Cities in transition

The European Union has set itself an ambitious goal: to be climate neutral by 2050. To accelerate this transition, it has launched the European Mission of ‘100 smart and climate-neutral cities by 2030‘. This is one of the five Missions, set out by the Horizon Europe program as a new way to implement RD&I with social and economic impact in areas of interest to the EU and its citizens.

The Cities Mission consists of the deployment of projects and solutions that require innovative ways of collaborating, involving a wide range of sectors and disciplines, as well as citizens, to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which cause climate change.

itdUPM, together with other organizations, integrates three platforms that aim to design, implement and connect actions and actors to achieve this mission. Each platform works on a specific but interrelated territorial scale: European, Spanish and local (Madrid).

The European Union has set itself an ambitious goal: to be climate neutral by 2050. To accelerate this transition, it has launched the European Mission of ‘100 smart and climate-neutral cities by 2030‘. This is one of the five Missions, set out by the Horizon Europe program as a new way to implement RD&I with social and economic impact in areas of interest to the EU and its citizens.

The Cities Mission consists of the deployment of projects and solutions that require innovative ways of collaborating, involving a wide range of sectors and disciplines, as well as citizens, to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which cause climate change.

itdUPM, together with other organizations, integrates three platforms that aim to design, implement and connect actions and actors to achieve this mission. Each platform works on a specific but interrelated territorial scale: European, Spanish and local (Madrid).

Achieving climate-neutral cities and territories requires going beyond the environmental dimension, also considering the social and economic aspects and human rights. Through our participation in the platforms, we contribute to a just and more inclusive ecological transition.

Achieving climate-neutral cities and territories requires going beyond the environmental dimension, also considering the social and economic aspects and human rights. Through our participation in the platforms, we contribute to a just and more inclusive ecological transition.

European Scale: NetZeroCities

NetZeroCities is a consortium of 33 partners from 27 European countries, including research organizations, companies, universities and city networks. The objective is to support 112 cities in their efforts to achieve climate neutrality. The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid is one of the four European universities in the consortium.

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European Scale: NetZeroCities

NetZeroCities is a consortium of 33 partners from 27 European countries, including research organizations, companies, universities and city networks. The objective is to support 112 cities in their efforts to achieve climate neutrality. The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid is one of the four European universities in the consortium.

ACCESS THE WEBSITE

Spanish Scale: citiES 2030

citiES 2030 is a multi-stakeholder space for collaboration and innovation, aimed at supporting the transition of Spanish cities towards climate neutrality, within the framework of the European Mission. The platform develops activities and offers services to facilitate the transformation towards healthier and more sustainable cities. It is promoted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge through the Fundación Biodiversidad, and supported aby EIT Climate-KIC together with the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (itdUPM).

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Spanish Scale: citiES 2030

citiES 2030 is a multi-stakeholder space for collaboration and innovation, aimed at supporting the transition of Spanish cities towards climate neutrality, within the framework of the European Mission. The platform develops activities and offers services to facilitate the transformation towards healthier and more sustainable cities. It is promoted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge through the Fundación Biodiversidad, and supported aby EIT Climate-KIC together with the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (itdUPM).

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Lines of action at local level: Madrid

The social dimension of climate transition

The city of Madrid has taken on the mission of becoming climate neutral in the coming decades and has solidified this commitment in a Roadmap towards decarbonization. itdUPM accompanies the Madrid City Council in the coordination and deployment of a portfolio of projects framed within different complementary lines of action, connected to one another and aligned with this mission.

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Other lines of action

Climate education

In the face of the climate emergency, schools become strategic nodes to catalyse the just transition to climate neutrality. However, education for sustainable development and climate action are not yet meaningfully integrated into curricula and teacher training. This line proposes the creation of an Alliance that connects and amplifies the scope of education programmes for climate action, connecting them to the city’s mission. Its ultimate goal is to make education for climate action a priority and a reality in schools.

Environmental narratives

This line proposes new forms of communication to mobilise citizens and involve them in the socio-environmental challenge. To this end, it incorporates art in the processes of adaptation and mitigation to climate change in the city of Madrid through the Mutant Institute of Environmental Narratives (IMNA).

Technical studies

The itdUPM accompanies projects within the city’s portfolio and collaborates in disciplinary studies that contribute technical knowledge to the roadmap. The following topics stand out: solutions based on nature, the naturalisation of public spaces or energy rehabilitation with materials of natural origin.

Lines of action at local level: Madrid

The social dimension of climate transition

The city of Madrid has taken on the mission of becoming climate neutral in the coming decades and has solidified this commitment in a Roadmap towards decarbonization. itdUPM accompanies the Madrid City Council in the coordination and deployment of a portfolio of projects framed within different complementary lines of action, connected to one another and aligned with this mission.

ACCESS THE WEBSITE

Other lines of action

Climate education

In the face of the climate emergency, schools become strategic nodes to catalyse the just transition to climate neutrality. However, education for sustainable development and climate action are not yet meaningfully integrated into curricula and teacher training. This line proposes the creation of an Alliance that connects and amplifies the scope of education programmes for climate action, connecting them to the city’s mission. Its ultimate goal is to make education for climate action a priority and a reality in schools.

Environmental narratives

This line proposes new forms of communication to mobilise citizens and involve them in the socio-environmental challenge. To this end, it incorporates art in the processes of adaptation and mitigation to climate change in the city of Madrid through the Mutant Institute of Environmental Narratives (IMNA).

Technical studies

The itdUPM accompanies projects within the city’s portfolio and collaborates in disciplinary studies that contribute technical knowledge to the roadmap. The following topics stand out: solutions based on nature, the naturalisation of public spaces or energy rehabilitation with materials of natural origin.

Cities in transition