MONITORING & LEARNING FOR IMPACT

Many cities have developed extensive in-house expertise in monitoring and learning over the years. The NetZeroCities programme helps these cities build upon and expand their existing capabilities while also providing support to those with limited capacities in this field. This dual approach ensures that all participating cities can effectively track their progress toward climate neutrality.

The NetZeroCities Theory of Change provides a systemic causal framework that outlines the process and interconnected components towards climate neutrality. This Theory of Change aligns with the programmatic goal of using systemic innovation and a portfolio approach through which cities can activate multiple levers of transformative change under a single emission domain. The six levers—technological innovation and infrastructure, finance and funding, social innovation, democracy and participation, governance innovation, and learning, capacity, and capability building—integrate the emission domains into a coherent portfolio. These levers serve as entry points for broader systems-wide transformations, aiding in the design and implementation of city actions. This approach not only creates pathways to achieve 2030 net-zero targets but also strengthens the MEL process, as it identifies and allows for the assessment of direct impacts and a variety of co-benefits along the way.

NetZeroCities programme adopts a multilevel approach to progress monitoring and learning, operating at three levels: city, cluster, and mission.