In March 2024, the City of Milano, together with eight other Italian cities (Bologna, Bergamo, Firenze, Padova, Parma, Prato, Roma, and Torino), submitted its action and investment plan related to the Climate City Contract (CCC, 2024) as part of the “Mission 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030”, promoted by the European Union.
The goal of the Mission is to accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality by promoting research and innovation actions on mobility, energy efficiency, and urban planning, involving local authorities, citizens, businesses, investors, and regional and national administrations in order to:
- create 100 smart and climate-neutral cities by 2030;
- ensure that these cities serve as innovation and experimentation hubs, enabling all European cities to follow their example by 2050.
The Climate City Contract (CCC, 2024) therefore sets the ambitious goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030, anticipating the target of the Air and Climate Plan (PAC), approved by the City of Milan in 2021, which is currently set for 2050.
Among Milan’s urban areas undergoing transformation—where decarbonization interventions can have a major impact—is the “Goccia” area in Bovisa, whose redevelopment is expected to be completed by 2026.
The Politecnico di Milano, together with 24 other stakeholders—including four other universities (Università Bocconi, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Milano, Università degli Studi di Milano Statale, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca)—signed the Climate City Contract in March 2024.
To raise public awareness of the project, the City of Milano, in collaboration with IED – Istituto Europeo di Design, produced a series of podcasts (broadcast between March and April 2025) available on the City’s new Spotify channel. These podcasts explore the themes of the Climate City Contract and showcase the commitment of the Municipality and the 25 signatory stakeholders.
Each episode of “Milano Cambia Aria – Climate City Contract” addresses key topics in the city’s journey toward climate neutrality: from energy efficiency to urban regeneration, from environmental to social sustainability, from mobility to green infrastructure—essential for mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Among the voices featured in the series—after the introductory episode with Elena Grandi, Milan City Councillor, and Professor Francesca Rizzo from Politecnico di Milano—are, in episodes 1 and 4, Dr. Francesco Cavazzana, Head of Infrastructure and Services Management, and Dr. Eleonora Perotto, University Mobility Manager, both from Politecnico di Milano.
Episodes
- Episode 1 – “Inclusione sociale nell’azione climatica – Come le politiche per il clima possono rafforzare la resilienza delle comunità e ridurre le disuguaglianze”
- Episode 2 – “Molecole di Rigenerazione Urbana – La città che cambia tra efficienza energetica e comunità circolari e resilienti”
- Episode 3 – “Energie rinnovabili, efficienza e elettrificazione: la tripla chiave per un futuro sostenibile”
- Episode 4 – “Milano in movimento: il futuro della mobilità tra elettrificazione e sostenibilità”
- Episode 5 – “Oltre l’asfalto: aree verdi e infrastrutture naturali per contrastare il cambiamento climatico”
- Episode 6 -“Come si costruisce una città sostenibile? La cooperazione tra settore pubblico, privato e terzo settore e il ruolo della digitalizzazione per il raggiungimento degli obiettivi climatici”.
The episodes are available on the City of Milano’s Spotify Channel.
Who are the signatories of Milan’s Climate City Contract?
City of Milan, A2A S.p.A., ATM S.p.A., Board for Technological Innovation and Digital Transformation of the City of Milan, Coima, Coop Abitare, Covivio Development, FAI – Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano ETS, Fondazione Cariplo, Green Building Council, Invimit, Legambiente Lombardia, LendLease, LUM – Libera Unione Mutualistica, Milano Smart City Alliance, Milano Ristorazione S.p.A., MM S.p.A., Nhood Services Italy, Politecnico di Milano, REDO Sgr, SEA Milan Airports, SoGeMi S.p.A., Università Bocconi, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Università degli Studi di Milano (Statale), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca.
For further information: European Project NetZeroCities