Seven Greek cities nominated for “100 Climate Neutral Cities by 2030”

With the official launch of the European Mission for 100 Climate Neutral Cities by 2030 (Mission Board “100 climate neutral cities by 2030”) declared by the European Commission, the Secretary General of Spatial Planning and Urban Environment, Efthymios Bakogiannis, invited the participation of Greek Municipalities.

RIS is in collaboration with the EU Mission Board and is preparing from April 2020 the Greek participations for their big project of transformation into climate neutral cities by 2030. The Municipalities of Heraklion, Ioannina, Kalamata have already expressed interest in this European Mission. , Trikala, Kozani, Thira and Fili and the General Secretariat for Spatial Planning and Urban Environment invites as many Municipalities as possible to participate, providing them with the necessary support and guidance.

In fact, Greece is recognized by the European Commission as one of the few European countries that support the European Mission at the initiative of the government of the member state, through RIS. For this reason, Greece was mentioned by name together with Spain, Austria and Sweden in the opening event of the European Mission, by the Director of the Mission Board “100 climate neutral cities by 2030Matthew Baldwin.

The European Mission

It is emphasized that the European Mission (Mission Board “100 climate neutral cities by 2030”) will meet the needs of redesigning and revitalizing urban areas with the following expected results from the improvement:

1) the quality and aesthetics of the urban environment,

2) the energy efficiency and quality of buildings,

3) the environmental footprint of the outdoor public space,

4) reducing emissions from daily commuting,

5) saving natural resources, as well as

6) the digital transformation of urban areas.

Finally, the implementation of all actions will link the existing ones with the new EU initiatives and policies (European Programs already running eg SVAK) with the European Green Agreement (GreenDeal) as the overall denominator.

With a 10-year plan and funding

The Municipalities that will be finally selected, will participate in a comprehensive plan of holistic interventions with a defined budget and a 10-year schedule. Finalists will have the opportunity to redefine their identity (city re-branding) and through EU funding tools, they will be able to make large-scale investments by creating new jobs.

The General Secretary of Spatial Planning and Urban Environment, Efthymios Bakogiannis, stated:

“Achieving 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030 is a mission that will support, promote and demonstrate their systematic transformation by turning them into hubs of experimentation and innovation.

Cities are the place where strategies for the carbonization of energy, transport, buildings, industry and agriculture coexist. “The climate crisis must be tackled within the cities and with the participation of all citizens, through a multilevel and co-creative process adapted to the realities of each city.”