Today, the EU Cities Mission, facilitated by the Mission Platform NetZeroCities, has launched a Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for a new Twinning Learning Programme, designed to support the EU Mission: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.
This programme offers ambitious cities aiming to advance their climate action a unique opportunity to partner with selected Mission cities and work together towards the goal of climate neutrality. Over the course of one year (November 2025 – November 2026), participating twin cities will engage in structured peer learning and hands-on collaboration. They will also exchange best practices with their paired Mission city.
The programme aims to
- Enable peer-to-peer learning and mutual inspiration by focusing on concrete climate actions and jointly addressing implementation barriers identified by both Mission cities and twin cities
- Support the replication of effective climate actions through co-creating a tailored replication plan for twin cities
- Build long-lasting partnership between Mission and twin cities beyond the duration of the programme
Twin cities will benefit from
- Three progressive learning modules
- Two in-person site visits (to each of the paired cities)
- Targeted support and resources from the NetZeroCities consortium
- Deliverables that help consolidate learnings and shape local climate action planning
The Call for Expressions of Interest is open from 25 June to 12 September 2025 (17:00 CET) to cities not currently part of the 112 Mission Cities, based in EU Member States or Horizon Europe-associated countries.
Interested cities can access the call and submit their application via the online form.
Background
Launched by the European Commission in September 2021, the EU Mission: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities aims to not only transform 112 pioneering cities into hubs of climate innovation but also enable all European cities to follow suit by 2050. In April 2022, 100 cities from the EU and 12 from Horizon Europe-associated countries were selected. These Mission Cities are testing cross-sectoral solutions, innovative governance models, and inclusive citizen engagement strategies.
A central tool of the Mission is the Climate City Contract (CCC), co-created by cities with citizens and stakeholders. It includes commitments, an action plan, and an investment plan. Reviewed by the European Commission with input from the EIB and JRC, CCCs are awarded the EU Mission Label, a mark that helps cities attract public and private funding. As of late 2024, 92 cities have received the label across four rounds.
NetZeroCities is a project consortium of 34 partners from 27 European countries, managing the EU Cities Mission Platform. The platform supports 112 Mission Cities in drastically reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to reach climate neutrality by 2030, in line with the European Green Deal and the EU’s legally binding commitment to climate neutrality by 2050.
Details
- Publication date
- 25 June 2025
- Author
- Directorate-General for Research and Innovation