Europe’s cities at the heart of climate action: The
climate‑neutral and smart cities mission
What would your city look like if it were climate‑neutral? Quieter
streets, cleaner air, smarter transport, and neighbourhoods designed
with people at their centre. Across Europe, cities are starting to
turn this vision into reality. Through the EU Cities Mission
[https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/climate-neutral-and-smart-cities_en],
urban areas are becoming living laboratories where climate solutions
are tested, improved, and shared for the benefit of all European
cities. 

The mission, launched under Horizon Europe
[https://cordis.europa.eu/search?q=contenttype%3D%27project%27%20AND%20frameworkProgramme%3D%27HORIZON%27&p=1&num=10&srt=/project/contentUpdateDate:decreasing],
aims to support 100 European cities in becoming climate‑neutral by
2030, while ensuring they act as experimentation and innovation hubs
so that all cities can follow by 2050. Selected cities work closely
with citizens, businesses, investors, and public authorities to design
Climate City Contracts. These contracts outline concrete pathways to
climate neutrality, covering areas such as energy systems, buildings,
mobility, waste management, and investment planning. Cities that
complete this process receive the EU Mission Label, helping them
access funding, technical support, and financial expertise through
initiatives such as the NetZeroCities Mission platform
[https://netzerocities.eu/]. 

Reliable and accessible data underpins every step of this
transformation. Cities use data to measure emissions, monitor
progress, and test smart solutions in real urban environments. Open
datasets on mobility patterns
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?query=mobility%20patterns&locale=en],
energy consumption
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?query=energy+consumption&locale=en&page=1],
air quality
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?query=air+quality&locale=en&page=1],
and land use
[https://data.europa.eu/data/combined?query=land+use&locale=en&page=1]
allow cities to compare approaches, learn from one another, and scale
what works. The European Data Portal [https://data.europa.eu/en] plays
a role by providing access to thousands of open datasets that support
evidence‑based policymaking, innovation, and research linked to
sustainable urban development. 

Curious to see how cities across Europe are putting climate ambition
into practice? Explore the European Commission webpage with
information about the EU Cities Mission
[https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/climate-neutral-and-smart-cities_en]
and visit the European Data Portal [https://data.europa.eu/en] to
discover open data that helps drive smarter, greener, and more
liveable cities across Europe. 

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Publication Date/Time
2026-05-20T08:00:00+00:00
How data and innovation are helping cities lead Europe’s transition
to climate neutrality