The European Commission has awarded Barcelona the mission label for its commitment to climate neutrality by 2030
Today, in a ceremony held in Brussels, the European Commission has awarded the “mission label” to Barcelona.
This recognition follows the European executive’s positive evaluation of Barcelona’s Climate City Contract, submitted to Europe by the City Council after the city was selected in 2022 to participate in the European Mission 100 Smart and Climate-Neutral Cities by 2030.
Through this Mission, the European Union aims to promote cities that are leading the way in climate protection so they can act as guides and drivers of change, and to ensure that all cities with over 50,000 inhabitants become climate neutral by 2050.
The Climate City Contract was approved by the municipal Government Commission in September last year and submitted to NetZeroCities, the consortium appointed by the European Commission to manage the 100 cities mission. Of these, Barcelona is among the first thirty or so municipalities to be awarded the mission label.
With the mission label, Barcelona City Council will get additional points to access funding from certain European programmes, pending the designation of specific funds for these cities, in addition to the Next Generation Funds that are used to fund measures included in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. It will also have access to support services to help manage climate investment funds.
The award was received by the commissioner for International Relations, Pau Solanilla, at a ceremony held in Brussels, chaired by liana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.
Climate City Contract
The Climate City Contract defines Barcelona’s Commitment to climate neutrality by 2030, and defines the city’s decarbonisation roadmap through an action plan and investment plan centred on key sectors in the city, which also happen to be the main generators of greenhouse gas emissions: mobility and transport, buildings and the built environment, electricity generation, waste management, the water cycle and green infrastructure.
The Contract takes into account factors such as adaptation, climate justice and the economic development opportunities linked to this transition. Also, the involvement of institutions, companies, entities and the general public, for which a sign-up campaign with specific commitments will be carried out among local players, in a process framed within the citizen commitment to a more sustainable Barcelona.
