How do cities prepare to achieve climate neutrality? By learning, testing, and experimenting in a “safe space”, where no idea is too bold. That’s exactly what happened at the Fifth NetZeroCitiesEU school “Peer-to-Peer Collaboration for Effective Implementation of the Climate City Contracts.”, taking place in Madrid on November 27-29, 2024.

Over 3 action-packed days, city representatives from 15 Mission Cities came together at the Innovation and Technology for Development Centre (itdUPM) for hands-on workshops and social simulations designed to prepare them for the implementation of their Climate City Contracts (CCCs). The event empowered participants to rethink governance, engage stakeholders, and sharpen their strategies for urban decarbonization.

Collaborative Learning Sessions

The Seasonal School featured expert-led sessions, each designed to tackle key challenges in the journey to climate neutrality:

• City-Specific Challanges (TNO)
• Building Strong Mandates (Viable Cities)
• Stakeholder Engagement & Portfolio Mapping (Dark Matter Labs & Democratic Society with Politecnico di Milano)
• Tracking Climate Progress (Climate-KIC and ICLEI)
• Innovative Procurement Strategies (Climate-KIC)
• Developing Business Cases & Financial Instruments (BwB and Innovation and Technology for Development Centre – itdUPM)
• Closing the gaps between the EU Cities (Demos Helsinki)

These brought in ideas and solutions to empower cities for real-world challenges, from securing stakeholder buy-in to financing large-scale climate projects.

Spotlight on the Social Simulation

While workshops provided vital knowledge, Social Simulation took it a step further. City representatives stepped into a fictional city of Solvento, where they played roles like municipal leaders, business advocates, and civil society representatives against a plausible scenario, showcasing the complexities of urban transition.

The goal? To challenge assumptions, encourage empathy, and reveal the ripple effects of small decisions. Guided by Piotr Magnuszewski and Sophia Ruiz Vasquez, participants discovered how collaboration can be a powerful tool for change – and how one small action could create ripple effects across an entire system.

We extend our thanks to all the workshop participants who stepped up, challenged themselves, and embraced new perspectives. Your passion and energy are the driving forces behind a more sustainable, climate-neutral future.