The European Commission has launched the fifth cohort of its Twinning Learning Programme, establishing 11 partnerships between 16 “Mission” cities and 13 “twin” partners. The year-long collaboration, announced on 20 July 2026, is designed to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral and smart cities by 2050.

The programme pairs cities that are part of the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission with other European municipalities to share technical expertise. Partnerships in this cohort include Izmir and Sofia with Cascais, and Aarhus with Hamburg. Other participating cities include Istanbul, Athens, Prague, Porto, and Ghent.

The collaboration focuses on practical exchanges in areas such as energy management, urban mobility, and nature-based solutions. Mission cities share their experiences in developing “Climate City Contracts,” which are investment plans and commitments reviewed by the European Commission to attract public and private funding.

Since its inception in 2023, the programme has connected more than 200 cities across Europe. The initiative is managed by NetZeroCities, a consortium of 34 partners supporting 112 cities in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the European Green Deal.

The Directorate-General for Research and Innovation stated that the programme “builds on the Mission’s objective to turn Mission cities into hubs of experimentation and innovation that can inspire and support all European cities in their transition.”