European Commission awards the EU Mission Label to Espoo’s climate work

Espoo is rapidly reducing emissions on its way towards carbon neutrality together with its partners and the entire community. The EU Mission Label, awarded to Espoo in Brussels on 21 March 2024, is an acknowledgement of the city’s strong commitment to climate work and strengthens the role of the Espoo community as a pioneer in the green transition.

The EU Mission Label was awarded to 23 cities from 12 different countries. The other Finnish cities to receive the award were Lahti, Lappeenranta, Tampere and Turku.

The Climate City Contract, which was completed in the autumn of 2023, describes the measures and cooperation through which the Espoo can achieve the ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. The contract is part of the EU Mission for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, and the commitment to work towards a common goal has been signed by the city of Espoo and its 25 partners.

The green and digital transition is the engine of new sustainable growth.

– The green and digital transition is the engine of new sustainable growth. It offers companies and other organisations in Espoo’s innovation community opportunities to boost job creation, export activities, economic growth and wellbeing. The EU Mission Label is an acknowledgement of Espoo’s role as a forerunner city. Together with companies and everyone in Espoo, we create new climate work innovations and good practices to help all cities, says Mr Markku Markkula, President of the Board of Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council, Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vice-Chairperson of the Sustainable Espoo programme and a member of the Espoo City Council. 

Solving climate challenges in cities

Cities and urban communities play a key role in achieving climate goals. Cities account for more than 70% of global CO₂ emissions and consume over 65% of the world’s energy. Urban action is crucial for climate mitigation and can contribute significantly to accelerating the efforts to achieve the legally binding commitment to achieve climate-neutrality in the EU as a whole by 2050, as well as to the EU’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and more generally delivering the European Green Deal.

The EU Cities Mission aims to help European cities become climate-neutral, offering cleaner air, safer transport and less congestion and noise to their citizens. Through the Cities Mission, the European Commission wants to promote the allocation of private and public funding towards solving climate challenges in cities.

At the end of January, Espoo was also selected to participate in the Pilot Cities Programme related to the Cities Mission, which offers opportunities to expand and deepen local partnerships through the two-year EU-funded project. In the EU Cities Mission, Espoo acts as an experimentation and innovation hub for solutions that will help all European cities become climate-neutral by 2050. All the selected cities are willing to carry out development activities through extensive local cooperation and to reduce emissions rapidly.

More information:

• EU Mission: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities
• 23 cities awarded with the EU Mission Label (europa.eu)
• European Commission awards the EU Mission Label to Espoo’s climate work | City of Espoo

Helena Kyrki
Manager of Sustainable Development
City of Espoo
helena.kyrki@espoo.fi
tel. +358 43 8248661