Green neighbourgood in Eindhoven

City-to-city learning through NetZeroCities Twinning Learning Programme: insights from Wolfsburg and Paredes

Peer learning between cities is a very effective tool when working in climate transition. The NetZeroCities Twinning Learning Programme puts it to work, pairing Mission cities for structured site visits and meaningful exchanges. This autumn, ERRIN facilitated another two of those exchanges: Eindhoven (Mission City in the Netherlands) visiting Wolfsburg (Mission-minded City in Germany), and Elbasan  (Mission City in Albania) visiting Paredes (Mission-minded City in Portugal).

Wolfsburg: decarbonising heat

Wolfsburg’s climate transition cannot be understood without Volkswagen, who is a key partner in shaping the city’s energy landscape and its decarbonisation pathway. A close coordination between the municipality, Volkswagen and the local energy distribution company is driving the transformation of the district heating network, integrating industrial waste heat and large-scale heat pumps towards the city’s climate neutrality targets.

The city’s Municipal Heat Plan maps current energy needs by building type and supply area, identifying where district heating densification makes sense and where decentralised solutions are needed instead. Financing residential renovation remains a however a key challenge that its paired city, Eindhoven, shares as well.

Climate adaptation is equally embedded. With hot days nearly tripling over the past 30 years, Wolfsburg has developed a risk-mapping approach covering heat, flooding and green infrastructure, translated into concrete urban interventions. The Nordkopf regeneration project — one of the city’s most heat-exposed areas — integrates greening, depaving and rainwater management into urban redesign. New housing developments across the city follow the same logic, as a bike tour made visibly clear.

Paredes: climate action in community

Paredes is one of Portugal’s youngest municipalities, and it has made community engagement structural.

All of the municipality’s schools hold the Green Flag award under the Eco-Schools programme. From water literacy to biodiversity mapping and citizen science, children from age 3 to 18 engage with sustainability in practical ways and carry behavioural change into their households. Volunteer groups extend that reach further, connecting the municipality’s cross-departmental Climate Action Plan to local cafés, older residents and community networks.

On the infrastructure side, PV panels at the indoor swimming pool cover around 50% of energy costs, and passive design at the renovated sports centre eliminates the need for a full HVAC system. Practical interventions and measurable results that are supporting the municipality achieve its climate neutrality ambitions.

Elbasan, which had showcased its own youth-led climate engagement (i.e. Elbasan’s Youth Council) during the May visit, found a lot of inspiration in Paredes’s approach.

Next steps

For more information on upcoming services open to all cities, you can read this article. Opportunities include registering for the Online Discussion Groups, joining the Online Planning Lab or learning at your own pace using the Learning Hub. 

ERRIN keeps supporting cities and regions engaging with NetZeroCities and working in their broader EU climate and innovation agendas. Our work includes facilitating territories participating in Cohort 5 of the Twinning Learning Programme and working on identifying needs and pathways that can help improving NetZeroCities' service offer.

NetZeroCities Twinning Learning Programme