The EU has now launched five missions for a new and innovative way of working together and improving people's lives in Europe and beyond. The five missions will tackle major societal challenges such as health, climate and the environment and set ambitious and time-bound targets to be achieved by 2030. One of them is 100 climate-neutral and smart cities - with and for citizens, which is a key element in delivering Europe's Green Deal towards a climate-neutral continent by 2050.
EU missions are a new way of working within Horizon Europe and for the EU as a whole. They aim to deliver societal impact through a new role for research and innovation, combined with new forms of governance and cooperation, and by engaging citizens. It is a coordinated effort by the European Commission that brings together resources such as funding programs, policies and regulations. These missions will also mobilize and activate other actors, public and private, such as EU Member States, regional and local government agencies, research institutes, entrepreneurs and investors to create real and lasting societal impact.
The five missions aim to find solutions to the main global challenges by 2030. For Viable Cities, one of them is more interesting: the mission 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030.
The others are: Climate adaptation - 150 European climate-resilient regions and communities; Cancer - preventing and curing cancer and enabling people to live longer and better lives; Healthy oceans, waters and soils.
For the mission of 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 - with and for citizens, Horizon Europe will provide around €360 million in 2021-2022 in the first phase of implementation.
The aim of the mission is to achieve 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, and ensure that these cities serve as experimentation and innovation hubs for all European cities to follow by 2050.
This process should involve many people: local government agencies, citizens, businesses, investors and regional and national government agencies.
The mission includes
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Launch of a platform for technical, regulatory and financial support to cities working on the mission;
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European cities will prepare, sign and implement Climate City Contract, which is created together with citizens and local stakeholders;
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Initiate a portfolio of research and innovation projects and create a global knowledge bank;
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Initiate a network of national, local and regional government agencies to support climate transition of cities.
Viable Cities' former chairman Allan Larsson was part of the working group that developed the mission 100 climate neutral smart cities 2030 - by and for citizens.
With the Communication on EU missions now adopted by the Commission, the missions have the go-ahead to be implemented, with the individual plans already approved. The first work program for Horizon Europe 2021-2022, published on 16 June, will be updated with a full research and innovation agenda by the end of the year.
