Braga

Portugal

Twin city
National Mission Ecosystem Portugal
Population 204k
City Area 184 km²
City active since December 2023

Braga is a historic city in northern Portugal, located inland between the coast and the mountains, with a temperate climate influenced by the Atlantic. Known for its cultural heritage, growing population and dynamic economy, the city is increasingly facing climate-related challenges such as heatwaves, intense rainfall and pressure on urban infrastructure.

As Braga continues to grow, climate action is closely linked to how the city plans and develops. Managing urban expansion, improving mobility and ensuring efficient use of energy and resources are key priorities. The city is working to integrate climate considerations into planning and investment decisions, aiming to reduce emissions while maintaining a high quality of life.

Braga has been advancing actions in sustainable mobility, energy efficiency, renewable energy and urban resilience. Efforts to improve public transport, promote active travel and upgrade buildings are complemented by measures to enhance green spaces and manage water more effectively. Collaboration with local stakeholders, including businesses, research institutions and residents, supports implementation and helps build shared ownership of the transition.

By connecting climate goals with urban development and innovation, Braga is working towards a more resilient, low-carbon future, contributing to broader efforts to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.

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Key Learnings

Braga, Portugal case studies - Intelligent Cities Challenge

The Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC) is a European Commission initiative bringing together 136 cities to achieve intelligent, socially responsible and sustainable growth through advanced technologies. This resources includes case studies from the city of Braga, Portugal related to: Local Ecological Pact for Sustainable Tourism in Braga Local Green Deal for Construction Local Ecological Pact for Culture and Creative Economy of Braga

Twinning Replication Booklet

Overview of Replications Plans submitted by Twin cities (Cohort 1, 2023-2025) The first cohort of the Twinning Learning Programme (Sept 2023 – May 2025) paired 56 Pilot Cities implementing 25 innovative climate-neutral activities with 37 Twin cities eager to replicate their approaches. Over nearly two years,cities engaged in a structured programme of online workshops, in-person visits, and facilitated exchanges, enabling Twin cities to closely follow pilot implementation and translate insights into Replication Plans tailored to their own contexts. The programme demonstrated that well-designed peer learning, anchored in real pilot projects, creates tangible outcomes. Twin cities developed Replication Plans across diverse areas such as sustainable mobility, energy decarbonisation, circular economy, and citizen engagement, while also contributing fresh perspectives that strengthened Pilot city efforts. The result is Europe’s largest peer-learning initiative under the Cities Mission, with 37 Replication Plans now paving the way toward climate neutrality across a broad range of local contexts.  Featured cities: Genoa, Issy-les Moulineaux, Tallinn, Jyvaskyla, Vilnius, Slavonski Brod, Eilat, Cologne, Soria,  Penteli, Waterford, Eskisehir, Vari-Voula-Vouliagmen, Gabrovo, Matosinhos, L'Aquila, Oulu, Belfast, Torres Vedras, Mytilene, Alba Iulia, Jerusalem, Reykjavik, Lorqui, Viladecans, Lund, Westminster, Wiesbaden, Krizevci, Palaio Faliro, Konya, Fundao, Taurage, Braga, Riga, Lulea, Wurzburg.
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