Knowledge Repository

This policy brief gives some early results of the LOCALISED project that highlight the critical insights into the regional distribution of investments needed to achieve net zero emissions across Europe. For example, LOCALISED provides the first estimate of projected investment needs in individual regions and offers a solution with an innovative method for downscaling national decarbonisation plans to the local level by providing detailed, stakeholder-specific maps for all European Member States ...

This session are designed to refresh your understanding of the call and provide an opportunity to ask any practical questions regarding the process, criteria, or different sections of the application form. 

This session is designed to refresh your understanding of the call and provide an opportunity to ask any practical questions regarding the process, criteria, or different sections of the application form. 

These sessions are designed to refresh your understanding of the call and provide an opportunity to ask any practical questions regarding the process, criteria, or different sections of the application form. 

The document is a tutorial for using the NetZeroPlanner tool, which helps cities create an economic case for their decarbonization efforts as part of their Climate City Contracts (CCC). It outlines how the tool enables cities to assess and prioritize decarbonization projects by calculating costs, benefits, and returns on investment, including monetizing co-benefits.

hese sessions are designed to refresh your understanding of the call and provide an opportunity to ask any practical questions regarding the process, criteria, or different sections of the application form. 

Core objective: The City as Studio workshop is designed to enable city participants to creatively consider what success looks like in 2030 for their city, and what achieving this success entails in the context of thinking about the whole city as a system of systems. Working back from 2030, participants will plot key delivery and impact points, highlighting the direct and indirect benefits of successful delivery, the policy settings required to set the success on the right path, and ...

Climate and Biodiversity: synergies for Urban Transformation - A Common Ground for Collaboration between NetZeroCities and NetworkNature

On this page, you will find the collection of NetZeroCities resources  on the topic of Finance: (1) videos on the training program on the investment plan; (2) The finance Guidance Tool; (3) information on Cities' Action and Investment Plans and (4) Deliverables. 7.1: Training programme and embedded tutoring on innovative finance for city officials: The video recording recordings of the module on Investment plan is provided below in 3 parts Video: NetZeroCities Capability Building ...

The EU taxonomy is a cornerstone of the EU's sustainable finance framework and an important market transparency tool. It helps direct investments to the economic activities most needed for the transition, in line with the European Green Deal objectives. This webinar will go through some of the key details of the EU taxonomy and why this is relevant in the context of the EU Cities Mission.

The EU taxonomy is a cornerstone of the EU's sustainable finance framework and an important market transparency tool. It helps direct investments to the economic activities most needed for the transition, in line with the European Green Deal objectives. This webinar will go through some of the key details of the EU taxonomy and why this is relevant in the context of the EU Cities Mission.

The EU taxonomy is a cornerstone of the EU's sustainable finance framework and an important market transparency tool. It helps direct investments to the economic activities most needed for the transition, in line with the European Green Deal objectives. This webinar will go through some of the key details of the EU taxonomy and why this is relevant in the context of the EU Cities Mission.

The EU taxonomy is a cornerstone of the EU's sustainable finance framework and an important market transparency tool. It helps direct investments to the economic activities most needed for the transition, in line with the European Green Deal objectives. This webinar will go through some of the key details of the EU taxonomy and why this is relevant in the context of the EU Cities Mission.

The EU taxonomy is a cornerstone of the EU's sustainable finance framework and an important market transparency tool. It helps direct investments to the economic activities most needed for the transition, in line with the European Green Deal objectives. This webinar will go through some of the key details of the EU taxonomy and why this is relevant in the context of the EU Cities Mission.

This page summarizes the main learning programs offered by NZC Download the pdf with active links For all cities: NZC Youtube channel videos and playlists; explainers Cities best practice sessions videos: 4 videos, 1h long THE NZC SYSTEMIC INNOVATION APPROACH: Impact Pathways & Monitoring [tool: Barometer] The Systemic Approach The Climate Transition Map NetZeroPlanner (Economic Model) Climate City Contracts LEVERS OF CHANGE Technical Solutions [tool: Solution ...

On this page you can find the list of all NZC resources on technical solutions to achieve climate neutrality in cities: (1) Thematic areas for services definition; (2) Catalogue of solutions & co-benefits; (3) Expert services for deploying climate neutral city actions; and (4) Deliverables.   1. Thematic areas for servicies definition To effectively combat climate change and achieve climate neutrality, it's essential to define and implement the most advanced and ...

This guide outlines how to engage on the NetZeroCities Community of Practice online group.

This guide outlines how to engage on the NetZeroCities Community of Practice online group.

Tool for Embedding Stakeholder Engagement in Urban Projects* A major challenge for cities is determining when and how to initiate stakeholder participation. Often, project teams feel they must have every detail finalized before engaging stakeholders and/or the wider public, leading to missed opportunities for meaningful collaboration. The "Infrastructuring Democracy" canvas helps cities recognize that participation can serve various purposes and methods, and it can be initiated at ...

Tool for Building Distributed Networks for Urban Transformation The Scaffolding Emergence Canvas is a tool that supports cities that aim to create a distributed network for change. It guides municipalities beyond one-off engagement, fostering a collaborative ecosystem where cities work closely with frontrunners to shape and maintain a dynamic network for urban transformation. The canvas guides participants through the Quintuple Helix, obliging them to choose to which helix any stakeholder is ...

This page is dedicated to NZC research events and resources. Upcoming publishing opportunities for researchers: Special issue on "Co-design and Social Innovation for Climate Neutrality" in  Sustainability | Deadline: February 2025 ​   Edited book with proceedings of the event​ Chapters submission by November 30th, 2024 ​ ​ Length: 17.000-18.000 characters including spaces​ Academic writing with APA ...

Visual overview with interactive links to NZC learning content

The city’s emissions for 2019 stood at the equivalent of 352 ktCO2, a number that Ioannina has committed to reducing by 80% by 2030. Reaching these ambitious targets will require targeted initiatives informed by technical expertise. To make this possible, the Municipality of Ioannina has partnered with the Technical Chamber of Greece to create local groups consisting of engineers, municipal staff and citizens to work on the creation of climate neutral zones in the complex urban environment. ...

The document provides an overview of the NetZeroPlanner model, which helps cities quantify their economic case for decarbonization by analyzing emissions reductions and associated costs across 13 key sub-sectors. It emphasizes the importance of including both direct and indirect emissions (Scope 1, 2, and 3) and outlines how the model considers various costs, benefits, and co-benefits from a societal perspective.

This document is a training material about co-benefits, including economic value of co-benefits, case examples, and a list of co-benefits for common climate action.

This document provides an overview of the NetZeroPlanner methodology and a detailed review by decarbonisation lever.

The economic model as a tool is a fundamental part of the Climate City Contracts, and it is something that has been worked with each city in a particular way, with a tailor-made approach. Why Economic Case Analysis for City Decarbonisation is crucial? Cities have a clear and fundamental role to play in addressing the climate emergency and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Many are working hard to decarbonise, but face significant challenges due to inertia in existing systems, ...

The NZC impact pathways, theory of change, monitoring, evaluation and framework with indicators Quick read: https://netzerocities.app/QR-Monitoring (to be updated) Download the pdf version of the figure, with interactive links to the portal content per category Video Impact Pathways and Indicators - Presentation Slides (PDF) https://netzerocities.app/file-b5488aeff42889188d03c9895255cecc 'Impact Pathways' tell a story about how systemic transformation is expected to unfold. ...

NetZeroCities impact pathways diagram pdf with active links to dedicated portal pages

Malmö’s political leadership tasked the Finance Department to investigate green bonds as a potential instrument for raising capital for investments that benefit the climate and environment. It resulted in the development of the Green Bond Framework and the issuance of their first green bonds in 2018.

In order to translate high ambitions into fair and sustainable realities, cities need to engage deeper not only in ‘what’ they are aiming for but also ‘how’ to create the needed transformative change alongside other actors. This ‘how’ is a question of governance. In this piece, we break down what climate governance is in cities, why governance is key, four modalities to use as a lens for looking at it, and how to strengthen and apply climate governance in ...

In 2022, Grenoble Alpes Metropolitan Area embarked on an ambitious initiative to involve its residents as key players in its climate transition. The metropolitan area, composed of 49 towns and villages and home to 450,000 inhabitants, has a strong tradition of citizen participation in public life. Consult this case study to understand their journey

Methods to implement social innovation in projects and in cities: Phase 1 - Analyze the Context Context Map Canvas: The Context Canvas is a framework used to help understand the context. The template can map out the trends and different perspectives. This brings out drivers outside the organisation and the forces that could shape the project now and in the future. Ethnographic Fieldnotes: Ethnographic fieldnotes are a tool to organize different observations, types of analysis, emerging ...

The main objective of the Sun4All Capacity and Training Package is to help cities and other stakeholders to understand and address energy poverty more efficiently, ensuring fair energy transition across Europe. This document aims to ensure that Sun4All financial support scheme remains as a stable programme to tackle energy poverty and ensure vulnerable consumers participation in the energy transition in Europe. This document compiles the key information about the Sun4All approach necessary for ...

This policy brief highlights the role of national governments in fostering the development of energy communities in their territories overall, and in particular on how to support energy communities in fulfilling their potential for social cohesion. The policy brief first reviews the transposition process of the first-generation EU legislation on energy communities and key aspects of it. It then outlines the new provisions that Member states will need to adopt in the coming years as part of the ...

This short animated video explains the Sun4All solution to alleviating energy poverty, and presents the project in an accessible manner. It can be used by cities or utilities replicating the Sun4All scheme when approaching vulnerable stakeholders, implementing community work plans, and communicating on the local level.

Rzeszów Urban Innovation Lab is both a physical space and an organisation/city department which allows residents and stakeholders including local authorities, government officials, scientists, and business representatives to meet, exchange ideas, and share perspectives. It has been used by the city to facilitate conversations and promote collaboration between, with the hope of identifying topical problems and developing solutions to improve the quality of life for city inhabitants.

With the ambition of becoming a one-planet city, Guimarães needed a way to measure how many planets-worth of resources the city and its residents are consuming. This would allow for monitoring progress towards the shared vision. In collaboration with the Global Footprint Network and the University of Aveiro, the city introduced two types of ecological footprint interfaces: A research-based municipal ecological footprint (2018) and an individual ecological footprint calculator (2021).

Lisbon is an internationally acknowledged leader in participatory budgeting. The city implemented this process at a municipal scale since 2008. This allows residents to have the power to decide how a part of the municipal budget is spent by submitting and voting on project proposals.

The Cities Best Practice Series is aimed at learning from the best practices across Mission Cities. These monthly online sessions provide a platform to learn from the best on-the-ground experiences, fostering a discussion about key challenges, leaving space for questions, reflections and comparisons.   Best Practices #1 - Mobilising citizens and stakeholders for action Link to video Cities: Parma, Italy (8:03)  Guimaraes, Portugal (18:40)  Lyon, ...

Purpose: Adapt and refine the tool to each city, to enable quantification of the economic case for decarbonization – to build the rationale for ambitious climate action, support strategy and identify priority areas as defined in the Climate City Contract.

In the sustainable transition of a city, climate solutions such as decarbonising transport and heating can provide additional value other than CO2 reductions. These co-benefits are an essential part of the total economics case for city decarbonization and support the investment case of solutions. Co-benefits also help cities prioritize and compare the value of different actions.

Cities have a clear and fundamental role to play in addressing the climate emergency and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Many are working hard to decarbonise, but face significant challenges due to inertia in existing systems, pre-existing policy environments, and limited budgets. A key obstacle is the seemingly high cost of reshaping key CO2-emitting sectors in the city, from transport, to buildings, to the power supply, as well as challenges in understanding who needs to pay ...

Proposed solutions must operate under a changing climate. Throughout their entire lifetime, these solutions will both impact and be impacted by the environment through various feedback loops. Climate risks need to be reduced to acceptable levels through enduring changes that are environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially acceptable. In this context, ensuring performance with a long-term perspective involves evaluating functionality in relation to ...

Bordeaux's Réseau Vélo Express or 'ReVE,' is the express bike network. Extended by 60% from the existing cycle network, it involves an additional 250km of bike paths with 14 dedicated routes planned. The ReVE aims to encourage shifts from private cars to cycling.

Helsingborg increased its cycling rate for school commutes by creating a school-focused digital platform and using behavioural science and nudging techniques.

The Climate Assembly was designed to get proposals for the City Government on how to make Tartu’s streets safer and healthier, reduce traffic-related noise and air pollution in the urban space, and shape a more climate-friendly future.

The Climate Assembly was designed to get proposals for the City Government on how to make Tartu’s streets safer and healthier, reduce traffic-related noise and air pollution in the urban space, and shape a more climate-friendly future.

The Climate Assembly was designed to get proposals for the City Government on how to make Tartu’s streets safer and healthier, reduce traffic-related noise and air pollution in the urban space, and shape a more climate-friendly future.

The necessity for urban transformation towards a circular economy (CE) system is becoming more evident as urban population and waste generation are increasing. To face this challenge of decoupling the economy from natural resources extraction, the cities need to adhere to several programs and strategies established by national, regional and municipal levels such as CE Action Plans. Local policy makers can make public local commitment to tax and regulatory reforms, or promote legislation ...

The Citizens' Climate Assembly in Barcelona, Spain is a deliberative process of 100 people chosen by lottery between the ages of 16 and 75 to discuss the climate emergency situation in the city and they defined actions and solutions to improve it.

Author: European Regional Development Fund Category: Technical Programme / Co-finance Facility Published/Created by: European Regional Development Fund Link: https://urbact.eu/ URBACT is a European exchange and learning programme promoting sustainable urban development. It is one of the EU funding programmes solely dedicated to cities. The main goal of the programme is to increase the capacity of cities and support the exploitation of good practices thanks to the use of ...

The aim of this CCC Info Session was to help cities be ready for Window 4 submission. Colleagues from the Joint Research Council (JRC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined to share their "top tips" to ensure cities' submissions are as complete as possible.

The aim of this CCC Info Session was to help cities be ready for Window 4 submission. Colleagues from the Joint Research Council (JRC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined to share their "top tips" to ensure cities' submissions are as complete as possible.

The aim of this CCC Info Session was to help cities be ready for Window 4 submission. Colleagues from the Joint Research Council (JRC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined to share their "top tips" to ensure cities' submissions are as complete as possible.

The aim of this CCC Info Session was to help cities be ready for Window 4 submission. Colleagues from the Joint Research Council (JRC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined to share their "top tips" to ensure cities' submissions are as complete as possible.

The aim of this CCC Info Session was to help cities be ready for Window 4 submission. Colleagues from the Joint Research Council (JRC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined to share their "top tips" to ensure cities' submissions are as complete as possible.

The aim of this CCC Info Session was to help cities be ready for Window 4 submission. Colleagues from the Joint Research Council (JRC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined to share their "top tips" to ensure cities' submissions are as complete as possible.

The aim of this CCC Info Session was to help cities be ready for Window 4 submission. Colleagues from the Joint Research Council (JRC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined to share their "top tips" to ensure cities' submissions are as complete as possible.

Deep dive into the CCC drafting and submission process, with facilitated breakout sessions on the Commitments, Action plan and Investment plan by thematic area.

Deep dive into the CCC drafting and submission process, with facilitated breakout sessions on the Commitments, Action plan and Investment plan by thematic area.

Deep dive into the CCC drafting and submission process, with facilitated breakout sessions on the Commitments, Action plan and Investment plan by thematic area.

Deep dive into the CCC drafting and submission process, with facilitated breakout sessions on the Commitments, Action plan and Investment plan by thematic area.

The aim of this CCC Info Session was to help cities be ready for Window 4 submission. Colleagues from the Joint Research Council (JRC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined to share their "top tips" to ensure cities' submissions are as complete as possible.

The aim of this CCC Info Session was to help cities be ready for Window 4 submission. Colleagues from the Joint Research Council (JRC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined to share their "top tips" to ensure cities' submissions are as complete as possible.

The aim of this CCC Info Session was to help cities be ready for Window 4 submission. Colleagues from the Joint Research Council (JRC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) joined to share their "top tips" to ensure cities' submissions are as complete as possible.

• Passenger transport levers • Freight transport levers • Buildings & heating levers • Electricity levers • Waste levers • Appendix: Lever sensitivities • Appendix: Model Updates & Improvements

The economic case is the foundation of a city’s decarbonization strategic plan as documented in the Climate City Contract (CCC). The NZC Economic Model is a tool that supports a process for creation of the economic case. Through the process, cities validate and improve upon their Climate Action Plans and Investment Plans for inclusion in the CCC.

The CCC Highlights provide thematic information extracted from labelled Climate City Contracts. These CCC Highlights delve into the diversity of actors that signed the Commitments Document of the first cohort of labelled cities.

Valladolid has been at the forefront of climate action initiatives, and in recognition of these efforts, it was one of the first cities to be awarded the Mission Label by the European Commission. A key element of the city's success in promoting climate neutrality has been the development of communication and engagement campaigns in collaboration with the local football team, Real Valladolid.

Pop-up Återbruk is a temporary reciclying service provided by Stockholm Vatten och Avfall. From April to November, two metal sheet containers move around all neighbourhoods of Stockholm offering two main services: the collection of small objects to recycle and a second hand shop where citizens can buy things collected on the same containers

Since 2018, Dubrovnik has implemented a participatory budgeting project, allowing residents to directly influence the allocation of public funds to community projects. This initiative aims to enhance civic participation, improve local infrastructure, and foster a sense of community ownership.

Join NetZeroCities User Panels!  The project of NetZeroCities wants to empower cities with the essential tools, resources, and knowledge to combat the climate crisis and build sustainable urban environments for everyone.  We are thrilled to invite you to participate in NetZeroCities User Panels. These interactive virtual meetings are designed to bring together cities in order to understand users and refine various aspects of the NetZeroCities portal, services and processes. For ...

Case study about the Milan Food Policy

The NZC Solution Bundles is a tool to inspire and show in a diagram how the technologies and levers can be combined together to implement solutions. It provides an interactive visualisation of city systems. Here you can have access to the tool. There will be a City Panel to validate the tool on April 30. If you want to particiapte, join us in the Group NetZeroCities City Practitioner Panel! Together, let's shape the future of our cities!

Espoo is collaborating to ensure waste heat can be captured from its data centres and fed into its district heating supply.

Launched in 2021, VeniSIA, the Venice Sustainability Innovation Accelerator, aims to develop and scale business ideas and technological solutions to address environmental, social, and economic challenges in Venice and beyond.

The Boot Camp is part of the NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme

A co-creation model is a toolkit for developing sustainable and smart urban areas. It describes a general model for urban co-creation, considering the conditions and different starting points. The model originates from the SPARCS project in which ideas and co-creation practices, its potential and constraints were initially tested in the City of Espoo’s Kera region in Finland. The objective of SPARCS was to create a network of sustainable, energy-positive and carbon-free communities.

Turku's Climate Team is a network aimed at companies and communities in the Turku region. It aims to make the fight against climate change visible, effective and communal. The Climate Team started as campaign-based activity in 2018 and got more formalised network structure in few years. It shares information about climate work and organizes regular events. In 2024, there are more than 130 local operators from various fields. The Climate Team's captain is a Finnish ex-hockey player Saku Koivu. ...

This Playbook draws together the methodologies co-designed and developed by NetZeroCities Climate Neutral Cities Advisors, with wider support from specialists under NetZeroCities Platform to help cities navigate their journey towards climate neutrality. By using the Playbook, cities will be able to better: Align city teams towards a common goal for climate neutrality; Enable city teams to navigate the core concepts and tools of NetZeroCities and the broader Mission for 100 Smart and ...

Core objective: The Horizon Mapping exercise is a way to gather a bird’s eye view of everything that is going on in a city in the immediate, near-term and longer-term that has the potential to impact upon the city’s climate journey – and to quickly identify the shared opportunities and barriers, as well as the most salient gaps in the city’s approach. Sometimes, the surprises in this workshop are found in strange places – the elements on the horizon that might ...

Core objective: To enable city teams to consider the skills, capabilities and resources required in order to deliver the transition to climate neutrality, and how these might be sourced/shaped in the context of a range of different governance models. The workshop will explore governance options to identify which reflect local conditions/cultures and ways of working, and how to approach current gaps in governance/resourcing. There are two options here for this workshop – each with a ...

Core objective: This workshop will explore the key strategic risks and uncertainties to the city in its journey to climate neutrality and what approaches and levers are available to meet these. The workshop will focus on the known uncertainties and risks. What the workshop will deliver A clear understanding of the strategic uncertainties inherent for the city in the programme; A demonstration of the systemic nature of the impacts of addressing uncertainties and risks as they emerge (for ...

Core objective: To help city participants determine which stakeholders have the potential to have the greatest impact on GHG reductions, and which stakeholders have the potential to have the most influence on others in relation to GHG reductions. This workshop will deliver A clear understanding of the top ten stakeholders across the city’s emissions profile with the greatest contributions to those emissions A way to strategically estimate the relevant influence of those top emitters ...

Core objective: This workshop helps the city team to explore thinking around financing the transition, including known sources of finance and potential next steps for financing and partnerships.   This workshop will deliver An exploration of the potential municipal sources of funding for decarbonisation An overview of existing mechanisms the city has to stimulate private investment towards decarbonisation An understanding of the city’s internal capacity to develop and implement ...

On this page you can find the list of all NZC resources on citizen and urban stakeholder participation: 1) Quick-read, 2) Video, 3) An Introduction to the Need for a Participative Transition: Why It Matters and How It Can Be Done 4) Services & Tools, 5) Case Studies & Methods, 6) NZC Deliverables on citizen and urban stakeholder participation   1) Quick-read: https://netzerocities.app/QR-Citizen&Urban   2) Video: ...

On this page you can find the list of all NZC resources on systemic innovation for climate neutrality in cities. QUICK READ LEADING COLLABORATIVE SYSTEMS CHANGE FOR CLIMATE-NEUTRALITY Quick Reads are short overviews of key NetZeroCities concepts providing essential information in a practical and visual way. More comprehensive resources and additional information will be available in the knowledge repository.   YouTube video  Using Systemic Innovation to Radically Reduce ...

This policy brief presents policy recommendations on nature-based solutions formulated by cities participating in the EU Cities Mission (Mission Cities) for EU decision-makers and European national authorities. These recommendations have arisen from discussions among seven Mission Cities during the Nature-Based Solutions Policy Lab, facilitated by NetZeroCities.

This policy brief presents policy recommendations on finance and investment formulated by cities participating in the EU Cities Mission (Mission Cities) for EU decision-makers and European national authorities. These recommendations have arisen from discussions among 13 Mission Cities during the Finance & Investment Policy Lab, facilitated by NetZeroCities.

The CCC Highlights provide thematic information extracted from labelled Climate City Contracts. These CCC Highlights delve into the climate commitments and the barriers to achieving the climate neutrality goals of the first cohort of labelled cities.

This page provides an overview of NZC documents, tools and resources on the topic of Policy, Networks and Partnerships for climate neutrality The EU Climate Projects Navigator Relationships map (Kumu)   Policy Briefs Policy brief on Finance and Investment Policy brief on Circular Economy   Projects maps Interactive tables of projects by category Deliverables: Stakeholder map  Report on consultation input to CCC concept and multi-level governance ...

The 112 Mission Cities of the 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission have been leading the charge on climate-neutrality for 2 years already. As of June 2024, 56 cities have created a Climate City Contract (CCC) and 33 cities received a Mission Label from the European Commission, gaining access to the new Mission Cities Capital Hub for funding opportunities. NetZeroCities follows Mission Cities in their journey and met with city representatives to learn from their ...

Enabling City Transformation Info session: Eligibility and Assessment Criteria (19.06.2024), please find the accompanying recording here.

  Enabling City Transformation - Info session: Ambition, Approach & System and technical information, please find the accompanying recording here.

Info session regarding the call "Enabling City Transformation"

The policy framework provides an overview of the EU level policies that are most relevant to achieving climate neutrality in cities by 2030.   The policy framework provides an overview of both regulatory and policy/strategy documents issued at EU level. It includes regulations which are currently in effect, as well as those which have been proposed by the Commission. It includes the policy and strategy documents produced by the Commission most relevant to urban climate neutrality, ...

Launched in 2012 by the Municipality of Turin, Torino Social Innovation fosters social innovation and entrepreneurship by bringing together over 40 public and private organisations to support sustainable business projects addressing societal needs in education, sustainability, employment, mobility, health, and inclusion. TSI is the first attempt to adopt a territorial and systemic approach to developing social innovation policies in Italy.

Intended for Cities part of the Pilot City Programme - Cohort 1

Intended for Cities part of the Pilot City Programme - Cohort 1

Info-session connected to the Call for Proposals: Enabling City Transformation.

NEUTRALPATH has produced a series of case studies to showcase the ambitious goals set by cities to achieve climate neutrality and provide a more sustainable future for their citizens. At the local level, Positive and Clean Energy Districts (PCEDs) are playing a key role in the energy transition and contributing to the achievement of the zero emissions targets.

NEUTRALPATH has produced a series of case studies to showcase the ambitious goals set by cities to achieve climate neutrality and provide a more sustainable future for their citizens. At the local level, Positive and Clean Energy Districts (PCEDs) are playing a key role in the energy transition and contributing to the achievement of the zero emissions targets.

NEUTRALPATH has produced a series of case studies to showcase the ambitious goals set by cities to achieve climate neutrality and provide a more sustainable future for their citizens. At the local level, Positive and Clean Energy Districts (PCEDs) are playing a key role in the energy transition and contributing to the achievement of the zero emissions targets.

NEUTRALPATH has produced a series of case studies to showcase the ambitious goals set by cities to achieve climate neutrality and provide a more sustainable future for their citizens. At the local level, Positive and Clean Energy Districts (PCEDs) are playing a key role in the energy transition and contributing to the achievement of the zero emissions targets.

NEUTRALPATH has produced a series of case studies to showcase the ambitious goals set by cities to achieve climate neutrality and provide a more sustainable future for their citizens. At the local level, Positive and Clean Energy Districts (PCEDs) are playing a key role in the energy transition and contributing to the achievement of the zero emissions targets.

Why is it important to communicate about your climate efforts? Municipalities may not always control GHG emissions in their city, but they still play a key role in shaping climate action. To effectively raise awareness, garner support, and inspire action from citizens, industry and other stakeholders, cities need to communicate about their climate initiatives and commitments actively.  Why should you work with us? The NetZeroCities team is committed to support your ...

LAST UPDATE JUNE 2024 This template provides a clear and instructive structure for the 2030 Climate Neutrality Action Plan to be created as one of the three parts to the Climate City Contracts, alongside the commitment document and the investment plan. The template follows a modular approach for cities to fill in section by section in an iterative process. The information collected via this template will serve as a basis for the CCC evaluation process to obtain the Mission Label.

This Factsheet provides an overview of the Autonomous Network and Traffic Management Engine (ANTME) Platform and its main components developed in the EU-funded FRONTIER project.

The video presents the ANTME Platform developed in the EU-funded FRONTIER project and the results of its demonstrations in three European pilot sites: - TEN-T CORRIDOR – Oxfordshire, UK, - ATTIKI ODOS MOTORWAY – Athens, Greece and - ANTWERP PORT – Antwerp, Belgium. Known as the Autonomous Network and Traffic Management Engine (ANTME), the smart collaborative platform is revolutionising traffic control by addressing traffic incidents – such as roadworks or collisions – across ...

Sveta Nedelja, Croatia, launched an online transparency platform to enhance citizen engagement and accountability. It centralizes municipal information, promoting transparency and participatory governance, and includes data on environmental efforts. Despite digital literacy challenges, it sets a model for modern governance through technology and communication.

This session includes the presentation of 3-4 cities that obtained the mission label after submitting their CCC in Window 2. During the session, cities share part of their process elaborating the CCC and how they used it to accelerate their city's transition.

LAST UPDATE 18 DECEMBER 2023 The Investment Plan template is designed to give cities’ administration a reference structure for the development of the Investment Plan. This will include potential constituent parts, such as tables and textual elements. This document is designed to adapt to cities’ needs and goals, maintaining a certain level of flexibility and adaptability to the way individual administrations operate. This document is accompanied by an IP guidance, which will ...

Energy Renaissance kicked off in 2021. The city established a team of energy specialists providing free, impartial advice to housing companies, promoting energy-efficient renovations.

Launched in 2021, Renolution is a comprehensive approach to decarbonising the region’s buildings while improving living standards and promoting a circular economy in renovations. The strategy includes a combination of regulatory measures, financial incentives, and broad-based stakeholder engagement. It also merges previously separate city initiatives for sharing the same goal.

Launched in 2021, Renolution is a comprehensive approach to decarbonising the region’s buildings while improving living standards and promoting a circular economy in renovations. The strategy includes a combination of regulatory measures, financial incentives, and broad-based stakeholder engagement. It also merges previously separate city initiatives for sharing the same goal.

Launched in 2021, Renolution is a comprehensive approach to decarbonising the region’s buildings while improving living standards and promoting a circular economy in renovations. The strategy includes a combination of regulatory measures, financial incentives, and broad-based stakeholder engagement. It also merges previously separate city initiatives for sharing the same goal.

Launched in 2021, Renolution is a comprehensive approach to decarbonising the region’s buildings while improving living standards and promoting a circular economy in renovations. The strategy includes a combination of regulatory measures, financial incentives, and broad-based stakeholder engagement. It also merges previously separate city initiatives for sharing the same goal.

Launched in 2021, Renolution is a comprehensive approach to decarbonising the region’s buildings while improving living standards and promoting a circular economy in renovations. The strategy includes a combination of regulatory measures, financial incentives, and broad-based stakeholder engagement. It also merges previously separate city initiatives for sharing the same goal.

Launched in 2021, Renolution is a comprehensive approach to decarbonising the region’s buildings while improving living standards and promoting a circular economy in renovations. The strategy includes a combination of regulatory measures, financial incentives, and broad-based stakeholder engagement. It also merges previously separate city initiatives for sharing the same goal.

Launched in 2021, Renolution is a comprehensive approach to decarbonising the region’s buildings while improving living standards and promoting a circular economy in renovations. The strategy includes a combination of regulatory measures, financial incentives, and broad-based stakeholder engagement. It also merges previously separate city initiatives for sharing the same goal.

This Policy Lab opens a space for exploring different policy scenarios and strategies to tackle city-level challenges in the field of Energy Communities at EU level. Antwerp, Guimarães and Rome will be the challenge owners, presenting their case studies to the other mission cities, namely : * Antwerp: How can the EU ensure that local authorities can become pioneers in more equitable energy redistribution? * Guimarães: How can Guimarães effectively introduce the consumption of renewable ...

The NetworkNature Tasks Forces (TFs) Cluster Meeting took place virtually on March the 20th, 2024, gathering the members of the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Task Forces and focusing on the topic of standardisation. After the opening remarks from Piret Noukas (European Commission, REA) and Bettina Wilk (ICLEI), the key outcomes of each TF were presented. The NbS co-creation tool, currently under development, was introduced for the first time by Sean Bradley (Groundwork London), as the main ...

These are seven services and resources you can use to more effectively engage and involve citizens and stakeholders in your climate transition. These services are developed by experts in the fields of citizen participation and stakeholder engagement. They can be used on your own, with your transition team, or with support from an expert facilitator.   An Introduction to the Need for a Participative Transition: Why It Matters and How It Can Be Done Democratic decision-making and ...

Social innovation case study of positive energy districts in Norway

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan were submitted in 2023 by Madrid and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan were submitted in 2023 by Mannheim and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan were submitted in 2023 by Cluj Napuca and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan were submitted in 2023 by Klagenfurt and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan were submitted in 2023 by Sonderborg and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan were submitted in 2023 by Valencia and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan were submitted in 2023 by Valladolid and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan were submitted in 2023 by Vitoria Gasteiz and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted in 2023 by Stockholm and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted in 2023 by Zaragoza and was endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Barcelona and was endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Espoo and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Florence and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Guimaraes and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted in 2023 by Stockholm and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Izmir and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Kalamata and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Kozani and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Lahti and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Leuven and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Parma and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Malmö and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan were submitted by Tampere and endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Thessaloniki and was endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Ioannina and was endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Limassol and was endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Lappeenranta and was endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Lyon and was endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Seville and was endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

This Climate City Contract and Action Plan was submitted by Turku and was endorsed by the European Commission resulting in the city being awarded the Mission Label.

The Green Living Room is a nature-based solution that can be applied to various urban situations. It offers multiple benefits for the urban environment in terms of climate action, public space improvement and nature awareness. In Ludwigsburg it was applied as a multifunctional structure that contributes to addressing urban. environmental and societal challenges. The Green Living-Room helps regulate the urban heat island effect by evapotranspiration of leaves and shading, promotes urban ...

Stuttgart, Germany lies in a natural depression. Like other big cities with manufacturing industries, a high volume of traffic and a population density, Stuttgart had to find ways of coping with the heat island effect and poor air quality. To overcome these challenges, it is implementing a natural green belt strategy to create pathways for winds to sweep down from the hills to ventilate the city.

The Green Roof Strategy of Hamburg, Germany was initiated in 2014, making Hamburg the first major German city to launch a comprehensive green roof strategy. Its goal is to green at least 70 per cent of both new buildings and suitable flat or gently pitched roofs undergoing renovation. The Ministry for Environment, Climate, Energy, and Agriculture supports the project with EUR 3 million until the end of 2024. The strategy is based on four pillars: promotion, dialogue, policy and research. Green ...

The green noise barrier by the Municipality of Sachsenheim Germany, in collaboration with the company Helix PflanzenSysteme, was initiated in 2014 with the aim of delivering a certified instant green noise barrier. The idea was to create a noise barrier that improved noise mitigation while offering other benefits such as managing rainwater flow-off, promoting biodiversity including nesting opportunities and overall an aesthetic structure.

This NetworkNature design brief series presents simple design suggestions for renaturing in built environments to restore or provide habitat for nature. It is not meant to replace professional ecological or landscape guidance, but rather to encourage designers to intentionally consider how they can adopt an interdisciplinary approach to make projects more biodiverse. Specifically, it encourages professionals to adapt to and achieve biodiversity-positive design in urban areas via nature-based ...

The Handbook provides practitioners with a comprehensive NbS impact assessment framework, and a robust set of indicators and methodologies to assess the impacts of NBS across 12 societal challenges. In the appendix of methods, there are factsheets for all indicators on how to assess and monitor them.

CO-IMPACT is a decision-support tool allowing city officers and cities to create impact assessment plans for the nature-based solutions projects. The tool aims to make the process of building a baseline and impact assessment plan straightforward and simple for anyone who wishes to do so, with the final report providing advice around suitable methodologies based on scale and project characteristics. Test the tool at https://connectingnature.eu/co-impact-tool. CO-IMPACT guides you step by ...

Urban Greening Plans articulate, formalise and showcase a city’s commitment to promoting biodiversity and urban greening. This guidance document sets out the background, rationale and key elements needed to produce and successfully implement an Urban Greening Plan. It is accompanied by a toolkit that goes into more detail on each step and gives links to relevant tools, initiatives and good practice examples.

This webinar covers : 00:08:18 Getting to know each other over afternoon tea/coffee 00:11:09 Practicalities of the PCP and Bootcamp - FAQs and Q&A 00:35:43 Lightning Talks #1: Embedding a just transition perspective across your Mission activities 00:57:29 Lightning Talk #2: The everyday politics of behaviour change 01:07:15 Group conversation 01:20:30 Final comments and run through of Berlin programme

This deliverable D2.5 presents a concise view of what cities require for reporting GHG emissions towards their climate neutrality goals within NetZeroCities. The report outlines the definition of climate neutrality under the mission, what information falls under each category and how cities can move towards a comprehensive GHG inventory accounting for their scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Along with D2.6, D2.7 and D2.8, D2.5 presents a set of indicators that the cities can use within the ...

Crowdfunding and citizen financing has been used as an innovative source of finance to engage citizens, business and municipalities as a part of the transition to climate neutrality. This webinar go through the function of the product, how it can be structured and deployed to raise capital for projects as well as case studies showing its effective implementation.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) has developed two tools that can assist your city in its air quality monitoring and modeling efforts: SHERPA and My Air Quality. These tools can enable exploring reduction scenarios and their impact on pollution concentration levels, providing crucial insights for informed decision-making. The demo provided an in-depth overview of the functionalities and demonstrate how they can be integrated into your city’s planning processes.

Short informational flyer regarding the EU Sparks for Climate Hackathon Championship and correlated dates. Find more information here: https://eusparks.eu/

This presentation consist of a summary of the European Commission's feedback to cities awarded the Mission Label for their Climate City Contracts (CCC). The event recording can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHJImw3H5Dc.

This video provides a summary of the European Commission's feedback to cities awarded the Mission Label for their Climate City Contracts (CCC).

This presentation pulls together key learnings from EC feedback: - General observations about the EC assessment - The structure of the assessment - Key findings: areas of interest, most commonly addressed issues

This info session provided participants with key call guidelines for the Twinning Learning Programme Call.

The monitoring system is a time measuring tool aimed at monitoring, in the long term, the impact of the energy system. Thanks to the monitoring system it is possible to check the energy and environmental performance of the system collecting data such as water temperatures, water flow rates and energy consumptions. It allows also to verify the comfort conditions inside the building monitoring the inside air temperature. Monitoring system architecture, where: 1=equipment; 2=data logger; ...

This webinar aims to improve city understanding of carbon credits and how they work as a part of projects. Many cities are looking at how to tackle residual emissions and how carbon credits can be used, valued and counted to support climate neutrality investment and as a project revenue to enhance profitability.

This webinar aims to improve city understanding of carbon credits and how they work as a part of projects. Many cities are looking at how to tackle residual emissions and how carbon credits can be used, valued and counted to support climate neutrality investment and as a project revenue to enhance profitability.

The 'Mobility as a Right' concept is one of the pillars of the project, and this first online Workshop was planned specifically for the UPPER Consortium. The workshop's aim, organized by ICLEI and Eurocities, was to dive deeply into the concept and discuss the application in practice with all our cities and horizontal partners. A great opportunity to learn about the “Mind the Gap” initiative in Oslo launched in 2021 (presented by Ruter) as well as the precious experience from the ...

This session focuses on Energy efficient retrofitting of buildings, exploring transformative potential and innovative approaches from mission cities. Learn how it reduces environmental impact, improves comfort, lowers costs, and fosters resilience. Join us to gain insights for your sustainable initiatives.

This session focuses on Energy efficient retrofitting of buildings, exploring transformative potential and innovative approaches from mission cities. Learn how it reduces environmental impact, improves comfort, lowers costs, and fosters resilience. Join us to gain insights for your sustainable initiatives.

Compilation of short policy briefs fostering Nature-based Solutions for equitable, green and healthy urban transitions produced by EU-funded project REGREEN (Horizon 2020)

The second online Policy Lab will focus on Finance and Investment, with the Mission Cities of Valladolid, The Hague and Leuven presenting their challenges. This Policy Lab opens a space for exploring different policy scenarios and strategies to tackle city-level challenges in the field of Finance and Investment at EU level.

This open access book presents a catalogue of over one thousand indicators which can be used by cities' public administrators to monitor and evaluate social innovation action plans to support people-centred, collaborative or co-designed solutions to lower carbon emissions. Indicators are clustered according to a framework of social innovation solutions for climate neutrality at city level, developed by merging top-down academic knowledge with bottom-up pragmatic case studies. There is currently ...

This scientific study, published on the journal "Climate" provides bottom-up evidence of NZC Pilot cities’ (cohort 1 and 2) selection of non-GHG indicators through different levers of change, including participatory governance and social innovation, for assessing progress and the co-benefits of actions toward climate neutrality taken at the urban level. The resulting list of indicators, classified according to the SDGs, provides evidence of cities’ priorities and can be utilised by ...

The video covers: - timelines and requirements - periodic technical and financial report templates and required attachments

While answering the "City Needs and Pathways towards Climate Neutrality Needs assessment survey for cities", you might want to share the survey questions with different colleagues internally to collect the information. You can use this editable document to collect all the answers before submitting them online through EUSurvey.

This webinar is part of a new webinar series, as part of our embedded tutoring on finance and investment, to provide insights on different sources of capital that can be utilised to help execute on your CCC and finance projects in the Investment Plan. Each session in the series will go through the detail of one financial product or vehicle with the aim of providing an understanding of how they can be deployed, and also provide a route for discussion with financial teams in the city. This ...

This webinar is part of a new webinar series, as part of our embedded tutoring on finance and investment, to provide insights on different sources of capital that can be utilised to help execute on your CCC and finance projects in the Investment Plan. Each session in the series will go through the detail of one financial product or vehicle with the aim of providing an understanding of how they can be deployed, and also provide a route for discussion with financial teams in the city. This ...

The city of Pécs, located in the South-Western part of Hungary, has been firmly committed to a climate policy, driven by a clear sense of purpose. In Pécs, which has almost 140 000 inhabitants and is the fifth largest city in the country, the two largest emitting sectors are buildings and transport, including private transport.

The city of Lund, in southern Sweden,has adopted critical measures in its heating system, as part of their efforts to achieve climate neutrality.

Climate change is a global challenge, and the Brazilian Amazon Forest is a particular concern due to the possibility of reaching a tipping point that could amplify environmental crises. Despite many studies on the Amazon Forest, this research was conducted in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, to address five gaps, including the lack of local citizen consultation on urban environmental issues, Smart Cities, decarbonization, and disruptive technologies. This study holds significance for the ...

The Cities Best Practice Series is aimed at learning from the best practices across Mission Cities! These monthly online sessions provide a platform to learn from the best on-the-ground experiences, fostering a discussion about key challenges, leaving space for questions, reflections and comparisons. The second session is dedicated to "Urban Mobility and Transport Innovative Solutions”. It highlights 4-5 Mission Cities who have developed innovative and impactful approaches to transport and ...

NZC SOLUTION OUTLINER / Identify and prioritize decarbonization solutions for your city The NZC SOLUTIONS OUTLINER is a tool developed to support the Mission Cities in getting the most ALIGNED SET OF SOLUTIONS that could contribute to their transition towards neutrality. The service uses contextual parameters such as ambition, barriers, enablers, and co-benefits to automatically present a LIST OF PRIORITIZED SOLUTIONS, from which the user can get more information.

El Día Después (EDD) is a multi-stakeholder platform for networks to address the sustainable development goals, specifically SDG 17. There are four communities within this project: environment & health, cooperation & global governance, city transformation, and inequality & new economic model. Within these groups are experts and professionals from the field who collaborate to create different services towards change. Through these collectives, lessons can be drawn from ...

In the aftermath of Chernobyl, a handful of committed citizens decided to become active together in their community in the Black Forest and create a nuclear- and coal-free energy supply belonging to citizens. Today the EWS supplies people throughout Germany with green power and eco-gas and works in various ways towards bringing about the energy revolution.

EVA is a bottom-up initiative that promotes plant-based diets through cooking workshops & awareness. EVA believes that, on average, plant-based products have the greatest overall positive impact on the well-being of people, animals and the planet. Working on a larger scale with restaurants, hospitals and schools through guidance at institutional kitchens will have a large-scale impact.

Play!UC is an initiative that developed a series of serious games and following participatory processes to raise awareness and deal with the individual carbon footprint of young adults. The term ‘serious games’ can describe all kinds of physical or digital games that are developed and played not only for entertainment, but have a functional scope as well like education, training or exploration. Different games like a strategy board game that requires players to build an energy ...

NZC SOLUTION OUTLINER / Identify and prioritize decarbonization solutions for your city The NZC SOLUTIONS OUTLINER is a tool developed to support the Mission Cities in getting the most ALIGNED SET OF SOLUTIONS that could contribute to their transition towards neutrality. The service uses contextual parameters such as ambition, barriers, enablers, and co-benefits to automatically present a LIST OF PRIORITIZED SOLUTIONS, from which the user can get more information.

A comprehensive resource on the potential for decarbonising the textile and apparel industry through electrification of process heating. It details the sector's significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and explores the opportunities for reducing this footprint by transitioning from fossil fuel-based thermal energy to efficient, clean electrified processes. The report analyzes four electrification technology pathways for the textile industry—industrial heat pumps, ...

In the city of Lund, in southern Sweden, a remarkable transformation towards climate neutrality has been unfolding. With a population close to 120 000 inhabitants, Lund has embarked on the ambitious mission of reducing its carbon footprint and pave the way for a sustainable future. In 2010, Lund took a significant step by committing to become a climate-neutral and fossil fuel-free city by 2030. The city's sustainability policy outlines ambitious targets, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas ...

This article by the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI) interviewed pioneers in this field of innovation portfolios in various organisational contexts. Those interviewed include various city-level organisations (city of Helsingborg, Chicago, Lund), regional or national-level (10X investments in the US, Mexiro in Mexico) and those operating internationally (Democratic Society, EIT Climate KIC). They conducted a series of interviews with these organisations to ask them for ...

The Indicator Framework describes a set of indicators for monitoring the impact of Climate City Contracts (CCC) in terms of: 1) Required Indicators: Direct Benefits – Impact on GHG emissions. and 2) Recommended Indicators: Co Benefits/ Co Risks – Indirect impact. Required Indicators represent an integral part of the CCC process. In addition, cities are encouraged to make use of a selection of recommended indicators most applicable to their local climate neutrality target and ...

On this page you can find the list of all NZC resources on social innovation for climate neutrality in cities: (1) quick read; (2) video; (3) Social Innovation Actionable Pathways map; (4) NZC Seasonal Schools resource; (5) Social Innovation Learning Club; (6) case studies; (7) methods to implement social innovation in cities; (8) Social Innovation assessment: process and outcome indicators; (9) NZC Deliverables on Social Innovation; and (10) scientific publications 1.Quick read on Social ...

This is a PDF version of the Ecosystem Activation Tools. You can find the digital version here: Engagement Strategy Tools   What are the Ecosystem Activation Tools? The Ecosystem Activation Tools are a set of resources which can be used to identify where to start when it comes to engaging the citizens and urban stakeholders in your city. The tools offer an opportunity to diagnose your most pressing citizen and stakeholder engagement needs. They also offers ways to find and pair ...

The Climate City Contract (CCC) is the result of a collaborative process aimed at systemically integrating and accelerating action across all sectors and at all governance levels to help your city reach climate neutrality by 2030. The outcome of this process is captured in the CCC document. This CCC Document Completeness Checklist (Checklist) has been created to communicate the key elements to include in your CCC document and help you track your progress. The Checklist is a part of the CCC ...

This webinar covers Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and City Funds (1) what SPVs and City funds are and the ways in which they can be used (2) how these can be structured for your projects (3) sources of capital that can be used to capitalise them.

One-page, plain-English summaries on aspects of transport planning from robust peer-reviewed studies, released fortnightly by Prof Adrian Davis of Edinburgh Napier University’s Transport Research Institute. We aim to improve public policymaking and practice by making robust academic evidence freely accessible to local government transport authorities, advocacy groups, and public health practitioners working across Scotland and beyond. Our concise, de-jargonised summaries address a range ...

The Indicator Framework describes a set of indicators for monitoring the impact of Climate City Contracts (CCC) in terms of: 1) Required Indicators: Direct Benefits – Impact on GHG emissions. and 2) Recommended Indicators: Co Benefits/ Co Risks – Indirect impact. Required Indicators represent an integral part of the CCC process. In addition, cities are encouraged to make use of a selection of recommended indicators most applicable to their local climate neutrality target and ...

Presentation slides

Presentation slides

This session allowed Mission Cities to get a demo of the CCC Space on the Portal and an overview of the updated completeness checklist.

This session allowed Mission Cities to get a demo of the CCC Space on the Portal and an overview of the updated completeness checklist.

Crowdfunding is a type of crowd investing that collects funding from a “crowd” of retail investors, usually via an online platform. Unlike crowd-donation, crowdfunding or -investing collects funds from retail investors who can expect a return on their investment. Hence, it is a type of loan product, where interest needs to be paid. Thus, it is based on lending or reward-based models and investors can freely pledge their capital to projects they wish to support. In principle any ...

Partnerships between a government body and a private sector party whereby the private sector provides infrastructure or services that have traditionally been delivered by the public sector are termed as Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). PPPs come in different forms. A few of them are mentioned below. The level of ownership, financial responsibility and required know-how may vary across the different models. PPPs are widely used in Europe for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of ...

This report is part of EPEC’s work on monitoring developments in the public-private partnership (PPP) market and is intended to provide an overview of the role played by the EIB in financing PPP projects inside and outside of Europe since 1990. It covers a wide range of PPP transactions (e.g. design-build-finance-operate. design-build-finance-maintain, concession arrangements which feature a construction element, the provision of a public service and risk sharing between the public and ...

This policy brief presents policy recommendations on circular economy formulated by cities participating in the EU Cities Mission (Mission Cities) for EU decision-makers and European national authorities. These recommendations have arisen from discussions among twenty-one Mission Cities during the Circular Economy Policy Lab, facilitated by NetZeroCities

The major sources of revenues for local governments are taxes, user fees and intergovernmental transfers. Taxes such as income taxes, property taxes, land transfer (stamp duty) taxes, general sales taxes and sales taxes on special commodities (licences, permits, hotel occupancy, vehicle registration etc.) along with user fees form the current operating revenues (COR) of the cities. Once the operating expenditures are met, the COR is often used for short life expectancy assets or recurrent ...

This webinar provides Croatian cities the opportunity to better understand what the NetZeroCities project can offer and serves as a common space to exchange on climate-related topics and envisage common actions. To kick-start these discussions, this webinar presents the methodology and the resources developed by NetZeroCities. Then, there is a brief update on the current EU policy landscape which can provide various opportunities for Croatian cities to collaborate. For example, with the new ...

Please find the accompanying presentation slides, here. NetZeroCities Info Session: Pilot Cities Programme Boot Camp & Twinning Learning Programme - 21 February This webinar of the Call for Pilot Cities Cohort 3 NetZeroCities is for Mission Cities who are not yet a Pilot City within the Pilot City Programme and wish to undertake two-year, systems innovation-oriented pilot activities. It covers: Presentation on the PCP Bootcamp; Presentation on the Twinning Learning Programme.

Please find the accompanying recording, here. NetZeroCities Info Session: Pilot Cities Programme Boot Camp & Twinning Learning Programme - 21 February This webinar of the Call for Pilot Cities Cohort 3 NetZeroCities is for Mission Cities who are not yet a Pilot City within the Pilot City Programme and wish to undertake two-year, systems innovation-oriented pilot activities. It covers: Presentation on the PCP Bootcamp; Presentation on the Twinning Learning Programme.

Greywater is the wastewater generated in households or office buildings without serious contaminants, such as water from baths, sinks and washing machines. Greywater can be separated from blackwater (water from toilets or kitchens) and then treated on-site for direct reuse in toilets recharge or irrigation. Greywater is a relevant secondary source of water and nutrients. Many studies have analysed the environmental, economic, and energetic benefits of the reuse of greywater [1][2][6][7]. ...

NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme Bootcamp (Cohort 2): Online Collective Learning Session 1 (February 2024)

This webinar of the Call for Pilot Cities Cohort 3 NetZeroCities is for Mission Cities who are not yet a Pilot City within the Pilot City Programme and wish to undertake two-year, systems innovation-oriented pilot activities. It covers: NZC Impact Framework to create your impact logic and pathways; PCP Indicators Set; Indicator Selection & forthcoming Reporting Support; Sensemaking & Peer-to-peer Learning process. Acces presentation slides here ...

These are the slides from the webinar info session "Pilot City Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Sensemaking" of the Call for Pilot Cities Cohort 3 The webinar covered: NZC Impact Framework to create your impact logic and pathways; PCP Indicators Set; Indicator Selection & forthcoming Reporting Support; Sensemaking & Peer-to-peer Learning process. Acess webinar recording here: https://netzerocities.app/resource-4113

Please find the accompanying presentation slides, here. Pilot Cities Programme Info-session Cohort 3: "Eligibility and Assessment Criteria" - 06/02 This webinar of the Call for Pilot Cities Cohort 3 NetZeroCities is for Mission Cities who are not yet a Pilot City within the Pilot City Programme and wish to undertake two-year, systems innovation-oriented pilot activities. We covers: Call Timeline; Eligibility & Assessment Criteria Stage 1 (Eligibility), Stage 2 (Assessment ) and ...

Please find the accompanying webinar recording, here. Pilot Cities Programme Info-session Cohort 3: "Eligibility and Assessment Criteria" - 06/02 This webinar of the Call for Pilot Cities Cohort 3 NetZeroCities is for Mission Cities who are not yet a Pilot City within the Pilot City Programme and wish to undertake two-year, systems innovation-oriented pilot activities. We covers: Call Timeline; Eligibility & Assessment Criteria Stage 1 (Eligibility), Stage 2 (Assessment ) and ...

Presentation on what is social innovation, examples and benefits for climate neutrality, as presented at the 2023 summer schools

Map of social innovation actions with related indicators and links to case studies

This factsheet explores how implementing Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in cities can be a more financially viable alternative to conventional approaches. By outlining inspiring NbS case studies, this factsheet lists possible options for municipalities to fund NbS.

Method Description for Challenge Mapping

Challenge mapping helps to understand the barriers to innovation within a certain thematic area / challenge / societal mission and to indicate the most promising routes towards overcoming the barriers. The challenge map is a tool to engage with a certain community of experts to build this understanding and discuss the routes towards solutions. A ready challenge map provides a good overview of how different aspects are interconnected and where the ‘sore points’ are vs. what can ‘the ...

The customer journey map is a representation describing each step of the interaction that a user or customer has with a service, product, organization or system taking the perspective of the user. It is stated what the actions, the touchpoints with the service, product or system and the emotional state of the user for each of the steps. It can functions as a planning- and strategic tool to keep the focus on the final users for the final development and the prototyping of a new solution. It ...

This webinar session organised by the NetZeroCities EU-funded project focuses on mobilizing citizens and stakeholders for effective climate action. The presentation slides are available here https://netzerocities.app/resource-4101

Please find here the presentation slides from NetZeroCities webinar session on mobilizing citizens and stakeholders for effective climate action. Valuable insights were provided by representatives from Parma, Guimaraes, Lyon and Bristol. The webinar recording is available here https://netzerocities.app/resource-4100

Policy Labs - Info Session (24th Jan) Webinar Recording, here. Policy is an important lever in the systemic, mission-driven approach to climate neutrality, and the need for policy alignment and collaboration across all levels of government, including non-state actors, is critical for cities to reach their NetZero goals. The purpose of this info-session is to provide an overview of our mission-oriented policy approach and outline the opportunities to co-create policy innovation forums in ...

Policy Labs - Info Session (24th Jan) Accompanying Presentation Slides, here. Policy is an important lever in the systemic, mission-driven approach to climate neutrality, and the need for policy alignment and collaboration across all levels of government, including non-state actors, is critical for cities to reach their NetZero goals. The purpose of this info-session is to provide an overview of our mission-oriented policy approach and outline the opportunities to co-create policy innovation ...

Accompanying Presentation Slides, here. This webinar of the Call for Pilot Cities Cohort 3 NetZeroCities is for Mission Cities who are not yet a Pilot City within the Pilot City Programme and wish to undertake two-year, systems innovation-oriented pilot activities. We will cover: Ambition & Approach of the Pilot Cities Programme ; Call launch & documentation; Submission platform registration (organisation & individual). Part of the session will be dedicated to Q&A. The session ...

Webinar recording, here. This webinar of the Call for Pilot Cities Cohort 3 NetZeroCities is for Mission Cities who are not yet a Pilot City within the Pilot City Programme and wish to undertake two-year, systems innovation-oriented pilot activities. We will cover: Ambition & Approach of the Pilot Cities Programme ; Call launch & documentation; Submission platform registration (organisation & individual). Part of the session will be dedicated to Q&A. The session will be ...

Please find in this document the answers to all questions asked during the CCC Updated Resource Pack Info Session. 

This webinar provides you with all the information regarding the materials available to support you in drafting your Climate City Contract. Answers to all questions are provided in written in this Q&A document : https://netzerocities.app/resource-4094

En route to achieving climate neutrality, you will need to engage with citizens and urban stakeholders across your city. The Engagement Building Blocks offer a visual, collaborative, and playful way to learn and implement frameworks for designing such an engagement process. It can be used to explore alternative ways forward, assess needs, and reach agreement on key aspects between different stakeholders before you start the detailed ...

This documents (PDF) includes all the cards necessary to use the Engagement Building Blocks. Use the physical cards by printing and cutting them out. They are laid out to make the print and cut process simple and quick, so you can quickly start to use them.

Terms and meanings to help clarify and support your use of the Engagement Building Blocks.

This tool offers a visual, collaborative, and playful way to gain understanding of frameworks for designing citizen and urban stakeholder engagement processes. The tool helps to consider and evaluate the different elements that affect how best to build this process and takes you step by step through different choices that need to be made. The result is the framework of the design of the engagement process. It provides insights into which basic building blocks can best be used to build a ...

Mapping civic environments is the first step to visualize various individuals, groups and organizations, their roles, relationships, influence and impact on the city’s climate neutrality transition journey. It is by this process, that cities are able to make informed decisions on whom to engage in a strategic manner. To enable cities in carrying out this process and move beyond the usual suspects, it is important to empower them with simple intuitive mapping tools and effective guidance ...

Bresciani, S., Tjahja, C., Komatsu, T., & Rizzo, F. (2023). Social innovation for climate neutrality in cities: actionable pathways for policymakers. In De Sainz Molestina, D., Galluzzo, L., Rizzo, F., Spallazzo, D. (eds.), IASDR 2023: Life-Changing Design, 9-13 October, Milan, Italy. Abstract: The track [Changing] Organizations and Policies of the 2023 IASDR conference encompasses 30 original papers that revolve around four main contributions of design in this domain: (1) ...

Bresciani, S., Tjahja, C., Komatsu, T., & Rizzo, F. (2023). Prototyping for Policy Making: Collaboratively Synthesizing Interdisciplinary Knowledge for Climate Neutrality. In: International Conference 2023 of the Design Research Society Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference proceedings (pp. 104-116), Politecnico di Milano, Italy. ISBN: 9788894167436 Abstract: Cities around the world are confronted with the unprecedented grand challenge ...

This presentation provides you with all the information regarding the materials available to support you in drafting your Climate City Contract. The recorded webinar is available at https://youtu.be/l-TS96vYbuw

The case outlines a new theoretical–methodological approach for the mapping and analysis of the social innovation ecosystems (SIE) in the city of Florianópolis, Brazil. The study was put into practice through the creation and implementation of a collaborative digital platform.

LAST UPDATE 18 DECEMBER 2023 This guidance document is designed to accompany the Investment Plan Template to give Mission Cities a reference point when developing their Investment Plans. Cities will build this plan on the back of the actions outlined within their Action Plan, and the content here should inform the way cities engage with the template documents. The 2030 Climate Neutrality Investment Plan is a newly developed concept and as this process will be iterative, we encourage cities to ...

LAST UPDATE 18 DECEMBER This CCC Commitment Document Template gives Mission Cities a reference point when developing their core CCC commitments. The document should be used to define key political commitments and priorities for the CCC and collect formal signatures from local government and other local stakeholders. The Commitment Document provides the basis for the subsequent development of the Action Plan and Investment Plan.

LAST UPDATE - 18 December 2023 This guidance document serves as a manual or 'how to' guide for compiling the CCC 2030 Climate Neutrality Commitments according to the provided template. It provides section-by-section descriptions, details and guiding questions on filling out the template. This guidance will be updated over time, based on city feedback, so please provide feedback and questions to us via missioncities@netzerocities.eu. Please also revisit this document ...

This guidance document serves as a manual or 'how to' guide for compiling the 2030 Climate Neutrality Action Plan according to the provided template. It provides section-by-section descriptions, details and guiding questions on filling out the templates. This guidance will be updated over time, based on city feedback, so please provide feedback and questions to us via missioncities@netzerocities.eu. Please also revisit this document regularly. Please also watch ...

This pitching deck is meant as an editable deck for Mission Cities to reuse and modify as needed to present the city’s selection as a Mission City and what this means for the near future. It is a key component of the Communication Playbook for Mission Cities. Text and figures can be directly edited in this template to adapt them to local context.  Graphic elements can be reused directly in cities' own presentations too using a visual bank linked in the document. 

Bresciani, S., Rizzo, F., & Deserti, A. (2022). Toward a Comprehensive Framework of Social Innovation for Climate Neutrality: A Systematic Literature Review from Business/Production, Public Policy, Environmental Sciences, Energy, Sustainability and Related Fields. Sustainability, 14(21). Abstract: Social Innovation (SI) is considered a key lever for supporting climate action and decarbonization. In addition to the adoption of technological innovations, novel social practices ...

Bresciani, S., Rizzo, F., & Deserti, A. (2022). Designing Systemic Change for Urban Ecosystems: A Framework for Assessing Social Innovation. In Cumulus Conference Proceedings Series 10/2023 Detroit (pp. 779-795). USA. ISBN 979-8-218-07901-7 Abstract: Developing systemic changes for decarbonization and adaptation to climate change at urban level is a complex challenge which requires considering a systemic approach. Numerous cases, frameworks and theoretical models are ...

View the presentation slides that provide guidance for the paired canvas: Co-creating Impact Pathways and Indicators for your City’s Climate-neutrality Transition: A 7-Step Process.

Impact Pathways and Indicators for your City's Climate-neutrality Transition: A 7-Step Process Connecting the CC Action-planning with strategic objectives and MEL. Downloadable Canvas

'Impact Pathways' tell a story about how systemic transformation is expected to unfold. 'Indicators' are a measurable data point used to track a city's progress towards achieving climate neutrality. These indicators evaluate the effectiveness of urban sustainability initiatives, such as reductions in carbon emissions or increases in renewable energy usage.

Industry is the second-largest global resource of energy sector CO2 emissions. In Europe the total final energy demand in the industry accounted for 2950 TWh/yr in 2020, 66% of which came from process heating. The main fuel source for fulfilling this demand is gas (36%), followed by coal (20%) and oil (8%). In Europe, EU paper production plants represented 20.5% of the world pulp production in 2018, still relying on fossil fuels for the 40% of its energy use. A vast majority of these plants, ...

There are plenty of rational arguments for implementing heat networks, as Heat Networks offer numerous advantages and opportunities. They are an efficient, reliable, and proven solution for increasing energy security while reducing the carbon footprint of heat. They are convenient and affordable for customers, yet profitable for owners. They enable communities to generate local jobs, increase social welfare, and bolster resilience in turbulent times. However, as we all know, humans are ...

Method Description for Ethnographic Interviewing

The Healthy Cities Generator is a freely available digital tool that makes it easy for urban planners, health professionals and policy makers to incorporate health factors into urban planning and urban factors into health policy. Want to explore the healthiest options for your city? If you want to improve your urban plan, devise a health strategy, or have a constructive dialogue with your stakeholders – reach out to see how we could help! Visit our website for more information: ...

Ethnographic interviews are a method used to understand deeply the actions and motivations of people behind a theme or topic of research. This process relies on a close connection between the researcher and the community they are working in. In creating connections the researcher is able to get a more rich understanding of how the community functions and what their motivations towards climate actions are for example, which is reflected in interviews with stakeholders. While it is not likely to ...

Cooling trees are appropriate at different scales: the isolated tree: in a park, a street or in a square; rows of trees along a street: on either side of a street, on one side of a street or in a central row; and at the scale of a city: forming what is called an urban forest. In terms of mitigation, trees contribute to carbon sequestration through photosynthesis, which transforms carbon dioxide into organic matter. This stored carbon is found: in the above-ground biomass: stems, ...

A comprehensive resource book for practitioners to map, analyse and facilitate systemic change. Includes many canvases and practical tools.

E-participation [1][2][3][4][5] enables citizens to use digital technologies or platforms, e.g., combination of geographic information systems (GIS), Web 2.0 and mobile technologies (including video, mobile messaging and Internet access), for communication, engagement and deliberation on policy or planning challenges.     Engagement and participation are vital tools in climate adaptation and environmental decision making as these entail increased community acceptance, ...

The problems we face today, such as climate change, inequality and ageing populations cannot be fixed by one department alone. They require a systems approach. This is a game for policymakers to explore how taking a systemic approach can unlock intractable issues in their policy areas. Playing “Systemic” will enable you to:    Learn about some foundational systems change frameworks, as well as some of the latest thinking on systems change for people working on social ...

A concessional loan or 'soft' loan is credit offered to municipalities at a below market rate of interest. Concessional loans could have lenient conditions, offer differed payments, grace periods, interest holidays or income contingent payments. They could also offer longer amortisation schedules than conventional loans.     Most municipalities are eligible to obtain low-interest (soft) or concessional loans to be able to finance activities that may not be the ...

Positive Energy Buildings, PEB, is a relatively new and more ambitious energy target than the Nearly Zero Energy buildings, NZEB. Currently, there is no official definition at EU level. However, there are several projects investigating the PEB concept. According to the EU EXCESS project (1,2), ‘‘a positive energy building (PEB) is an energy efficient building that produces more energy than it uses via renewable sources, with high self-consumption rate and high energy flexibility, ...

The two pillars of the decarbonisation of the buildings sector in Europe are a) improving energy efficiency and b) supplying with renewable energy sources both new and existing buildings. Recent developments show that energy developments at the neighbourhood or district scale can accelerate and improve the required quality to meet the requirements of the Paris agreement (1,2).  Acting at the neighbourhood level permits to better consider the energy interactions between the buildings and ...

Alternative cooling strategies based on improved thermal protection of the building envelope, and on the dissipation of a building's thermal load to a lower temperature heat sink, appear to be very effective.   These strategies and techniques known as passive and hybrid cooling have already reached a serious level of acceptance from both the technical and scientific experts.  The present document aims to inform and provide knowledge and recommendations on the use of ...

The use of passive cooling technologies in the built environment has reached a stage of high maturity. Passive cooling techniques are based on the use of techniques of solar and heat control, heat modulation and heat dissipation. While heat modulation deals mainly with the thermal storage capacity of the building structure, heat dissipation techniques are mainly associated with the disposal of excess building heat to an environmental sink of lower temperature, like the ground, water, and ...

The heat island phenomenon rises the temperature of cities, increases the energy demand for cooling and deteriorates comfort conditions in the urban environment. To counterbalance the impact of the phenomenon, important mitigation techniques have been proposed and developed.     It is widely accepted that an increase of the urban green infrastructure, and particularly of the tree cover, improves urban resilience [1-2]. Trees provide urban overheating reduction, pollutant ...

The heat island phenomenon raises the temperature of cities, increases the energy demand for cooling and deteriorates comfort conditions in the urban environment. To counterbalance the impact of the phenomenon, important mitigation techniques have been proposed and developed. Absorption of solar radiation by the materials of the building envelope and the city structure contribute to increasing urban overheating. Use of solar reflective materials, known as cool materials, helps to decrease the ...

The heat island phenomenon rises the temperature of cities, increases the energy demand for cooling and deteriorates comfort conditions in the urban environment. To counterbalance the impact of the phenomenon, important mitigation techniques have been proposed and developed.      The use of water in reducing ambient temperature is known from the traditional architecture. To evaporate water in the atmosphere, latent heat is used that contributes to decreasing the ...

The design and operation of zero or very low energy buildings started in the 2000s and even earlier. The basic idea is to use energy conservation technologies combined with renewable energy systems to decrease as much as possible the energy use of buildings (see Figure 1). Nearly-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) have continuously gained acceptance by the market and the research community and several thousands of such buildings have been built and monitored.   The NZEB principle has ...

NetZeroCities is designing the Mission Cities Capital Hub to support the development and execution of city projects. The implementation of Investment Plans will require a holistic approach covering technical assistance, impact alignment and capital facilitation as well as private sector engagement. The Capital Hub is planned to be a city resource for facilitating funding and financing, investments, and technical assistance in support of city ambitions of reaching climate neutrality. On 23 ...

Start learning about Positive Energy Distrcits via a short e-learning module In the Smart City Lighthouse project ATELIER (H2020, Grant Agreement No. 864374), a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) was developed to provide an engaging e-learning opportunity for everyone who wants to learn about Positive Energy Districts (PEDs). It is hosted on a learning platform ("PED Learning Platform") that also offers the opportunity to exchange with peers and to share own experiences. Enrolling in ...

This guide walks through the principles of portfolio co-design, providing framing which can be reused in meetings or workshops with stakeholders to justify why portfolio co-design is important and how it can happen. We provide key intuitive metaphors to support a good understanding of what a portfolio is and isn't (the 3D cube) as well as intuitive visuals to convince other of the need for a collaborative approach to putting a portfolio together for the CCC Action Plan. This guide is a good ...

This exercise is focusing on evaluating the potential of a portfolio of actions for climate-neutrality with local stakeholders (whether from the local government or from the broader local ecosystem). This session is particularly adapted to build participants' understanding of what is a portfolio and, especially, what is a successful portfolio, while identifying the gaps of existing strategies. The exercise can be used to iterate current plans and refine a strategic portfolio for a CCC Action ...

Please find the video recording here. This session is organised to present and answer any questions regarding the two important parts of the Pilot Cities Programme: Boot Camp, which starts right after the selection of successful applications. Cities Learning Programme, which will match selected Pilot Cities with their Twinning Cities.

This session is organised to present and answer any questions regarding the two important parts of the Pilot Cities Programme: Boot Camp, which starts right after the selection of successful applications. Cities Learning Programme, which will match selected Pilot Cities with their Twinning Cities. Please find the presentation slides, here.

In just one hour, you’ll learn about carbon management, how to identify measures and actions and how to implement them. More importantly: Serge (CEO of Futureproofed and one of Al Gore’s two first European Climate Ambassadors) will share his experiences on transforming cities into climate-neutral cities. Your host, Serge de Gheldere, has been on a mission to change the world for decades. In 1999, he established an ecodesign focused engineering company. In 2006 he became one of Al ...

Please find the accompanying recording, here. This session hosts Pilot Cities selected during the 1st Pilot Cities Programme call. They share their projects, experiences and challenges during planning and implementing the Pilot Activities. Find Guimarães City's presentation, here. Find Bristol City's presentation, here. Find Nantes Métropole's presentation, here.

Please find Bristol City's presentation slides from the Pilot Cities Programme Info Session 4: Inspirational Session with existing Pilot Cities. Please find the accompanying recording, here. This session hosts Pilot Cities selected during the 1st Pilot Cities Programme call. They share their projects, experiences and challenges during planning and implementing the Pilot Activities. Find the full presentation, here. Find Bristol City's presentation, here. Find Nantes ...

Please find Bristol City's presentation slides from the Pilot Cities Programme Info Session 4: Inspirational Session with existing Pilot Cities. Please find the accompanying recording, here. This session hosts Pilot Cities selected during the 1st Pilot Cities Programme call. They share their projects, experiences and challenges during planning and implementing the Pilot Activities. Find the full presentation, here. Find Guimarães City's presentation, here. Find Nantes ...

Please find Bristol City's presentation slides from the Pilot Cities Programme Info Session 4: Inspirational Session with existing Pilot Cities. Please find the accompanying recording, here. This session hosts Pilot Cities selected during the 1st Pilot Cities Programme call. They share their projects, experiences and challenges during planning and implementing the Pilot Activities. Find the full presentation, here. Find Guimarães City's presentation, here. Find Bristol City's ...

Pilot Cities Programme Info session: Inspirational session with existing Pilot Cities - 26 September This session hosts Pilot Cities selected during the 1st Pilot Cities Programme call. They share their projects, experiences and challenges during planning and implementing the Pilot Activities.

The CCRI Methodology provides decision-makers with actionable guidance to help accelerate the transition towards the circular economy at local or regional level. The CCRI Methodology takes stock and draws on past and current efforts and initiatives aimed at deploying the circular economy at local level. Developed in the framework of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI), this methodology is mainly designed to be used by policy and decision-makers operating at various levels of ...

Recording: NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme Info Session: Eligibility, Submission Criteria - 14 September This session is organised to answer the following questions: - who can apply to this edition of Pilot Cities Programme Call? - against what criteria will the proposals be assessed? - how to submit a project application? Part of the session is dedicated to Q&A.

Presentation Slides: NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme Info Session: Eligibility, Submission Criteria - 14 September This session is organised to answer the following questions: - who can apply to this edition of Pilot Cities Programme Call? - against what criteria will the proposals be assessed? - how to submit a project application? Part of the session is dedicated to Q&A.

The main goal of the project was to implement a complete solution for a smart and sustainable urban environment, which would inspire residents to make environmentally conscious decisions and would later be implemented in various European regions.

The purpose of Nappi Naapur is to increase real encounters between people who live close to each other. It is intended for neighborly help, getting to know each other, gig work and promoting the sharing economy. Everyone is welcome to become a user!

Viable Cities is a Swedish strategic innovation programme focusing on the transition to climate-neutral and sustainable cities. Viable Cities aims to create transformative system change based on the mission Climate Neutral Cities 2030 with a good life for everyone within the planetary boundaries. The mission means that cities' climate transition should take place from a broad perspective, where social, ecological and economic sustainability is taken into account.

Brainport Smart District (BSD) is a smart city district in the city of Helmond, the Netherlands

Better Reykjavik is an online platform for the crowdsourcing of solutions to urban challenges launched in May 2010. Better Reykjavik is a co-creation project of the Citizens Foundation, Reykjavik City and its citizens that connects them and improves trust and policy. It’s a platform for crowdsourcing solutions to urban challenges and has multiple democratic functions: Agenda setting, Participatory budgeting and Policymaking. Innovations include unique debating system, crowd-sourcing, ...

Case Study on streets converting into seasonal socialising spaces 

Pilot Cities Programme Info Session: Ambition, approach and technical information – call launch (7th September) This session is organised to present the overall Pilot Cities Programme Call, focusing especially on: - Its unique ambition and approach - Technical information regarding call's documentation, timeline - Call and grant management system - Part of the session will be dedicated to Q&A.

Pilot Cities Programme Info Session: Ambition, approach and technical information – call launch (7th September) This session is organised to present the overall Pilot Cities Programme Call, focusing especially on: - Its unique ambition and approach - Technical information regarding call's documentation, timeline - Call and grant management system - Part of the session will be dedicated to Q&A.

CCC Submission Information Session - 4th September 2023 This session is intended for cities planning to submit their CCC in autumn 2023. On 6 September, a dedicated space will open on the Portal for cities to upload their CCC Documents prior submission to the European Commission. Cities planning to submit their CCC in this window will have until 15 September to finalise the upload of their documents on the Portal. This session will guide you through the CCC space on the Portal and the next ...

Outcome harvesting is a method to identify, formulate then analyse and interpret the outcomes (positive and negative, intended or not) of an initiative. The process is stakeholder-centered and includes 6 steps that are helpful to collect evidence of what has changed for project stakeholders or beneficiaries and work backwards to evaluate whether and how the project has contributed to these changes. It is particularly adapted to evaluate dynamic and uncertain situations when it is difficult to ...

By utilizing an experimental design, such as A/B testing, users (i.e., citizens) are randomly exposed to different options, then results are compared. The aim is testing which solution is best. For example, when utilizing a service, half of the users are provided one version of the service (intervention A), while the other half of the participants are provided a different version (intervention B). Performance and other data are collected for all users for the two conditions: the best performing ...

TACSI strives to enhance social and economic well-being through their approach to accelerate social innovations. The organization has conducted experiments in the field of human-centered innovation, driven by the belief that individuals are the best experts on their own lives. By collaborating with those affected by the challenges they aim to address, TACSI creates effective innovations. They have been building scaling programs that seek to improve outcomes for people in relevant and dynamic ...

In this article by Moore, Riddell and Vocisano, it is argued that the process of scaling social innovations to achieve systemic impacts involves three different types of scaling—scaling out, scaling up, and scaling deep—and large systems change (LSC) is likely to require a combination of these types. The findings focus on the phenomenon of scaling, and the strategies by which actors can move social innovation impacts across scales. After broadening their problem frame to pursue ...

Social Innovation Canada is a network that aims to fortify the innovation ecosystem by providing an operational model that offers information, tools, skills, and a network for developing social innovations. By utilizing this model, practitioners can collaborate effectively, build stronger connections, align their efforts, enhance their capacity, and advance their knowledge in the field of social innovation. Social Innovation Canada operates within the framework of the Sustainable Development ...

Real Junk Food Berlin is part of the international organization The Junk Food Project that aims to raise awareness around the topic of food waste and new sustainable food systems. Their activities include the use of food that would otherwise go to waste and the conduction of workshops and courses sharing ways to avoid food waste.

Ride sharing service initiated by local football club PPJ started from an agile pilot and became a permanent activity in the club. After school, school children get transported from school to football training on a minibus. This saves time and reduces the number of total trips otherwise taken by each individual child driven by their [parent]. Lower price of early practice hours compensates the transportation costs.

15-Minute City is an urban plan established by the city of Paris whose goal is to make most daily necessities accomplishable by either walking or cycling from residents' homes in a maximum of 15 minutes.

The Green Squares project aims to support the local communities in climate action by piloting a model for joint engagement of residents, students, local artists and civil society in a collaborative process of co-designing solutions for neglected urban pockets in line with particular needs of local communities. The goal of the project is for communities to collaboratively design micro public spaces to improve air quality in Niš.

The goal is to create a residential quarter that prevents the necessity to travel more than 15 minutes to get the most essential goods and services, and therefore reduces the amount of carbon emissions related to transport – the key to averting the so-called heat-island effect. An important aspect of the implementation will be the involvement of citizens and the active cooperation of all parties (city units) to discuss about the problems, vision for the Climate Quarter and future ...

Five cities from across South-Eastern European and Central Asian region embarked on an exploration of a new approach to problem solving, which is rooted in systems thinking. The city councils began designing what are called systems thinking portfolios for urban transformation with the support of UNDP Europe and Central Asia.

Applause is a project led by the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia aiming to find solutions to invasive alien plant species (IAPS) in cities. Ljubljana is applying a zero-waste and circular economy principle to deal with these harmful plant species. Ljubljana is moving from a linear model for managing IAPS to a circular one that is valuable for the entire ecosystem. This process involves six steps: plant identification, biomass harvest, processing & storage, value recovery, final production, and ...

Finnish cities have been experimenting with a vision of sustainable living. The tool “1.5 Degree Lifestyles Puzzle” was used to help households and other stakeholders understand what changes they need to make in their lifestyles to significantly drop their carbon footprint. Individual carbon footprints were calculated at the project start and the development was monitored over time.

Terre & Humanisme promotes agroecology as an approach in transitioning towards more sustainable farming practices while training people in its application. The association aims to change production models to achieve higher combined economic, social and environmental production based on the founding principles of Agroecology. The association operates on three fundamental pillars: 1. Raising Awareness: To share agroecology (and its practices) as an approach and promote its adoption as a ...

Cities Presentations of Best Practice

Levers of a Sustainable City is a scaling model to accelerate the adoption of good sustainable practices in municipalities. It aims at turning means that have proven to work well into concrete action. The model consists of several interconnected methods and of a typology of scaling activities. The model emphasises the importance of learning from one’s peers as well as the need to highlight the added value that adoption of new practices brings about. The approach has been developed for the ...

The framework describes four stages in developing a scaling strategy: clarifying aims and goals for scaling, establishing what to scale up, choosing a route to scale, gearing up to deliver a scaling strategy. The writers identify four common routes for scaling-up: influence and advise; build a delivery network; form strategic partnerships and grow an organisation to deliver. Each route has a different focus and activities however, social innovators often pursue more than one strategy; some ...

Academic studies show that the journey from social to institutional entrepreneurship takes different configurations, depending on the initial conditions of the innovative initiatives and obstacles encountered during implementation. Therefore, five different pathways for scaling up social innovation initiatives were developed, consisting of different configurations of key variables, and informed by qualitative interview data from selected non-profit organizations.

Guidance on target setting and emissions inventories for the Climate-neutral and Smart Cities Mission

In the face of pressing environmental challenges, cities around the world are seeking innovative solutions to create a sustainable and livable future. From energy efficiency to waste management, transportation to urban planning, a multitude of strategies are being implemented to reduce our carbon footprint and promote a greener urban environment. The Joint Research Centre has produced a collection of documents to help cities identify how to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. At the buildings, ...

Futures Table is a method in a scenario process that offers a structured approach to analyse how different variables of a trend, development or change signal may develop in the future.

Method Description for Motivation Matrix

This session is intended for cities planning to submit their CCC in Spring 2023. On 6 March, a dedicated space will open on the Portal for cities to upload their CCC Documents prior submission to the European Commission. Cities planning to submit their CCC in Spring 2023 will have until 15 March to finalise the upload of their documents on the Portal. You get a demo of the CCC Space on the Portal and have the opportunity to exchange on the next steps for your CCC. Questions related to the ...

This session is intended for cities planning to submit their CCC in Spring 2023. On 6 March, a dedicated space will open on the Portal for cities to upload their CCC Documents prior submission to the European Commission. Cities planning to submit their CCC in Spring 2023 will have until 15 March to finalise the upload of their documents on the Portal. You get a demo of the CCC Space on the Portal and have the opportunity to exchange on the next steps for your CCC. Questions related to the ...

Civic Design Lab facilitates dialogues and co-creates solutions in collaboration with government agencies, local businesses and communities for improved public services by applying a racial equity lens, human-centred design and systems thinking approach. It helps local government decision making by designing current and future policies with the people, for the people and by the people.

Conclusions from Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President, European Commission

Closing Plenary, moderated by Patrick Child, Deputy Director-General DGEnvironment | Cities Mission Manager, with the participation of Natalia Chueca, Mayor of Zaragoza, and Dovydas Kaminskas, Mayor of Tauragė.

Pilot Cities: In the Spotlight gives each of the selected Mission and non-Mission Pilot Cities the opportunity to present their pilot activities in a short, sharp, and pithy ‘pitch’. This session also introduces the Pilot Cities Programme’s learning and sense-making activities and launches the next Call for Pilot Cities under NetZeroCities.

This panel focused on the local and wider impacts of the Mission. Panellists discussed how cities, citizens, and businesses can get the most benefit out of the Mission and how to best address both challenges and co benefits.

One year after the selection of cities for the Cities Mission, local authorities and their partners are working hard on their Climate City Contracts, while facing new challenges including an acute energy crisis. This panel is a political exchange on how the Cities Mission has already impacted Mission cities and how its high ambition can hold up in real life.

Day 2 of the Mission in Progress: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Conference 2023: - Cities as Frontrunners of the Climate Transition with Barbara Trachte, State Secretary for the Economic Transition and Scientific Research, Brussels Capital Government and Kim Jørgensen, Director General and Permanent Representative Office of the EIB to the EU Institutions, European Investment Bank

Day 2 of the Mission in Progress: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Conference 2023: - Keynote speech delivered by Marc Lemaître Director-General DGResearch and Innovation, European Commission

This session aims to focus on the urban climate action initiatives that require collective policy action. Mission Cities Copenhagen, Lisbon, Helsinki , Oslo, Paris, and Stockholm share local climate action initiatives that, to be effective, need policy coordination at the European level. Through a world café format, participants discuss policy needs, implementation challenges, and desired outcomes in groups using these climate action initiatives as examples.

Day 1 of the Mission in Progress: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Conference 2023: - Peer-to-Peer City Exchanges, presented by Climate-Neutral City Advisor Jane McLaughlin provides participants with a space for sharing approaches, tools, and methodologies with fellow Mission Cities to overcome barriers you may be facing in the climate neutrality journey.

Day 1 of the Mission in Progress: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Conference 2023: - Keynote Speech delivered by André Sobczak, Secretary General, Eurocities. - NetZeroCities Updates by Thomas Osdoba, Programme Director, EIT Climate-KIC as well as reflections on the Climate City Contract process and its evolution, and upcoming City Support for 2023 with Q&A.

This document includes a detailed review of the NZC Economic Model calculations and how they work to create an economic case analysis for cities. It also includes examples of how the model was used effectively in the EU Healthy Clean Cities initiative to help cities analyze costs and benefits as a foundation for the development of an effective strategic plan for decarbonization.

NetZeroCities Capability Building Module Investment Plan | Part C

NetZeroCities Capability Building Module Investment Plan | Part B

NetZeroCities Capability Building Module Investment Plan | Part A

The Circular Economy Life Cycle Cost (CE-LCC) model is an economic assessment model for the building sector. It is based on current Life Cycle Cost analysis, which calculates the total cost of a product from cradle to grave (such as sales price, use price, and disposal costs) to support decision-making processes during the development of products.     The CE-LCC includes properties of circular economy products, such as different lifespan of parts and components, design for ...

A digital twin presents a digital replica of a real object or process or a system and uses data from the real environment to represent, analyse, validate and simulate present and future behaviour [11]. Typically, connecting real objects with its digital twin enables testing new scenarios or models in real time without interfering with the real objects. Using digital twins, various forms of data analysis can be performed in the digital realm and results can be visualised, e.g., predictive ...

Currently, at the end of a building’s life the majority of its materials are sent to landfill or down-cycled into products of much lower value. To maximize the recovery and valorisation potential of existing materials in buildings and minimize waste in construction, optimal waste management at the end of life of buildings is essential. The right treatment and disposal of materials at the end of life can significantly reduce the construction sector’s environmental ...

Heat Pumps (HP) are conversion devices able to transfer heat from a lower temperature heat source into a higher temperature heat sink. HP can be used to provide heating, cooling, or domestic hot water both for residential and non-residential applications. There are several types of HP (electric compression heat pumps, gas driven HP, heat driven HP, etc.), with electric HP being by far the most  common. An electric HP is made of five main components: an evaporator, a compressor, a ...

Heat Pumps (HP) are conversion devices able to transfer heat from a lower temperature heat source into a higher temperature heat sink. HP can provide heating, cooling, or domestic hot water both for residential and non-residential applications. There are several types of HP (electric compression heat pumps, gas driven HP, heat driven HP, etc.), with electric HP being by far the most common. An electric HP is made of five main components: an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion ...

Solar thermal panels are devices that convert solar radiation into heat and transfer it to a heat transfer fluid (typically water or an anti-freeze fluid) to be stored or to reach the point of use. Solar thermal systems are usually implemented with a water storage tank, to reduce the production-demand fluctuations, ensure high operational safety and good performance, and guarantee at least 25 to 30 years of lifetime.  The most common application is solar heating to produce thermal energy ...

Solar thermal panels are devices that convert solar radiation into heat and transfer it to a heat transfer fluid (typically water or an anti-freeze fluid) to be stored or to reach the point of use. Source: Jafari S, Sohani A, Hoseinzadeh S, Pourfayaz F. The 3E Optimal Location Assessment of Flat-Plate Solar Collectors for Domestic Applications in Iran. Energies. 2022; 15(10):3589. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15103589    FPC is the main solar collector technology installed in ...

The use of renewable energy sources to produce thermal energy is one of the key actions of the energy transition for reducing carbon emissions to the atmosphere. On-site generation of thermal energy from renewables can help local municipalities, cities and communities harness substantial environmental, economic and social benefits. The main technologies used for renewables thermal energy generation which can be adopted in cities are:   Solar thermal – It represents the ...

Building Integrated Solar Thermal (BIST) can be considered a typology of solar thermal collectors, which are directly integrated to the building and used to convert solar radiation into useful heat that can be used in different applications.     BIST typologies can be classified using different criteria, most commonly by the heat transfer fluid used in the solar thermal system which can be air, water or refrigerant. BIST using air as heat transfer fluid can be used for ...

Concrete is the most-used manufactured substance on the planet in terms of volume. It is used to build homes, schools, hospitals, workplaces, roads, railways and ports, and to create infrastructure to provide clean water, sanitation and energy [1]. Concrete is manufactured by mixing cement, water, aggregates and small quantities of chemical admixtures to improve its properties and meet specific product requirements. The direct CO2 emissions related to concrete largely come from cement ...

Passive building design means providing passive heating, passive cooling, and natural ventilation to maintain comfortable indoor conditions with no need for energy, by taking advantage of location (climate), orientation, massing, shading, material selection, thermal mass, insulation, internal layout and the positioning of openings to allow the penetration of solar radiation, daylight, and ventilation in the desired amounts [1–8]. When duly applied, passive design strategies are a ...

To decrease the heat gains of buildings, reflective or cool materials can be applied on the roof or the facades of buildings (1-3). Reflective materials are characterized by high solar reflectance (SR) combined with a high thermal emittance value (4).     Numerous reflective white or light-colored materials are currently commercially available for buildings presenting solar reflectance values ranging from 0.4 to 0.9, and emissivity values close to 0.9. Reflective ...

Photovoltaic (PV) systems represent the most used technology to convert solar radiation into electricity. A PV module is a grid of cells of semiconductor material, which is able to convert sunlight (photons) to electricity (voltage potential). The electricity from a module is generated in the form of direct current (DC), hence an inverter is required to convert it to alternating current (AC). A single PV cell is small (6”x6” square) and can produce only few Watts of power (1/2 ...

Photovoltaic (PV) systems represent the most used technology to convert solar radiation into electricity. A PV module is a grid of cells of semiconductor material, which is able to convert sunlight (photons) to electricity (voltage potential). Most typically, PV panels are installed on roofs or on the ground. Nevertheless, a promising application which can boost the use of solar energy is to integrate PV systems directly into the building envelope. Source: ...

Circular design of textiles involves designing textiles in ways that make them last longer, create less waste during their entire life-cycle, are made from non-toxic material and can be recycled (2).  The development and take-up of such solutions can benefit from the use of co-creation approaches in urban environment involving multiple stakeholders, such as designers, manufacturers, researchers, and behavioural scientists. Innovative technologies for customer-driven design and ...

Water scarcity is a concern not only due to a changing climate and a rise in demand, but also due to non-accountable losses within water distribution networks. In some parts of the EU, up to 80 % of water pumped into distribution systems is lost [Life SmartWater]. Leakages in large diameter main pipelines represent the highest share of the total water losses. However, the issue has been poorly addressed thus far, for example due to lack of access to pipelines. In addition, there is a lack of ...

Ocean contains a vast renewable energy potential, which could support sustainable long-term development and can be a crucial component in the world’s emerging blue economy. Ocean energy technologies are utilizing different resources. They can provide both reliable and stable electricity, as well as support other components of the blue economy, such as aquaculture and desalination.  The four main technologies developed are:  Wave energy: Utilizes the movement of waves ...

Mechanical energy storage (or electromechanical energy storage) systems are devices which convert electrical energy into kinetic or potential energy which can be reconverted into electricity at a later stage. Mechanical energy storage systems can be used in the grid to balance peak periods and to provide ancillary services including frequency, primary and voltage control to the power grid. The main technologies include pumped hydro energy storage (PES), flywheels, compressed air energy storage ...

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems can store heat or cold to be used later under varying conditions such as temperature, place, time, or power. The main use of TES is to overcome the mismatch between energy generation and energy use [1]. The main requirements for the design of a TES system are high energy density in the storage material (storage capacity), good heat transfer between the HTF and the storage material, mechanical and chemical stability of the storage material, compatibility ...

Solar thermal collectors are devices that convert solar energy into thermal energy available in a working fluid, which can be used to cover the heating loads or can be converted into electricity. Nowadays, there are many typologies of solar thermal collectors, which can be classified in many different ways. Nevertheless, solar thermal collectors can be distinguished between small-scale and large-scale applications. Small-scale collectors are mainly used in small family houses to generate ...

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems can store heat or cold to be used later under varying conditions such as temperature, place, time, or power. The main use of TES is to overcome the mismatch between energy generation and energy use [1]. The main requirements for the design of a TES system are high energy density in the storage material (storage capacity), good heat transfer between the HTF and the storage material, mechanical and chemical stability of the storage material, compatibility ...

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems can stock heat or cold to be used at a later time under varying conditions such as temperature, place, time, or power. The main use of TES is to overcome the mismatch between energy generation and energy use [1]. The key requirements for the design of a TES system are high energy density in the storage material (storage capacity), good heat transfer between the heat transfer fluid and the storage material, mechanical and chemical stability of the storage ...

Currently, the construction sector is mostly following linear economy principles – consuming non-renewable virgin materials, producing landfill waste, and producing an overall negative environmental impact. The construction industry is the biggest global consumer of resources and raw materials, consuming e.g., roughly 50% of the total steel production. In addition, 3 billion tonnes of raw materials are used yearly to manufacture building products worldwide [8][9]. In Europe, the ...

The use of renewable energy sources to produce electricity is one of the key actions of the energy transition for reducing carbon emissions to the atmosphere. On-site generation of electricity from renewables can help local municipalities, cities and communities to have substantial environmental, economic and social benefits. Indeed, generating electricity in the urban environment is possible to reduce transmission and distribution losses, and increase flexibility and energy security. The main ...

Urbanisation and industrialisation have led to reduced vegetative cover and decreased water storage in the subsurface, as well as the concentration and accumulation of surface runoff in sewage systems due to reduced infiltration into the soil [1] [2] [5]. Until now, no universally applicable urban flood management solution has been developed. However, hybrid measures that combine nature-based solutions (NBS) with conventional engineering solutions/grey infrastructure have been identified as ...

In order to accelerate their transition to climate neutrality, cities need to cooperate with their full local ecosystem of actors - including citizens, civic groups and stakeholders from the private and public sector – who need to be positively engaged in the challenge as a broad coalition of actors joining their forces. Together, they will need to build new governance models, reect on and co-create new solutions, co-decide upon and embrace climate actions for change, as a whole community ...

  Product labels for circularity can encourage consumers to make more environmentally friendly purchasing choices, thus nudging manufacturers towards a more sustainable production (16);  help extend product lifespan by promoting repair over disposal (4); and ensure correct sorting and recycling of end-of-life products.    They can include various lifecycle aspects, such as a product’s origin, energy efficiency, lifespan (i.e. durability, reparability and ...

Currently, 75% of European houses are energy inefficient, which means that much of the energy needed is simply lost [7].  There are several passive and active solutions to improve energy efficiency in buildings.    Passive solutions typically refer to solutions that reduce the amount of energy lost. They include façade isolation, roof isolation, insulation of heating tubes, energy-efficient windows, structural air tightness on doors and windows and other ...

Heat recovery in district heating networks is relevant for climate-neutral targets due to the replacement of fossil fuels in proportion to the use of waste heat alongside renewable energy sources. The exchange of heat and coolth among different buildings and sources represents an interactive way of satisfying thermal energy needs for space heating. Such exchanges can include those based on the rejected waste heat from the refrigeration of supermarkets that can be used in local residential ...

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems can  store heat or cold to be used at a later time under varying conditions such as temperature, place, time, or power. The main use of TES is to overcome the mismatch between energy generation and energy use [1]. The key requirements for the design of a TES system are high energy density in the storage material (storage capacity), good heat transfer between the heat transfer fluid (HTF) and the storage material, mechanical and chemical stability of ...

Different service providers offer services to help customers improve their buildings energy performance. These are typically called energy service companies (ESCOs). They can help achieve energy savings by implementing energy-efficiency and renewable energy projects [e.g. Houseful]. Typically, the service is delivered through Energy Performance Contracting (EPC), a business model where the solution provider guarantees the performance and receives a performance-based remuneration from the ...

Heat Pumps (HP) are conversion devices able to transfer heat from a lower temperature heat source into a higher temperature heat sink. HP can provide heating, cooling or domestic hot water both for residential and non-residential applications. There are several types of HP (electric compression heat pumps, gas driven HP, heat driven HP, etc.), with electric HP being by far the most common. An electric HP is made of five main components: an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion ...

  Enhancing the thermal performance of building envelopes by improving the thermal properties of construction systems is possible by acting upon not just the insulation level, but also the thermal inertia through proper selection of the construction materials [1–3]. The building structure itself constitutes a source of thermal energy storage and plays a key role in buffering heat and in reducing indoor temperature swings [4]. Literature claims that it is impossible to design ...

Buildings represent the largest energy consumer in Europe. Deep energy renovation of the existing stock to reduce its energy consumption seems to be the most appropriate measure and a key policy to achieve emissions reduction targets. The largest part of the European building stock was built way before strict energy requirements were set and, given the long life span of buildings, it is expected that between 85 -95 % of the existing stock will be still under use by 2050 [1]. Given the ...

Buses are an integral part of urban public transport systems. However, urban buses are responsible for about 8% of the road transport Green House Gas emissions in EU [8]. Buses with internal combustion engines are responsible also for emissions of fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as air pollutants particulate matter (PM) or nitrogen oxides (NOx). Thus, zero emission buses, have a significant potential in the reduction of transport related emissions in urban areas.  Zero emission ...

The urban air mobility (UAM) concept revolves around the use of highly automated aircraft (e.g. drones) to transport goods and people in urban and suburban areas. These aircraft fly at low altitudes, and are usually associated with the use of electric motors for propulsion, to achieve sustainable flights with no emissions during operation.    Urban air mobility is a new concept which, although still in research phase, is rapidly evolving and taking shape. To support it, the ...

The EC Communication on a European strategy on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems [1] acknowledges the key role of digital technologies in the current transformation of the transport sector. Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) apply information and communication technologies such as journey planners, eCall (a system that automatically alerts emergency services in case of an accident), short-range communications for improving passenger safety and reducing road fatalities, and connected ...

DESCRIPTION:   Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) refers to the development of user-centered, inclusive and shared mobility concepts, for people and goods, that are based on automation and connectivity. These innovative mobility concepts aim to complement and integrate the EU transport system with the aim to make it safer, smarter and more sustainable. CCAM has the potential to transform the way we move and the way we travel: it can decrease transport accidents ...

NetZeroCities Call for Twin Cities Information Webinar | 12th June 2023 This webinar: 1) gives information about the Call for Twin Cities (Call guidelines, who can apply, selection criteria, timeframe, Pilot cities, Application Form etc) and 2) answers questions about the Call.

Greening cities is a transversal solution to numerous urban challenges, not only to support the transition towards climate neutrality, but also to improve biodiversity, social justice and resilience. Greening cities can include many diverse solutions, among them tree planting and the development of parks and natural urban green areas.    Tree planting and urban forest  Planting street trees, single line trees or group of trees, as well as trees in urban parks or urban ...

Water scarcity is a concern not only due to a changing climate and a rise in demand, but also due to non-accountable losses within water distribution networks. In some parts of the EU, up to 80 % of water pumped into distribution systems is lost [Life SmartWater]. Leakages in large diameter main pipelines represent the highest share of the total water losses. However, the issue has been poorly addressed thus far, for example due to lack of access to pipelines. In addition, there is a lack of ...

Hydrogen used as a fuel has emerged as an alternative fuel with multiple benefits. It is commonly used in its gaseous form to power a fuel cell, generating electricity, where it is completely emission free at point of use, with zero tailpipe emissions. Fuel cells are especially useful in-vehicle applications where the energy and power density of batteries is not sufficient, with also the advantage of low refuelling times.     In urban transport, there are some vehicle ...

Waterborne transport greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are on the rise, and they represent today almost 3% of global GHG emissions [1]. Ships entering EU ports emit 13% of the total EU transport GHG emissions [2], while inland waterway transport in the EU is estimated to emit 3.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year [3]. Apart from GHG emissions, shipping is responsible for water degradation, air pollution and noise pollution. All these impacts have a negative impact on cities and their ...

Urban rail transit (e.g. light rail, rapid transit, commuter rail, metro rail) is an important component of urban mobility and transport. With relatively low lifecycle emissions, electrified rail transport is considered to be key for the reduction of emissions in transport in general, and also in urban areas.     Railway networks in urban and suburban areas play a prominent role in major cities and highly dense urban areas, serving the daily needs of citizens and offering ...

An electric car uses electric power instead of an internal combustion engine powered by liquid or gaseous fuels like diesel fuel, gasoline, LPG or methane. It has been increasingly recognized that electric cars provide an opportunity to reduce global GHG emissions [3] and greatly increase air quality.   Even though the emissions by a vehicle determine only a part of total emissions related to mobility (apart from emissions during production of energy, production of a vehicle and ...

By 2050, the majority of people (67 %) will live in urban areas [1], one of the reasons why urban agriculture and gardening is becoming a topic of growing interest. In addition to providing fresh food to urban areas, community and rooftop gardens provide environmental, social and health benefits, as well as opportunities for economic development. Urban agriculture does not only address climate issues by supporting CO2 storage in urban areas, but it also addresses environmental issues ...

DESCRIPTION:   The new generation of district heating and cooling networks are based on low and/or ultra-low temperature sources of renewable energy and waste heat for heating as well as high-temperature cooling. Such networks provide key options for decarbonizing the thermal energy needs of the building sector and allow supporting strategies for climate neutrality in the urban context for reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions while increasing energy security. This factsheet ...

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems can store heat or cold to be used later, under varying conditions such as temperature, place, time, or power. The main use of TES is to overcome the mismatch between energy generation and energy use [1]. The main requirements for the design of a TES system are high energy density in the storage material (storage capacity), good heat transfer between the HTF and the storage material, mechanical and chemical stability of the storage material, compatibility ...

Solar thermal panels are devices that convert solar radiation into heat and transfer it to a heat transfer fluid (typically, water or an anti-freeze fluid) to storage or the point of use. Solar thermal systems are usually implemented with a water storage tank, to reduce the production-demand fluctuations, and have high operational safety, a great performance ratio, and can account for at least 25 to 30 years of lifetime. Solar thermal collectors can be mainly divided into two types: tracking ...

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) and utilisation (CCU) present themselves as crucial solutions in the emission reduction strategies for hard-to-abate industries that have few other decarbonization options, such as chemical, cement, and steel production. It can also be used in the production of hydrogen. CCS technologies prevent fossil-based CO₂ from entering the atmosphere by capturing it at the source and storing it safely underground so that it does not contribute to climate change. It ...

Photovoltaic (PV) energy policies can vary from one country to another and can change over time. In general, policies are designed to encourage the development and deployment of a technology by providing financial incentives, setting performance standards, and creating frameworks for the integration of systems into existing grids. In Spain, PV policy has been an important driver of the growth of the solar industry. The country has a strong solar resource and has implemented a number of ...

Vertical green infrastructure (VGI) has a great potential to support climate transition of compact urban areas. VGI does not compete for land use, but is able to support microclimate regulation through cooling capacities, to reduce noise pollution, to recycle and upcycle rainwater and grey water, to produce food or habitat for species, and to generate pleasant green spaces, with a significant aesthetic value. From a built environment perspective, these solutions can enhance buildings’ ...

Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) are a wide category of water interventions to align modern drainage systems with natural water processes. SUDS comprise “a sequence of management practices, control structures, solutions and strategies designed to efficiently and sustainably drain surface water, while minimising pollution and managing the impact on water quality of local water bodies” [1].  SUDS can be considered more sustainable than traditional drainage methods ...

Currently, there is a widespread lack of awareness on the economic value of building products and components deriving from renovation, repurposing or change of layout in buildings. Especially in office and commercial buildings, the design might change the interior materials many years before technically necessary, leading to unnecessary waste.    The Residual Value Calculator is a model that provides insights into the residual financial value of building products, such as the ...

The built environment industry mostly follows a linear economy model: from extraction of non-renewable virgin materials, through manufacturing and constructing, to disposal in landfills. Registration and documentation of products and materials used in the built environment can help the transition to a circular economy, encouraging their reuse and eliminating waste, thus reducing the negative environmental footprint of the building sector [2].    Online Material and/or Building ...

Industrial symbiosis refers to an association between industries where companies’ waste or side products turn into input materials for another company, creating economic gain for both [8]. The word “symbiosis” is usually associated with relationships in nature, where two or more species exchange materials, energy, or information in a mutually beneficial manner. In the case of industrial symbiosis, it is industrial players or companies, often from different sectors but located ...

Flooding, along with related storms, is the most important natural hazard in Europe in terms of human and economic loss [12] and the intensity of flood events has grown in the last years. In urban areas, the waterproofing of soils is incrementally increasing flood risk due to the presence of roads, industries and houses. The intensity and the frequency of flood events will increase in the next years due to global warming and the consequent change in the global water cycle. The resulting ...

Green infrastructure means introducing vegetation on/in man-made buildings and constructions to provide environmental, economic, and social benefits (i.e., clean air and water, climate regulation, food provision, erosion control, and places for recreation) [1]. Green roofs advantages over traditional solutions include reduction of surface runoff in large cities, reduced urban heat islands, support to biodiversity, improvement of the durability of waterproofing materials, increase of energy ...

20% of all food produced in the EU is currently wasted. 70% of this waste stems from households and processing. Although actions are primarily needed to reduce food waste, existing waste can be recycled in several ways to capture valuable nutrients [1].    When selecting recycling solutions for food waste, the food waste hierarchy can be used as an indicator as to which solution to give preference (see visual) [2]. Reuse for consumption and high-value products, followed by ...

The stakeholders engagement and dissemination plan is for defining your strategy for engaging and communicating with your stakeholders. It is used for understanding the context based on experiences or by analysing the situation. It helps to identify how differences in circumstances of the environment are related to the project. With this tool you can clearly plan your interaction with different stakeholders. It can be used as a guide to the identification and representation of the outputs of ...

Solar thermal collectors are devices that convert solar energy into thermal energy available in a working fluid, which can be used to cover the heating loads or can be converted into electricity. Nowadays, there are many typologies of solar thermal collectors, which can be classified in many different ways. Nevertheless, solar thermal collectors can be distinguished between small-scale and large-scale applications. Small-scale collectors are mainly used in small family houses to generate ...

The basic principles in urban rain water management and retention is to mimic nature, meaning to stay as close as possible to the natural water cycle. In an ideal case, infiltration can store water and then release it as needed. However, in urban environments this is not always possible, therefore, rainwater should be stored in a buffer and gradually released to the natural environment [7].     Alternative solutions for rainwater management and retention are for example ...

The United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) is a global initiative that provides an international platform for information exchange and partnership building to guide cities and communities in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The U4SSC is a UN initiative coordinated by ITU, UNECE and UN-Habitat and supported by other 16 UN bodies, that help support the development of institutional policies and strategies which encourage the use of digital technologies to facilitate digital ...

Data ownership refers to both the possession of and responsibility for information. Ownership implies power as well as control. The control of information includes not just the ability to access, create, modify, package, derive benefit from, sell or remove data, but also the right to assign these access privileges to others (Loshin, 2002). Data ownership is the right to control the use of data. It is the responsibility of the data owner to ensure that the data is used in a responsible manner ...

The concept of digital twins traces its origins to product development and simulations of the behaviour of physical objects. It emerged from manufacturing and prototyping such as those conducted by NASA and Formula One racing cars. The digital object that forms the twin looks the same and behaves the same as the “real” object, and so the digital twin can provide simulations and predictions. The application of digital twins not only provides accurate representation of complex ...

With the introduction of satellite images and geolocated data to a broad public, new opportunities are offered to city planners and governments to take informed decisions by quantitative analyses and even predictions based on these technologies. In doing so, urban phenomena, such as the relation of population demographics to current challenges of cities (as for instance, climate change in cities, crime or deprivation) can be discussed or future predictions of urban development modelled to ...

Public Code Management is a practice of developing and managing publicly funded software development openly. An ideal situation is to offer free software for everyone. In contrast to proprietary software development, the innovative solution is developed by public organisation with everyone able to share, explore, utilise, and improve the work. The core principle is responding to fundamental rights of individuals. Public code movement encourages towards openness (Source: Publiccode) For ...

Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs) are the minimal but sufficient capabilities needed to achieve interoperability of data, systems, and services between buyers, suppliers and regulators across governance levels around the world. Because the mechanisms are based on an inclusive list of baselines and references, they take into account the different backgrounds of cities and communities and allow cities to achieve interoperability based on a minimal common ground. The MIMs are aimed to ...

Agile systems development, including prototyping and sandboxes, is a method of software development that emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and rapid iteration. This approach is based on the Agile Manifesto, which advocates for a more flexible and responsive development process that can adapt to changing requirements and customer needs. In the construction industry, Agile systems development can be used to create digital tools and solutions that support the design, construction, and ...

Interoperable Europe is an initiative of the European Commission for a reinforced interoperability policy in the public sector. It evolved out of the ISA² funding programme of the European Union that supported the development of digital solutions to enable public administrations, businesses, and citizens in Europe to benefit from interoperable cross-border and cross-sector public services. That programme finished at the end of December 2020. The issue, of course, is still not solved, and ...

The local data spaces policy in the construction industry refers to the creation of digital representations of a building's data in a secure and controlled environment. This includes information about the design, construction, and operation of the building, such as building plans, specifications, schedules, and energy consumption data. The purpose of this policy is to provide a centralized repository of building data that can be easily accessed and shared by all stakeholders, including ...

Open data models refer to the sharing of data in a freely accessible format, allowing for greater transparency, collaboration, and reuse of information. In the construction industry, open data models can be applied to building information modelling (BIM), which is a digital representation a building or infrastructure. By using open data models, construction professionals can access and use building data more easily, leading to improved decision-making and increased efficiency in the design, ...

Building, structure and infrastructure content in cities is exchanged many ways. When software dominates in market it may be referred as ‘de facto’ standard, but technical guidelines and specifications are decided by its developers. Open standards, on the other hand, are freely available for anyone to use without any legal, technical, or financial restrictions. Those are a set of technical guidelines that ensure consistency and interoperability across different systems used in ...

The Measuring and Monitoring services and tools may include the following parts: learning info kit - why measuring & monitroring is important to enable good city governance, KPIs, impact and monitoring methods, data collection sources & respective ICT technology, tools and services to support measuring & monitoring of green and digital transitions. There are many EU research project currently running in Europe to support cities in measuring and monitoring tasks. The example ...

Urban development projects are usually complex tasks where failures based on environmental circumstances, such as flooding or strong winds, can cause disastrous outcomes. With the introduction of digital technologies and the availability of large amounts of data, various data-driven methods have been developed to inform leaders of such projects upfront on future situations and any possible effects of planned developments. This allows stakeholders to assess risks, evaluate designs and identify ...

IoT sensors are connected devices collecting and transmitting data over the internet. They can be monitoring environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, air quality. Edge computing is technology doing data processing near the data source, so called at the edge network sometimes also called also fog. Together these solutions can improve performance and efficiency of environmental monitoring system because less data is transferred, and local processing reduces processing in main ...

Given the exponentially increasing amount of data being generated in cities and communities by many different agencies and the fact that much of this data could be of value to other agencies, increasing numbers of local data sharing ecosystems (Local Data Space) are being set up, where many different agencies can make useful data that they are gathering available for use by other agencies. The aim is to make it easy for organisations to offer up their data and easy for potential users of that ...

The renovation supporting solutions can potentially support users (Facility managers, Building owners, ESCOs) in the design and selection of most appropriate building renovation actions. In modern data-driven developments, this is achieved by leveraging the real-time data coming from the actual operation of the building combined with occupants’ behaviuor- and comfort profiles. With the support of  data science (i.e. AI algorithms) an alternative renovation scenarios for the selected ...

The Predicitve Maintenance supporting tools in general aim at the facilitating predictive maintenance tasks for various large energy systems (e.g. HVAC) installed in buildings. Existing modern real-time data based solutions are able to support recognizing building technical systems' malfunctions, inefficiencies and optimization possibilities. Continuous data collection and data analytics are enabled by installed smart building infrastructures (such BACS system and data cloud ...

City Dashboards are typically deployed by stakeholders such as municipalities, provinces or any other organization interested and involved in urban planning. Dashboards provide cities with visual insights about various indicators in their city environment, such as air quality, emissions, traffic, and road safety. These insights can be generated in real-time, based on different current, as well as historical, data that has been collected in the past. Examples of such data can be real-time sensor ...

There is a strong global interest on reducing CO2 emissions. Two cost-effective main routes for this are emissions trading and carbon taxes. CO2 trading platforms are digital marketplaces where businesses, governments, and individuals can buy and sell carbon allowances. It may include one or more exchanges, brokerage, and auctions for allowances. Services may be provided by private sector or government agencies. Actors purchase credits either for compliance (targets) or voluntary purposes. ...

City Platforms are a key part of any city architecture and cities and communities will each have a variety of different platforms at different layers of their overall city platform. The logic behind the use of platforms is straightforward – instead of using many separate applications containing duplicating functionally, all common functionalities can be collected into a platform and solutions which are built on top of that platform then only need to possess unique functionality. The ...

Building Information Model (BIM) and Civil Information Model (CIM) are digital tools transforming the construction industry. BIM is a set of technologies, processes, and policies of creating and managing digital representations of a building or structure, while CIM is focused on civil infrastructure facilities and sometimes called infraBIM. These tools enable stakeholders to design, construct and operate projects in city environment more efficiently. These tools help to manage life cycle of ...

Greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring from space is a solution that uses satellites to measure carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N20) and ozone (O3) emissions in the atmosphere. Construction industry produces a significant portion of global GHG emissions, and buildings with their energy sources are one of largest contributors to these emissions. The technology allows to track the sources and movement of emissions. Carbon dioxide monitoring satellite (Source: ESA ...

There are a range of AI applications that can contribute to climate neutrality in cities, across various themes, including energy, transport and built environment for example by: Integrating and optimizing smart urban transport systems via mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) or other single on-demand mobility services; Optimizing energy production and consumption via home technologies with a focus on energy saving and behavior change; Monitoring changes in the natural and the built environment ...

Decision making in the urban environment is typically performed using a scenario-based analysis. Stakeholders define a base scenario, which serves as the current situation in a city. Additionally, a reference scenario in which e.g. a road is closed can be defined to study the effects of the closure and make a comparison with the base scenario. Source: TNO For a scenario-based analysis in a city it is required that multiple domains are covered, such as traffic, air quality, noise and energy. ...