Cascais Joins the EU Mission Cities Programme – Your City Can Too!

Re-Value City Cascais has been selected as a Twinning City by the European Commission and the Mission Cities Platform, NetZeroCities,. This recognition opens the door for collaboration with other cities committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, while also offering further opportunities to create impact within the Re-Value project.

João Dinis, Climate Action Director for Cascais Ambiente, expressed the significance of this opportunity for the city. Speaking to the Mission Platform, NetZeroCities, he said:

“Cities are leading climate action across the world. A crucial leadership to foster a sustainable future for all. The ‘Twin Cities Cohort’ is an inspiring opportunity to foster collaboration between ambitious communities willing to embrace the challenge to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. By embarking on this journey, we hope to share both knowledge and a revitalising energy to create a healthier, competitive, and sustainable living environment for all our residents.”

The Twinning Learning Programme is a 20-month initiative designed to transfer knowledge and build capacities between Pilot Cities and Twin Cities. The programme, starting in September 2024 and running until May 2026, brings together cities focused on similar climate neutrality themes. Through knowledge exchange and collaborative problem-solving, cities like Cascais and its counterpart, Aarhus, a Danish Mission City, will help shape each other’s transition. At the core of the programme is relationship building and mutual learning.

The Twinning Learning Programme supports cities not yet involved in the EU Cities Mission, whether as ‘Mission Cities’ or through previous Pilot or Twinning Programmes. Cities committed to climate neutrality by 2050 can benefit from concrete support, including financial coverage for two in-person trips and one visit from their Pilot City counterpart

As cities engage in these exchanges, and potentially connect beyond the programme via NetZeroCities, climate action can accelerate. Lessons learned from successful strategies will spread, while less-effective approaches can be avoided, helping cities progress more efficiently.

Cascais and Aarhus will co-develop a Twin City Action Plan as part of their climate transition efforts. The Twinning Learning Programme includes three structured modules: Getting Started, Co-creating, and Capitalising, guiding cities through the knowledge-sharing and capacity-building process. Upon completing the programme, Twin Cities will apply the insights gained from the Pilot Cities to their own local context.

Other interested cities can apply for the next round of Twinning Cities by 31 October through this link.

Publishing date: 15 October 2024