NetZeroCities is a four-year EU-funded project launched in October 2021 under the Horizon 2020 programme, supporting the European Green Deal and the EU Mission for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030. Coordinated by EIT Climate-KIC from Brussels, it unites 34 partners—including 13 city networks, eight research organizations, five companies, and three think tanks—from 13 countries, with a Brussels address listed in project records.
The initiative targets structural, institutional, and cultural obstacles for cities aiming for climate neutrality by 2030, offering a one-stop digital platform for tools, expertise, and knowledge sharing. It engages 112 selected Mission Cities, providing one-on-one guidance, capacity building in governance and finance, and funding for pilots in up to 30 cities initially, with plans to scale to 100.
A current example is Brussels' EMPOWER pilot across three municipalities—City of Brussels (196,828 residents), Schaerbeek (130,775), and Ixelles (88,521)—testing energy sharing via solar panels, digital meters, and community models. Building on prior efforts like Solarclick and the region's 2022 electricity ordinance, which spurred only 26 projects, it involves civil society groups to boost renewables, train officials, and include vulnerable residents, with results aimed at replication elsewhere.
By early 2026, as the project nears its end, NetZeroCities has facilitated Climate City Contracts and pilot learnings to cut urban emissions sharply.