The Commission has issued a call for expressions of interest to cities to join the European Climate Neutral and Smart Cities mission.

The mission aims to achieve 100 climate-neutral and smart European cities by 2030 and ensure that these cities act as centers of experimentation and innovation to enable all European cities to follow suit by 2050. The Horizon Europe Strategic Plan identifies five missions. Horizon Europe will also provide start-up funds for missions of up to € 1.9 billion by 2023, including € 359.3 million for the cities mission.

By joining the mission, the selected cities will be at the forefront of innovation and transition to climate neutrality under the European Green Plan. In the fight against climate change through the implementation of solutions, cities are in the best position to adopt early policies to achieve climate neutrality. By doing so, they can provide a number of benefits to their communities, including reduced air and noise pollution, less congestion, lower energy bills and a healthier lifestyle.

Cities (with at least 50,000 inhabitants) can apply for the call for expressions of interest until 31 January 2022.
After expressing your interest, you will be asked to complete an online survey on the current situation in your city, current work and future plans for climate neutrality.

Following an evaluation by independent experts, the Commission will publish a list of selected participating cities by April 2022. As soon as the selection process is completed, the first cities will be able to start working on their Climate Cities Treaties with the support of the Mission Platform.

Eligibility conditions, benefits for your city and time frame can be seen in this prospectus.
An info set for cities with detailed information about the Mission is available here.
Frequently asked questions and answers are available here.