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Mid-September is the perfect time to visit Turku, an ambitiously smart and sustainable city in Finland, working towards reaching carbon neutrality already in 2029. Turku is built around the river Aura – but what’s more important (at least where the international cooperation is concerned), it also stands on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Like in many other cities, for a long time Turku citizens have had a limited access to the sea due to different industries and port activities.

Welcome to the Commission meeting “Revitalizing urban space connected to the Sea”! We will explore how Turku is working toward climate neutrality in 2029, with an ambitious roadmap which calls for a comprehensive strategy, including, among others, revitalization of urban spaces.

The Urban Transition Mission, launched at COP26, opens a call for cities to accelerate clean energy urban solutions! The Mission aims to mobilise decision makers across all levels of government to prioritise climate-neutral and net-zero solutions enabled by clean energy and systemic innovation across all sectors and in urban governance.

The Linnaniemi area, around Turku Castle and the harbour, will undergo major changes: the former passenger port will open for new developments, which include services and housing areas that bring vitality to the area. New parks and plazas will create an enjoyable maritime atmosphere and connect Linnanniemi to the riverside.

The EMPEREST project started the process of identifying potential PFAS risks on the municipal level with a series of workshops for the project consortium and invited local experts in Riga.

The first general assembly of the BALTIPLAST project took place on 10-11 May in the picturesque city of Västerås, Sweden, bringing together 18 partner organizations dedicated to addressing the challenges of single-use plastic waste.

The journey of mapping best practices in addressing micropollutants and especially PFAS in water continues for the project EMPEREST led by UBC Sustainable Cities Commission, and on 3-5 May 2023 our consortium visited Stockholm.

The CDP-ICLEI Track for 2023 is now open, providing an opportunity for cities to disclose climate and environmental data. This year, once again, local authorities around the world are invited to participate and report their progress towards achieving sustainability goals between April and 25 July.

The City of Espoo is inviting its partners to join the climate covenant and the cooperation to reach carbon neutrality. Learn about what it takes to build a carbon-neutral society and where to find relevant stakeholders!

NetZeroCities, a consortium of 33 partners from 13 European countries managing the EU Cities Mission platform, is supporting Mission Cities to drastically reduce their GHG emissions by providing expertise, hands-on support and a one-stop platform for urban climate neutrality resources, tools, and peer-to-peer collaboration.

Umeå is one of the cities selected for the Cities Mission. Learn how the municipality integrates holistic targets like climate neutrality, social sustainability, and gender equality in the comprehensive plan, and collaborates with stakeholders!

The first smart traffic light in Latvia has been installed in Liepāja. Read how the city encourages safe and liveable urban communities with neighbourhoods designed to promote walking and cycling!