Mission Cities
The Brussels-Capital Region is one of the 100 cities selected for the European Mission “Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities”. Through the Mission, the European Commission will support cities with financial resources and technical assistance to help them become climate-neutral cities by 2030, i.e. 20 years ahead of the whole continent.
Scope of the Mission Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities
Cities have a leading role to play, not just in meeting the climate goals and targets set out by international policy frameworks such as the COP21 Paris Agreement, but in ensuring our decarbonisation efforts are equitable and contribute to the well-being of European communities.
Although they take up only 4% of the EU’s land area, they are home to 75% of EU citizens. Cities consume over 65% of the world’s energy and account for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions.
The EU Cities Mission will bring together local authorities, citizens, businesses, investors, associations and national and regional bodies to:
- Deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030
- Ensure that these cities act as experimentation and innovation hubs to enable all European cities to follow suit by 2050
The Mission will deliver this through innovation, collaboration, and testing solutions in urban environments.
The Mission is driving Europe’s transition to climate neutrality by supporting 100 cities in the EU and 12 cities in countries associated to Horizon Europe in their efforts to become climate-neutral by 2030. Selected from 377 applicants, these cities serve as innovation hubs, testing cross-sectoral solutions and new governance models to accelerate change and inspire all European cities to follow by 2050.
At the core of the Mission are Climate City Contracts which outline the city’s roadmap to climate neutrality, including all sectors such as energy, built environment, waste management and transport. They are drawn up by cities, involving citizens and relevant partners, and set out their plans in terms of actions/measures and investments to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. The contracts are a clear and highly visible political commitment, but not legally binding.
Cities that successfully develop these contracts receive the EU Mission Label. The Label recognises the cities' plans to achieve climate neutrality by 2030 and aims to facilitate access to public and private funding towards that objective. Labelled cities gain access to the Climate City Capital Hub, launched in June 2024. It provides tailored financial advice in cooperation with the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, connecting cities with investors.
Benefits for cities include tailor-made advice and assistance from a dedicated Mission Platform run by NetZeroCities, additional funding and financing opportunities, and the possibility to join large innovation actions and pilot projects. The Mission also provides networking opportunities, exchange of best practices between cities, and support to engage stakeholders in the mission (citizens, cultural and private sectors, academia).
With around €120 million in annual funding from Horizon Europe, cities receive hands-on support of the Mission Platform (NZC) as well as access to open calls for research and innovation projects.
Net Zero Cities
Achieving climate neutrality in an inclusive way will be an extraordinary undertaking for each and every city. This will require profound and systemic changes. Government leadership will be critical, and actions by industry, education and research institutions, and civic organisations must align in terms of policies, governance, and the needed capital investments.
NetZeroCities recognises the need for cities to develop specific strategies that are tailored to suit local and regional contexts. To support them, they develop and promote new and existing tools, resources, and expertise through the consortium of 34 partners.
Brussels-Capital Region road to climate neutrality
The Brussels Government recognises that addressing this challenge requires more than reducing greenhouse gas emissions: it calls for a broader societal transformation in how the city’s future is collectively envisioned. Success hinges on effective collaboration among public administrations and the alignment of their respective plans, alongside the active involvement of academic institutions and the private sector in a shared endeavour. In this context, the Mission Cities approach presents a unique opportunity for Brussels to catalyse a positive dynamic and generate a virtuous circle. By strengthening cross-sectoral connections and harnessing the motivational power of the mission-driven framework, it inspires broad engagement, mobilising citizens, institutions, and businesses around the common goal of a climate-neutral Brussels.
Citizen engagement is a cornerstone of Brussels’ approach to climate action. Since 2020, initiatives such as Let’s Prepare Brussels, a large-scale consultation on post-Covid city resilience—and the first permanent citizen assembly for the climate, have reflected the Region’s dedication to inclusive decision-making. Citizens, alongside experts, actively debate and propose actionable climate solutions, which are then transmitted to the Regional Government for a formal response. Brussels has also been a pioneer in participatory democracy, introducing hybrid parliamentary commissions that bring citizens into direct dialogue and deliberation with elected members of Parliament.
Finally, complementing regional strategies, the municipalities within the molecules are implementing their own Climate Action Plans. By aligning with the overarching regional vision while tailoring actions to local contexts, these municipalities will work collaboratively to accelerate decarbonisation in these high-ambition zones. This approach ensures that climate measures are both place-specific and coordinated across the Region, reinforcing the role of the molecules as the front-runners of Brussels’ just and climate-neutral transition.
The other Belgian cities involved in the Mission are Antwerp, La Louvière and Leuven.
Contact
You have ideas, suggestions, questions or remarks ? Don't hesitate ! Feel free to contact the Mission Cities coordinator Victoria De Meue (vdemeue@innoviris.brussels)