“Saving energy is a key factor to quickly make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels and to reach the goals of the European Green Deal.” This is how the EC explains why it is important to get ready for another winter, one the younger generations may have never experienced.
The factsheet provides examples of cities that have already started reducing their energy consumption in many different ways from reducing traffic to implementing smart technology and also outlines a selection of Horizon 2020 projects contributing to energy saving and energy efficiency in cities.
The cities in the factsheet are either part of the EU Mission for 100 Climate-neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 (Cities Mission) or the Cities Energy Savings Sprint.
The EU Cities Mission aims to help 100 cities become climate-neutral and smart by 2030, while the Cities Energy Savings Sprint is a joint initiative of the Covenant of Mayors, with the European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions, encouraging cities to take measures that will immediately reduce their energy consumption.
Horizon 2020 was the European Union’s research and innovation funding programme between 2014-2020 with a budget of nearly €80 billion. It lives on as Horizon Europe with a budget of nearly €100 billion to help to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and boost the EU’s competitiveness and growth.
