How the NetZeroCities Portal can help your city reach climate neutrality

The NetZeroCities Portal is a brand-new platform designed for cities to connect with each other and with climate neutrality experts, as well as access online solutions as they work to reduce their emissions.

As the online component of the EU Cities Mission that NetZeroCities currently manages, the Portal brings all of the latest on urban climate neutrality under one roof:

• a social networking space;
• a wide library of case studies, fact sheets, methods, and videos;
• targeted networking groups;
• tools and templates that help map out the practical steps of an urban climate transition.  

The Portal is open and accessible to a variety of users and provides insights on pathways towards climate neutrality in cities. More than 1,300 users have already joined and are connecting with each other to create an environment of mutual learning, support, and exchange. 

The Latest Resources on Climate Neutrality 

Developed by NetZeroCities, the Climate Transition Map Tool is a step-by-step guide designed for Mission Cities that can also be useful to any city interested in taking ambitious climate action. Pop-up features allow users to click through the various steps of the journey and allows them to navigate the resources, such as templates, case studies, factsheets, etc. and take action on the different phases.

The Knowledge Repository allows users to navigate through the latest resources and best practices in an equitable transition to climate neutrality. The database has filters and a search bar to make it quick and easy to find the latest information on a given topic.

How to Get the Most Out of the Portal 

• The Explore page gives users an overview of the types of tools that cities can use to reduce their emissions, engage with stakeholders, and measure progress.  
• All users can be found in the User Directory, which is where city practitioners can reach out to their peers, join communities, and even create groups. Members of the Portal already include Mission City Representatives, NetZeroCities Consortium members, local stakeholders, and public authority representatives — and the list grows by the day! Users can create their own Groups, connecting with open or closed formats, organised by geography, theme, or other criteria that cities find useful.     
• The News Feed is a social networking space that invites users to share updates, questions, and announcements. This personalised “home page” is populated with posts that alert users to events, groups, and resources of interest from across the Portal – and gets the conversation flowing among cities! 
• The Events section keeps users up to date on opportunities to engage through webinars and other group meetings. Users can comment and register for events listed, and use the calendar to keep an eye on (or even create) webinars, topical discussions, and other helpful convenings.
• The Help Centre and FAQ section includes an in-depth onboarding module to get started using the Portal, along with an option to reach out for further support. Users can also find answers to FAQs on topics such as systemic change and investment planning.  

Still to Come 

• A City Dashboard is being created that will include a Barometer and a digital workspace. The Dashboard will provide customisable ways for cities to visualize their greenhouse gas emission data and examine pathways. They can also link to datasets on nature-based solutions, co-benefits, and levers of change. 
• A Finance Guidance Tool will support cities to identify finance options in their investment planning. It will be based on a decision matrix which helps define needs and identify a range of options appropriate to a city’s circumstances.​ 
• A suite of Learning Journeys is also on the way that will guide users through suggested content combinations from the Knowledge Repository and Climate Transition Map, specially tailored to different cities’ situations. 

A Portal for All 

Every city, regardless of where it finds itself on its journey to climate neutrality, will find something useful in the NetZeroCities Portal – whether connecting to relevant organisations and individuals, publishing and reading resources in the Knowledge Repository, or creating and joining groups to tackle shared challenges. Log on today! 

Explore the new NetZeroCities portal here: https://netzerocities.app/