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 experiences.

Our upcoming report showcases the progress and challenges faced by Mission cities developing a Climate City Contract. It highlights the barriers and support needs identified by cities in their efforts mobilising for climate-neutrality, providing valuable insights for future improvements. We explore together the CCC's role in fostering collaboration and capacity building for the transition to climate-neutrality , and we provide recommendations to bridge the gap between ideal governance models and real-world change.

With this set of cards, we invite you to share the experiences of our Mission Cities loud and wide before diving further into these findings when our full report will be published in the Autumn-Winter.

The Climate City Contract: Mobilizing Locals and Leaders for Climate Success

Cities highlight the critical role of large scale collaboration to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. The Climate City Contract is a strategic tool fostering collaboration among local governments, citizens, businesses, universities, and public organisations through commitments, action plans, and investment plans. For the general public, the CCC is a way of engaging in collective action, political dedication, and ongoing improvement toward a sustainable future. For policy-makers, particularly at national and regional levels, their strong support, role in policy alignment, and ability to fuel stakeholder engagement are necessary to empower cities in their climate goals. Locally-rooted and nationally-backed support is vital in making this journey successful.

Read more about what the Climate City Contract is and why policy-makers are crucial to its success by downloading our cards at the bottom of this page.

Empowering Futures Leadership

The Climate City Contract can offer a strategic advantage in advancing climate action within cities. It can provide a framework that integrates various existing initiatives and sectoral strategies into a comprehensive vision. By leveraging the CCC, mayors can strengthen their city’s climate narrative, demonstrating a firm commitment to sustainability and enhancing their city's future liveability. Beyond earning the EU Mission Label, which opens doors to crucial funding, the CCC engages diverse stakeholders, empowering local governments to lead with an inclusive vision, driving meaningful change and ensuring their city thrives in a sustainable and just future.

Read more about what Mission Cities find the CCC to have unlocked for them and the internal transformations that are unfolding by downloading our cards at the bottom of this page.

Driving transformation through the Climate City Contract

The CCC goes beyond mere documentation for teams that have leveraged it, catalyzing significant changes across various facets of local governance and community engagement. 

Internal Transformation: The CCC process has initiated internal transformation within some municipalities. It has prompted a reevaluation of governance structures, leading to the establishment of dedicated transition teams. These teams facilitate enhanced coordination and collaboration across departments, ensuring that climate action is integrated into all facets of municipal operations. However, challenges remain in securing adequate resources and overcoming bureaucratic hurdles, which can slow down implementation and dampen enthusiasm.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration: One of the achievements of the CCC is its ability to enhance stakeholder engagement. By establishing structured collaboration mechanisms, cities have mobilized existing networks and forged new partnerships. This inclusive approach ensures that diverse perspectives — from businesses and academia to civil society and governmental agencies — are incorporated into climate strategies. Challenges such as mistrust among stakeholders, varying levels of commitment, and incentives creation often hinder effective collaboration and need to be actively managed.

Innovative Governance Approaches: The CCC encourages cities to adopt innovative governance approaches tailored to their unique contexts. This includes the implementation of living labs, policy experiments, and co-creation methods. These initiatives foster a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability, equipping municipalities to navigate the evolving landscape of climate action with agility. However, the uptake of new governance models can be slow due to institutional inertia and the reluctance to deviate from traditional practices.

Inter-City Collaboration: Collaboration between cities is a cornerstone of the CCC’s success. Formal platforms such as NZC's Twinning Programme and informal peer exchanges facilitate valuable knowledge sharing and joint problem-solving efforts. This inter-city collaboration not only accelerates learning but also enables cities to implement best practices and innovative solutions that drive collective progress towards climate neutrality. Nevertheless, disparities in context, resources and priorities between cities can pose challenges to effective collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Driving Capacity Building: The CCC serves as a catalyst for capacity building within municipal governance structures. Structural changes, expanded stakeholders involvement, and inter-city collaboration contribute to a networked, transition-oriented approach to governance. By building expertise and fostering leadership in climate governance, city teams empower themselves to effectively lead their communities towards sustainable futures. However, resource constraints and the need for continuous skills development remain significant barriers to scaling up capacity building efforts.

Embracing Reflexivity and Learning: While significant strides have been made, the journey towards climate neutrality requires continuous learning and adaptation. The CCC’s iterative approach aims to support municipalities in anchoring reflexivity — reflecting on and refining strategies based on real-world outcomes. This ongoing process of learning and adaptation ensures that cities remain responsive to emerging challenges and opportunities in climate action. Yet, maintaining momentum amidst changing political landscapes and competing priorities demands steadfast commitment and strategic mandate.

Read more about the effect of the CCC process on Mission Cities, CCC implementation, the weeds of stakeholders mobilisation and the insights of Mission Cities on how to get started on a CCC by downloading our cards below.

NB: cards are illustrated with direct quotes from interviews led with city representatives of Mission Cities.

"93% of GHG emission are beyond the local government's direct control." Source: Impact of City Climate Neutrality Action Plans​, Analysis & learnings from 16 European cities (NetZeroCities, February 2024)​