Cities play a key role in achieving climate neutrality by 2050, the goal of the European Green Deal. They occupy only 4 % of EU area, but 75 % of EU citizens live in them. In addition, cities consume more than 65 % of the world's energy and account for more than 70 % of global CO2 emissions.

As mitigating climate change largely depends on urban action, we must support cities to accelerate their green and digital transformation. In particular, European cities can significantly contribute to the Green Deal's goal of reducing emissions by 55 % by 2030 and, from a more practical point of view, offer their citizens cleaner air, safer transport and less traffic congestion and noise. (More on research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu)