Italian cities towards climate neutrality: the Let’sGOV Consortium Meeting in Bologna

On May 14–15, 2025, Bologna hosted the Fourth Consortium Meeting of Let'sGov – Governing the transition through pilot actions, a pilot project supported by the European NetZeroCities programme as part of the EU Mission for “100 climate-neutral cities by 2030.”

Let’sGOv brought together the 9 Italian cities participating in the Mission (Bergamo, Bologna, Florence, Milan, Padua, Parma, Prato, Rome, and Turin) along with three technical-scientific partners: the University of Bologna, AESS, and the Politecnico di Torino – Energy Center. The goal: to test innovative governance tools to support the urban energy transition through three key levers—energy helpdesks and energy communities, data usage, and innovative financing mechanisms.

The two-day event opened on May 14 at the Filla Auditorium with a session aimed at Italian cities. Panels presented the outcomes of the project, local pilot initiatives, and the contributions of scientific partners, including a “benchlearning” programme and a toolkit designed to help local governments replicate the project’s activities. A central topic of discussion was how to fund the transition, addressed during a roundtable that brought together foundations, banks, and both public and private investors. The day concluded with a discussion on the future of the Let’sGOv partnership network within the broader landscape of European pilot cities.

On May 15, the internal working session of the consortium took place at the Sala Tassinari in Palazzo d’Accursio. The meeting focused on the progress of the work packages, the final project report, and preparations for the next national RENAEL meeting in Rome. In the afternoon, Councillor Anna Lisa Boni emphasized the importance of multilevel collaboration in achieving climate neutrality, recalling the origins of the project and reaffirming its strategic aim: to inspire national and European institutions to provide concrete support for city-led climate action.

The event was a key milestone to assess the progress made and to renew—boldly and with clear vision—the role of cities as leading actors in the fight against climate change.

 

Ultimo aggiornamento: giovedì 22 maggio 2025