European Maritime Day 2024

Globally, urban areas consume over 65% of the world's energy, accounting for more than 70% of CO2 emissions. It is therefore important that cities act as experimentation and innovation ecosystems to help all others in their transition to become climate-neutral by 2050.

 Cork along with 100 EU cities is participating in the EU Climate-Neutral & Smart Cities Mission. The Cities Mission will encourage and support systemic transformation, cutting across different greenhouse gas emissions sectors, including building and transport to prioritise attention on overcoming whatever the specific local barriers may be to achieving carbon-neutral status.

The Cities Mission involves local authorities, citizens, businesses, public sector organisations, academia, investors as well as regional and national authorities to:

1. Deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030

2. Ensure that these cities act as experimentation and innovation hubs to enable all European cities to follow suit by 2050

Achieving zero carbon in an inclusive way will be an extraordinary undertaking for each and every city. This will require profound and systemic changes. Government leadership will be critical, and actions by industry, education and research institutions, and civic organisations must align in terms of policies, governance, and the needed capital investments.

There are several challenges for cities such as limited budgets, pre-existing policy environments, the need for multi-level governance etc. However, recent global reports also show clear economic opportunities in decarbonisation that are attractive for multiple reasons, including improved public health and other benefits.

Key question to be discussed:

Mobilising society is central to this transition. How do we bring our citizens with us on the journey?