The city of Valladolid will be part of Horizon Europe programme ‘Smart and Climate Neutral Cities 2030 Mission’, the largest innovation programme of the European Union, which will open the doors to cutting-edge funds and programmes. At the forefront of action for the climate, the city joins the European group par excellence that will drive urban transformation linked to the decarbonisation of strategic sectors.
The European Commission has made public today the list of the 100 cities selected for this ambitious Mission Cities to which more than 370 municipalities from European countries applied, 28 of them Spanish. Together with Valladolid, Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Vitoria and Zaragoza will form the Spanish vanguard, in addition to the 100 cities from the 27 countries of the European Union and another 12 cities from 8 non-EU countries.
The Department of Innovation, Economic Development, Employment and Trade, through the Innovation Agency, will lead this Mission City project. Being part of this ambitious mission endorses the municipal policies that have been carried out so far and that, ultimately, always aim to improve the citizens' quality of life.
These cities, as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted, "will show us the way to a healthier future. We will support them in this". The Mission will have a budget of €360 million over the period 2022-2023 for climate-neutral innovation in areas such as urban mobility, energy efficiency, sustainable urban planning.
The benefits that Mission Cities will bring include additional funding and financing opportunities, tailor-made advice and assistance through the Commission's Europes platform, as well as the possibility to join leading innovation projects and to strengthen collaborative work and exchange of best practices among this specific core group of cities.
‘Cities are the engine of the changes Europe needs to transition towards climate neutrality’
Cities are at the forefront of tackling the climate crisis. New green spaces, anti-pollution actions, building energy saving or sustainable urban mobility solutions... ‘Cities are the engine of the changes Europe needs to transition towards climate neutrality’, said Vice-President Frans Timmermans, who leads the Green Pact, and congratulated the selected cities.
This Mission proves that Europe needs to accelerate this paradigm shift in order to achieve energy sovereignty and to move away from fossil fuel dependency and access to secure energy while enjoying cleaner air and healthier environments.
This is the path that Valladolid is pursuing and it is a great milestone for the city that reinforces, with a qualitative leap, its position in Europe and in the international networks with which Valladolid City Council works. In addition, it opens doors to European funding for the council itself and, above all, for other public and private entities, so having this ‘label’ of the Mission will be a step forward in attracting investment and in the process of becoming a cleaner and more resilient city.
Because Climate Neutrality consists of the maximum reduction of polluting emissions by addressing sectors that affect the daily lives of citizens, such as sustainable urban mobility, urban freight transport, housing and its rehabilitation, the use of clean and renewable energies, energy efficiency and energy savings that will contribute to sovereignty in this sector.
With the European endorsement to be an active and preferential part of Mission Cities, Valladolid reinforces its position as a reference city in the fields of Innovation and Knowledge. In fact, it already is and this is reflected in its integration in key European networks; its Sustainable, Safe and Connected Mobility Plan; the Valladolid Climate Strategy; the Innovation and Smart City Plan; the Circular Economy Plan; the Valladolid 2030 Urban Agenda; and its achievements in Horizon 2020 reference projects such as Remourban, among others.
Today a decisive step has been taken in the roadmap approved by the Plenary on 30 November 2021, which set the first milestone to reach this point and integrate this core of cutting-edge cities hand in hand with the largest European innovation programme, Horizon Europe.
