Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 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

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×