Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 15, 2025

100 EU cities commit to going climate neutral by 2030

100 EU cities commit to going climate neutral by 2030

A new Brussels scheme will help cities like Sofia, Rome, Budapest and Paris decarbonize.

For a city to slash its emissions to zero may seem like a pipe dream, but 100 EU cities have committed to doing just that by the end of the decade.

As part of the European Commission's 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities scheme, which launched Thursday, these cities have pledged to dramatically reduce their emissions by 2030 — and will receive EU support to achieve that goal.

The initiative received more than 370 applications, with cities chosen based on the strength of their plans and their enthusiasm to achieve the target. Twelve non-EU cities including Glasgow, Sarajevo and Istanbul were also picked to take part.


"Cities are at the forefront of the fight against the climate crisis," said EU Green Deal chief Frans Timmermans. "Whether it's greening urban spaces, tackling air pollution, reducing energy consumption in buildings, or advancing clean mobility solutions: Cities are often the hub of the changes Europe needs to succeed in our transition to climate neutrality."

Globally, urban areas account for more than 70 percent of CO2 emissions and a major report from the U.N.'s climate science panel published earlier this month found that achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement — and avoiding catastrophic climate change — will require changing how urban areas "are designed, constructed, managed."

Deputy Director of the Commission's mobility and transport department Matthew Baldwin, who is in charge of the scheme, told POLITICO that cities' green ambitions, cosmopolitan constituencies and scale made them "obvious places" to tackle climate change.

As part of the program, the 112 participating cities — in which roughly 75 million people live — will prepare "climate city contracts" setting out action and investment plans they intend to execute in order to achieve climate neutrality.

While the plans are not legally binding, Baldwin said cities have a powerful incentive to meet their target: "No one is going to take them to court, but their reputations are at stake."

The list includes cities with a known track record of pushing for ambitious climate targets, like Copenhagen and Gothenburg, as well as cities that have more recently stepped up to the challenge, like Paris and Milan. Cities in countries that have dragged their feet on climate action like Łódź, Poland, and Budapest also made the cut.

A consortium of 34 climate change organizations, as well as experts at the national and EU level, will help cities craft their contracts, which can receive a so-called mission label from the Commission. That label will facilitate access to "capital coming from private finance that is sick of greenwashing projects and seeking real initiatives in which to invest," according to Baldwin.

He stressed that the scheme is designed to be "bottom-up," with the goal being for cities to decide on their own route to climate neutrality and exchange best practices with the other participants.

"This isn't the long wagging finger of the Commission looking down and telling cities what to do," he said. "Instead, we are inviting cities to design plans that are appropriate for them: What works in Gothenburg is going to be somewhat different from what works in Istanbul."

Leaders from the chosen cities celebrated their inclusion in the program Thursday.

Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore said the city was committed to reaching its 2030 goal and "has started to work with all our citizens on this." He added: "Being part of this mission and getting support from so many other cities from all across Europe will help us in this endeavor."

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas said the Portuguese capital "is very proud to be one of the 100 cities to become carbon neutral by 2030" and will invest a third of its total budget into concrete measures related to this initiative.

"Cities are the platforms that can make it happen," he added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×