TECHNICAL INNOVATION FOR CLIMATE-NEUTRALITY

Achieving net zero emissions in all cities demands transformational change across all sectors. Tackling emission sources is at the heart of this challenge. Fortunately, a wide range of technologies and innovative solutions are available to significantly reduce these emissions. These technologies and solutions must address all major emission domains, including buildings, industry, transport, waste treatment (both solid waste and wastewater), agriculture and forestry, and, of course, energy from fossil fuels (whether from grid energy supply or district heating networks among others).

Cities are already making significant efforts to implement these technological solutions. To accelerate the adoption of innovations, learning from peers is essential. The European Commission has identified seven priorities for technological action, detailed below. However, to effectively implement these solutions, cities must also activate several systemic levers. These levers include robust governance; active citizen participation and stakeholder engagement; social innovation; financing mechanisms; and monitoring and learning. These collaborative systems change efforts are crucial for driving the necessary transformations towards climate neutrality.