Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

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.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “The Current Welfare State Can No Longer Be Financed”
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
Wizz Air passengers screamed as storm-battered flight diverts to Bologna
European postal services halt U.S. deliveries after Trump imposes new tariffs
Urban explorer finds abandoned luxury restaurant left to decay
Fidesz leader labels Péter Magyar a ‘bluffer’ amid escalating political spat
French rope park operator arrested for denying entry to Israeli children
Újpest thrashes Zalaegerszeg 4-1 to secure first win in five matches
Profit-margin cap costs retailers 13 billion forints a month, warns trade group
Curiosity rover finds coral-like rock on Mars hinting at watery past
U.S. green policy rollback drives investors to Europe’s sustainable finance market
Special funerals rise in Hungary: boat, aerial and forest burials gain popularity
Hungary’s Kiskunság region turning into semi-desert after extreme drought
Kopasz Bálint wins world kayak 1000 m title in Milan, making him triple world champion
Budapest’s Keleti railway station to close for four weeks for track overhaul
Balaton could be unfit for swimming by 2035 and dry by 2050, scientists warn
Leaked guidelines show Meta’s AI allowed flirty and racist interactions with children
Filming of ‘Emily in Paris’ halted after assistant director dies on set
Filipino guest workers sue after Hungary moves to deport them for pregnancy
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
×