities are Sønderborg (Denmark), Mannheim (Germany), Madrid, Valencia, Valladolid, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and Zaragoza (Spain), Klagenfurt (Austria), Cluj-Napoca (Romania), and Stockholm (Sweden).

The Climate City Contracts outline their vision for climate neutrality and are accompanied by action plans and investment strategies.

The European Commission said the contracts are the result of collaboration with local stakeholders, including the private sector and citizens.

“These 10 cities are paving the way for others to move faster towards a fair green and digital transition, and they set an example for inclusive co-creation of policy at the local level,” a statement said.

“Cities that received the EU Mission Label can now use it as a sign of confidence in their climate neutrality plans, especially when approaching public and private funders.”

Funding

In total, 100 EU cities and an additional 12 cities from countries associated with Horizon Europe are participating in the EU Mission.

The Commission is providing Mission cities with hands-on advice and funding, including a €32 million pilot programme combined with a twinning initiative. Another call for pilot cities with a budget of €20 million closes on 6 November.

In April 2023, the first group of cities presented their contracts, which were reviewed by the European Commission with support from experts, including representatives from the European Investment Bank and the Joint Research Centre.

The Commission expects to receive more Climate City Contracts for review by the end of the month and said that cities not granted the EU Mission Label are still receiving constructive feedback on areas for improvement.

‘Pioneers’

Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Executive Vice-President for European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, said: “The ten cities that are being awarded today are true pioneers. I am impressed with their commitments for concrete actions, but this is only the beginning. The cities need help from their national and regional governments, their local businesses, investors and innovators, to put their plans into practice.

“I invite all of them to engage with the cities and to see how they can contribute. I also encourage all cities in Europe to follow suit and become frontrunners for climate neutrality.”