Cities Leading the Way Towards Climate Neutrality 28/03/2025

On March 24, took place the conference Cities Leading the Way Towards Climate Neutrality, organized by the Cities for Climate network with the Matosinhos City Council, to debate the role of cities in the transition to climate neutrality and the challenges faced in developing and implementing climate action plans.

Throughout the conference, it was possible to follow a series of panels which addressed the importance of national platforms to accelerate the decarbonization of cities, presented concrete strategies already underway in some cities as part of the European Mission, debated the importance of the business sector in implementing sustainable practices and reducing emissions, analyzed funding opportunities to support the climate transition of cities and demonstrated that innovation and entrepreneurship can drive urban decarbonization.

The conference was closed by the Minister for the Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, who stressed the importance of cooperation between local governments, companies and civil society to speed up the transition to more sustainable cities.

The Cities for Climate network is a collaborative initiative that brings together Portuguese cities and regions with the common goal of accelerating the transition to climate neutrality, in line with the European Mission “100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030, by and for citizens”. The technical secretariat is provided by the Centre for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research (IN+), which supports the members of this network in building capacity for climate action and mobilizing citizens.