Introduction to the Project

NetZeroCities is a four-year project that will support the delivery of the Horizon Europe Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities and its ambition to achieve climate neutrality in Europe by 2050. Cities have been assigned the ambitious task to lead the transition to net zero emissions, and the NetZeroCities project is designed to help cities overcome the structural, institutional and cultural barriers by providing innovative support and solutions that will help them achieve their climate neutrality goals in a socially-inclusive way. The project builds on the expertise of its 33 partners, representing a wide range of actors from 13 countries.

Project Objectives

NetZeroCities recognises the need for cities to develop climate action strategies that are tailored to suit local and regional contexts, and will support them by collecting existing tools, resources and information on the design and implementation of climate actions, while also developing new content to fill the gaps, in a one-stop-shop Mission Platform accessible to all cities. In addition, the project will support up to 30 pilot cities to help drive rapid learning about how to achieve climate neutrality at the city scale. The cities will benefit from an intensive support relationship and dedicated services to achieve their net zero goals.

The project will provide knowledge and services related to systemic change, citizen engagement and democratic governance, capital and financial structuring, and social innovation to ensure that cities have access to the best expertise available anywhere in the world. The Mission Platform will further function as a meeting point for cities where they can exchange knowledge, collaborate together and learn from each other.

ERRIN's Role

ERRIN is supporting and contributing to several key project tasks and activities. One of the first key activities will be the contribution to the development of the Climate City Contract process – both the set-up of the process as well as the launch, co-creation and signing of the climate contracts. Replication and upscaling activities will be imperative to boost peer learning and collaboration between cities, and ERRIN will support these activities, while also contributing to the project’s work on citizen and stakeholder engagement. Additionally, ERRIN will look at finance policy needs of climate neutral cities, as well as contribute to the development of policy recommendations. ERRIN’s main contribution to the NetZeroCities project work will be on the city engagement activities, which includes engaging cities in the design and delivery of the services and activities of the Mission Platform as well as facilitating interaction between them.

  • Heidi Johansson
  • Project Manager
  • Ryan Titley
  • Director of Projects
  • Pirita Lindholm
  • Director
  • Gianpiero Petruzziello
  • Project and Communications Officer
  • Julie Delcroix
  • Climate Neutral Cities Advisor
  • Silvia Ghiretti
  • EU Missions and Policy Officer

Benefit & Links

ERRIN’s work on the Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities has over the past years been driven by the Smart Cities Working Group, with the involvement and input from a range of members from other working groups. ERRIN will continue driving its work in the NetZeroCities project through the Smart Cities WG and will look to provide first-hand information to ERRIN members on the opportunities presented by the project. The project will provide an opportunity for ERRIN to work closely with its members and support them in developing and implementing their Climate City Contracts – both the members selected to be included in the group of pilot cities as well as the wider membership.

Latest Updates

NetZeroCities - Call for Pilot Cities - Deadline Extension
  • By Gianpiero Petruzziello

NetZeroCities - Call for Pilot Cities - Deadline Extension

NetZeroCities, project in which ERRIN is a partner, opened a Call for Pilot Cities on 5 September 2022. The Call was initially set to close on 4 November. However due to the massive interest from cities and the complexity of submitting an application, the decision has been made to extend the deadline to 15 November at 12:00 noon CET.

CNCA
  • By Teresa Vio

ERRIN is looking for a Climate Neutral Cities Advisor (deadline: 30 September)

ERRIN is looking for a Climate Neutral Cities Advisor to join its Secretariat! The successful candidate will be tasked with providing tailored support and advice to the mission cities in their journey towards climate neutrality by 2030 and connect cities with the NetZeroCities services and expertise. Apply by 30 September!

energy and climate
  • By Francesca Pozzebon

Energy & Climate Change WG meeting on Sustainable Buildings - call for presentations

On Friday 30 September from 10:30-12:00, the Energy and Climate Change Working Group will host a hybrid event on the topic of Sustainable Buildings. A call for presentations to be presented during the meeting is now open until 25 September.

New members of the EU Missions Boards announced
  • By Ewa Chomicz

New members of the EU Missions Boards announced

Yesterday the European Commission announced 75 new top experts who will advise on the five EU Missions through serving on their Boards. ERRIN is thrilled that Françoise Guaspare from Île-de-France Europe, one of the Transport Working Group leaders, will join the Mission Board of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission.

NetZeroCities – Pilots Cities Programme
  • By Gianpiero Petruzziello

NetZeroCities – Pilots Cities Programme

NetZeroCities is launching a Pilot Cities Programme that will help cities to test out locally tailored actions towards a climate transition. The call opens on September 5 and invites applications from all cities that are committing to the objectives of the EU Cities Mission located in EU Member States and Associated Countries.

Visual of the NetZeroCities webinars for candidates of their pilot city programme
  • By Julie Delcroix

NetZeroCities Call for Pilot Cities info sessions

NetZeroCities, project in which ERRIN is a partner, is organising a series of webinar to offer guidance on how to apply to the upcoming Call for Pilot Cities.