Thirty-nine cities participating in the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities under Horizon Europe have been awarded the EU Mission Label. This recognition highlights their ambitious plans to achieve climate neutrality by 2030 and is designed to help them unlock public and private funding to support this goal.
The EU continues to support the cities in their work on transforming their ambitious plans into a pipeline of projects. The label grants access to the Climate City Capital Hub, an international finance resource with a focus on engagement with private capital. Cities also qualify for financial advisory support and a €2 billion lending envelope from the European Investment Bank.
Background
Cities account for more than 70% of global CO₂ emissions and consume over 65% of the world’s energy. Urban action is crucial for climate mitigation and can significantly accelerate efforts to achieve the EU’s climate neutrality target for 2050 and the 2030 intermediate target of a 55% emissions reduction. The Cities Mission aligns with the European Green Deal, the Policy Agenda for Cities and the Clean Industrial Deal. It fosters cooperation between cities and industry through clean technology and circular economy initiatives, offering cleaner air, safer transport and less congestion and noise to citizens across Europe.
At the heart of the Mission are “Climate City Contracts” (CCCs), which contain a core commitment part, a Climate Neutrality Action Plan, and a Climate Neutrality Investment Plan. They are co-created by citizens and stakeholders and supported by the NetZeroCities platform. Transport is an important sector that is typically covered by each CCC, with interventions such as the deployment of zero emission bus fleets, the expansion of cycling infrastructure, or improvements to public transport networks.
The EU Mission Label is an important milestone in the cities’ work. In total, 92 cities have received the label, which acknowledges cities’ successful Climate City Contracts. These are reviewed by the Commission with the support of experts, including from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC).
Building on the 2024 Cities Mission Conference in Valencia, around 60 cities and platforms have signed the Development Declaration, committing to “scaling as the new normal” to ensure that successful climate solutions are rapidly expanded and replicated across cities.
The 2025 Conference also showcased the ambition of 12 Flagship Municipalities from Ukraine that are associated to the Cities Mission, and invited cities to collaborate more closely with Ukrainian cities through the SUN4Ukraine Partnership Programme.
Author: Rebecca Meiser
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.
