Page 31 - Guidelines for cities to achieve carbon Net Zero through digital transformation

– An economic and funding/financing model for climate action
– An “integrated urban planning” model

– Smart systems and data platforms.

• Create synergies with and between existing European climate initiatives and stakeholders such
as the Covenant of Mayors, the EIT and its relevant KICs, the Green City Accord, the European
Green Capital Cities, the SET-plan and the 100 PEDs initiative, the EIP-SCC and the lighthouse
projects, CIVITAS.

• Align with other missions and initiatives that support the Green Deal to ensure complementarity,
with the mission on climate adaptation and its work to adapt Europe – and its urban areas – to
the actual or expected climate and its effects.

• Collaborate on innovation with the European business to enhance the competitiveness of
European industry in the global markets.

For over a decade, European cities have been leading Europe’s efforts to implement ambitious
climate action. The Mission for climate neutral cities aims to encourage these efforts in two ways:
by setting the greenhouse gas reduction target by 2030 at 100 per cent; and by promoting a
systemic transformation of cities via the adoption of the “by and for the citizens” way of thinking
and working. A participating city should be able to deliver a credible climate strategy for reaching
carbon neutrality by 2030. Methodologies such as the “decarbonization pathways” and the “theory
of change”, as well as the principles of “integrated urban planning” should be instrumental in the
creation of a realistic climate strategy and action plan that can be transformative and agile enough
given the complexity of reaching carbon neutrality in such a short time.

To address the challenge of climate neutrality and help better deliver EU policies, the Mission
proposes a multilevel co-creation process through the introduction of a Climate City Contract.
Adapted to the specific realities of each city, a Climate City Contract will include the goal and targets,
specify the strategy and the action plan for transition, and identify stakeholders and responsibilities.
Ideally, the Contract will be signed by the city/metropolitan government, the European Commission
and the respective national or regional authorities.

The title “by and for the citizens” indicates that the involvement of citizens in their different roles
as political agents, users, producers, consumers, or visitors is pivotal for the mission’s success, as
they can take an active role to the transition to climate neutrality. For example, in several remote
consultations with the Board organized by cities across Europe, citizens have given priority to
mobility, energy, urban infrastructures and buildings, circular economy and behavioural change.
The Climate City Contract will, therefore, give citizens an active role and, as a pre-condition, will
provide them with new platforms and better resources to design and implement climate actions.
It is obvious that a clear political and organizational evolution in this direction is required.

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