Climate-neutrality by 2030 for Gozo

On 28th April 2022, the EU Commission announced the 100 cities selected for a mission in becoming a carbon-neutral and smart city by 2030. 

"The green transition is making its way all over Europe right now. But there's always a need for trailblazers, who set themselves even higher goals. These cities are showing us the way to a healthier future." said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission. 

The selected cities will receive €360 million in funding from the EU Horizon project, to start the innovation paths towards achieving climate-neutrality by 2030. The research and innovation actions will address clean mobility, energy efficiency and green urban planning.

At the Paris Agreement in 2015, over 98% of the world's nation leaders pledged to become climate-neutral by 2050. These recently selected 100 EU cities embarked on a quest to get to that achievement by 2030; becoming climate pioneers and an example for others to follow. 

What exactly is climate neutrality?

Climate neutrality refers to the idea of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by balancing those emissions so they are equal (or less than) the emissions that get removed through the planet's natural absorption; in basic terms it means we reduce our emissions through climate action. A net-zero world is a world where global emissions are in balance with what is naturally absorbed in 'sinks' such as forests and oceans. 

Is it just about carbon dioxide?

No, it's about all gases that are harmful to the climate, such as methane and nitrodius oxide, as well as hydroluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride. This is not an exhaustive list, but for now, think of greenhouse gases as a catch-all term for the harmful substances we are pumping into the atmosphere. 

Where does carbon offsetting fit into this?

Climate neutrality means that you bring your emissions down to zero. This applies to both individuals and organisations. Many organisations are not able to reduce their emissions to zero immediately - as it will take a number of years for them to make the technological investments and change the baits that climate neutrality requires. That is why the path to net zero starts yesterday. Organisations can - in addition to the reductions that they can start making now - also invest in emission reductions outside their organisation, known as 'offsets'.

This option helps accelerate the global effort to reduce emissions and puts a 'carbon price' on their own organisation, providing an economic incentive to reduce their own emissions quicker. Purchasing compensation units is also an option available to individuals and households, as - similarly to organisations - they will have difficulties becoming climate neutral immediately. Offsets are not a long-term solution, and they don't replace the need for you or your organisation to go to zero as fast as possible, but they do provide a way to accelerate that journey. 

The way forward for Gozo 

Sectors that will need addressing are Energy & Buildings, Food System, Green Infrastructure, Transportation, Water and Waste. But a climate-friendly city is also a people-friendly city. Issues such as the wellbeing, health, environment, equity, livability and the synergies in between, must be taken into consideration. The pathways for change lie heavily on technology and innovation, science, business and finance, policy and governance, behavioural change and integrative scenarios. 

Your journey to net-zero

You start by measuring or estimating your emissions. Check out this online calculator to measure the emissions from your household.

List of the 100 climate-neutral and smart cities:

Aarhus, Copenhagen and Sonderborg in Denmark

Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Helmond, Groningen, Rotterdam, The Hague, Ultrecht in the Netherlands

Espoo, Helsinki, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Tampere, Turku in Finland

Gavle, Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Lund, Malmo, Stockholm, Umea in Sweden

Antwerp, Brussels Capital Region, La Louviere, Leuven in Belgium

Cork and Dublin in Ireland

Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid, Vittoria-Gastelz, Zaragosa in Spain

Gulmaraes, Lisbon, Porto in Portugal

Angers Loire, Bordeaux, Dijon, Dunkerque, Grenoble-Alpes, Metropole, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Paris in France

Llepaja and Riga in Latvia

Taurage and Wilnius in Lithuania

Krakow, Lodz, Rzeszow, Warsaw, Wroclaw in Poland

Liberec in the Czech Republic

Bergamo, Bologna, Florence, Milan, Padova, Parma, Prato, Rome, Turin in Italy

Bratislava and Kosice in Slovakia

Budapest, Miskolc, Pecs in Hungary

Gabrovo and Sofia in Bulgaria

Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Suceava in Romania

Athens, Ionnina, Kalamata, Kozani, Thessalonki, Trikala in Greece

Limassol in Cyprus

Zagreb in Croatia

Kranj, Ljubljana, Velenje in Slovenia

Klagenfurt in Austria

Aachen, Dortmund, Dresden, Frankfurt, Heldelberg, Lelpzig, Mannhelm, Munich, Muster in Germany

Gozo in Malta