NZC Scientific Research
This page is dedicated to NZC research events and resources.
Upcoming: Mutual Learning Event on 'The Role of Research in the EU Mission "Climate Neutral and Smart Cities": Unleashing a Research Agenda'
February 18th, 13:00-17:00, Brussels and online.
The NetZeroCities project is pleased to invite you to a hybrid Mutual Learning Event on “Unleashing a Research Agenda for the ‘EU Mission on 100 climate-neutral and smart cities’ – the role of research in the implementation of the Mission”. The event will take place on February 18th, 2025, 13:00-16:00, at the ERRIN offices (Rue du Luxembourg 3, Brussels) and online.
This collaborative gathering is part of a series of events and actions aimed at “Unleashing a Research Agenda for the EU Mission on 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities”. The series of events started in Valencia in June 2024 and will continue in May 2025 in Vilnius at the Cities Conference. The event is tailored for European Commission representatives, researchers, research institutions and networks and practitioners from the EU, regional and local levels committed to tackling urban climate challenges through systemic and innovative solutions.
This half-day event provides a dynamic platform to:
Highlight the importance of research for the EU Missions.
Share and discuss the results of the event in Valencia, where we began shaping a research agenda for climate-neutral cities.
Collaborate with a network of universities, research institutions, policy makers and practitioners actively driving the Cities Mission forward.
Explore cutting-edge research methods and lessons learned from key European case studies, best practices, approaches, methods and tools that accelerate climate transition efforts.
Since the launch of the Cities Mission in 2021, 53 of the 112 Mission Cities have been awarded Mission Labels, recognising their successful completion of the Climate City Contract process. This marks the transition into the Mission's implementation phase. Research institutions hold several key competencies and responsibilities supporting cities in implementing the Cities Mission and achieving climate neutrality.
Given the interactive format of the event we encourage participants to actively contribute to the discussions, which will focus on predefined topics shared in advance. The insights gained during the event will inform the work of NetZeroCities and be shared with the European Commission.
This is a hybrid workshop that will take place in Brussels and online. The event is free of charge. All travel-related expenses must be covered by the sending institution.
To ensure balanced participation across stakeholder groups and maintain geographical diversity, we will confirm your participation after the registration deadline of 31 January 2025 COB. You will receive a confirmation email once your registration has been processed.
The registration for for the event are closed.
Please find the agenda below:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Publishing opportunities for researchers:
Special issue on "Co-design and Social Innovation for Climate Neutrality" in Sustainability | Deadline: February 2025
Edited book with proceedings of the event
Length: 17.000-18.000 characters including spaces
Academic writing with APA references
Publisher: tbd, possibly Springer
Further information and template will follow via email
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
NetZeroCities Scientific Publications:
M. Ricard;R. Mondal ;S. Bresciani & F. Rizzo (2024) Instruments for Implementing Systemic Change to Foster Climate Transitions in European Cities. Proceedings of the OpenLivingLab Days Conference 2024 - “Living Labs Frontiers” Driving systemic change through Soci(et)al Engagement, for real impact". Enoll ISBN 9789464668629
Mondal, R., Bresciani, S., & Rizzo, F. (2024). What Cities Want to Measure: Bottom-Up Selection of Indicators for Systemic Change toward Climate Neutrality Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 40 European Cities. Climate, 12(3), 41.
Bresciani, S., Tjahja, C., Komatsu, T., & Rizzo, F. (2023). Prototyping for Policy Making: Collaboratively Synthesizing Interdisciplinary Knowledge for Climate Neutrality. In: International Conference 2023 of the Design Research Society Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG) Conference proceedings (pp. 104-116), Politecnico di Milano, Italy. ISBN: 9788894167436
Bresciani, S., Tjahja, C., Komatsu, T., & Rizzo, F. (2023). Social innovation for climate neutrality in cities: actionable pathways for policymakers. In De Sainz Molestina, D., Galluzzo, L., Rizzo, F., Spallazzo, D. (eds.), IASDR 2023: Life-Changing Design, 9-13 October, Milan, Italy.
Bresciani, S., Rizzo, F., & Deserti, A. (2022). Designing Systemic Change for Urban Ecosystems: A Framework for Assessing Social Innovation. In Cumulus Conference Proceedings Series 10/2023 Detroit (pp. 779-795). USA. ISBN 979-8-218-07901-7
Bresciani, S., Rizzo, F., & Deserti, A. (2022). Toward a Comprehensive Framework of Social Innovation for Climate Neutrality: A Systematic Literature Review from Business/Production, Public Policy, Environmental Sciences, Energy, Sustainability and Related Fields. Sustainability, 14(21).
Bresciani, S. (2024). Assessment Framework for People-Centred Solutions to Carbon Neutrality: A Comprehensive List of Case Studies and Social Innovation Indicators at Urban Level. Springer Briefs in Applied Sciences and Technology. Springer Cham. ISBN 978-3-031-53111
Ulpiani G, Vetters N, Melica G, Bertoldi P. Towards the first cohort of climate-neutral cities: expected impact, current gaps, and next steps to take to establish evidence-based zero-emission urban futures.
Sustain Cities Soc 2023;95.
Ulpiani G, Vetters N, Shtjefni D, Kakoulaki G, Taylor N. Let’s hear it from the cities: on the role of renewable energy in reaching climate neutrality in urban Europe.
Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2023;183.
Ulpiani G, Vetters N. On the risks associated with transitioning to climate neutrality in Europe: a city perspective.
Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2023;183
Ulpiani G, Vetters N, Maduta C. Towards (net) zero emissions in the stationary energy sector: a city perspective.
Sustain Cities Soc 2023
Della Valle N, Ulpiani G, Vetters N. Assessing climate justice awareness among climate neutral-to-be cities.
Humanit Soc Sci Commun 2023;10:440.
Möslinger M, Ulpiani G, Vetters N. Circular economy and waste management to empower a climate-neutral urban future.
J Clean Prod 2023;421:138454.
Ulpiani G, Rebolledo E, Vetters N, Florio P, Bertoldi P. Funding and financing the zero emissions journey: urban visions from the 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Nature Journal.
Publications about NetZeroCities (not published by the consortium)
Shabb, K., & McCormick, K. (2023). Achieving 100 climate neutral cities in Europe: Investigating climate city contracts in Sweden. npj Climate Action, 2(1), 6.
Lumbreras, J., & Moreno-Serna, J. (Eds.). (2024). Higher Education and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Emerald
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Interactive visualization for researchers of projects and initiatives of Mission cities
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
PAST EVENTS
First NetZeroCities event for researchers:
"Unleashing a Research Agenda for the EU Climate Neutral and Smart Cities"
Date: June 25th 2024, 9.15-17.45 (as part of the Cities Mission Conference 2024)
Location: Cajamar, Pg. de l'Albereda, 34, El Pla del Real, 46023 Valencia, Spain (Located opposite the Palau de la Música, at Paseo de la Alameda No. 34)
In a significant step forward for urban climate neutrality, the event “Unleashing a Research Agenda for the EU Mission Climate Neutral and Smart Cities” was organised by NetZeroCities in Valencia on June 25th. This pioneering gathering brought together researchers from across Europe and marked a pivotal moment in the collective efforts towards climate-neutral and smart cities. It complemented the 2024 edition of the Cities Mission Conference, enhancing the collaborative spirit essential for sustainable urban transitions.
The primary goals of this research-focused event were multifaceted. It aimed to outline the research aspects of Mission cities’ pilot activities, reconnect research with local practitioners in Mission Cities, and identify the current research challenges and gaps on the journey towards climate neutrality. A significant emphasis was placed on adopting a systemic approach to sustainable transitions, one that could be scaled and shared at the EU level. One of the event's ultimate objectives was to inform a research agenda centered on systems transformation within the context of the EU Cities Mission implementation. This Research Agenda is poised to become a cornerstone for researchers and scholars dedicated to leading the way towards climate-neutral cities and communities. Additionally, the event aimed to initiate the establishment of a network of universities and research institutions eager to integrate critical scientific insights with pioneering policy and practice recommendations.
The event saw the participation of approximately 50 researchers, representing not only the NetZeroCities consortium but also an additional 28 universities and research institutions from various parts of Europe. This diverse assembly underscored the widespread commitment within the academic and research community to address the pressing challenge of climate change and urban sustainability.
The day's proceedings were divided into several insightful sessions. The morning began with research presentations from the Pilot Cities Programme managed by NetZeroCities. Researchers who support cities in experimenting with new decarbonization pathways shared their findings and discussed the research challenges they have encountered. This session also provided a platform for projects outside of NetZeroCities but related to the Mission, fostering a truly cross-disciplinary overview of research on urban climate neutrality.
A key highlight of the event was the active discussions on the “Mission Cities systemic approach: research challenges.” Participants collaborated to develop a set of “Pathways toward a Research Agenda for the Mission Cities,” tackling various research topics. These included governance, citizen engagement, energy futures, behavioral change, funding for climate action, developing transformative capacities, making the sustainability transition desirable, and upscaling sustainability projects.
The event culminated in a presentation of the roundtable results to Rosalinde van der Vlies, Director of the Clean Planet Directorate in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, and Deputy Mission Manager of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. This presentation highlighted the significance of the discussions and their potential impact on shaping the future of climate-neutral and smart cities.
This event represents a crucial milestone in the collective journey towards sustainable urban futures. By bringing together a diverse group of researchers and practitioners, it has laid the groundwork for a robust research agenda that will drive the transformation of European cities into climate-neutral and smart cities. The collaborative efforts and shared insights from this event will undoubtedly contribute to the broader mission of achieving climate neutrality and creating resilient, sustainable urban environments across Europe.
Organizers:
Francesca Rizzo, Politecnico di Milano
Emma Puerari, Politecnico di Milano
Sabrina Bresciani, Politecnico di Milano
Marzia Mortati, Politecnico di Milano
Jordi Peris Blanes, Universitat Politècnica de València
David Dooghe, TNO Vector
Nikhil Chaudhary, EIT Climate-KIC
Participating organizations:
Austria Tech
Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3)
Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences Slovak Academy of Sciences
Delft University of Technology
DUT
EIT Climate-KIC
Erasmus University Rotterdam
European Commission
IFEU-Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg
INGENIO (CSIC-UPV)
Institute for Energy Research at UniversitatPolitècnica de València, Spain
KTH Royal Institute of Technology
KU Leuven
LAB University of Applied Sciences
LERU
LUT University
Lund University
National University of Water and Environmental Engineering
National University of Water and Environmental Engineering, Rivne city
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Politecnico di Milano
Politecnico di Torino
Stockholm Environment Insitute
Stockholm Environment Institute
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
TNO Vector
Tallinn University of Technology
Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest
The Cyprus Institute
The Lisbon Council
U!REKA European University (Metropolia UAS)
UIC - University International de Catalunya
Universidad Internacional de La Rioja
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC)
Universitat Politecnica de Madrid
Universitat Politècnica de València
University of Bologna
University of Parma
University of South-Eastern Norway
VTT - Technical Research Center of Finland
Viable Cities/KTH
Vilnius University
Warsaw University of Technology
Interactive map of participating organization:
