The European Commission has officially announced that Ljubljana has received the title Climate Neutral and Smart City. With this, we have officially started the path to decarbonisation. The ceremonial presentation of the title will take place on 22 October 2024 in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

In addition to Ljubljana, 19 other cities participating in the Mission of 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 received the title, including Kranj, which makes us happy. The documentation for obtaining the title was submitted for evaluation by 23 cities, and the review took place in two phases, in the end, Ljubljana received an excellent rating by getting 90 out of 100 total points. The evaluators singled out Ljubljana as a model for other cities.

The title of Climate-Neutral and Smart City is the most prestigious award and proof that Ljubljana is on the right path to climate neutrality and thus to an additional increase in the quality of life in our city.

Action plan

As part of applying for the title, the City of Ljubljana submitted an extensive proposal for the city's climate contract, which includes an action plan for the decarbonization of Ljubljana by 2030, an investment plan and the city's commitment to decarbonization, as well as demonstrated support from various stakeholders.

The action plan of the climate agreement is based on the following areas:

• energy systems (decarbonisation of energy products, construction of an incinerator, production of green energy, sustainable electricity grid, increase in energy efficiency, improvement of energy management, negative emissions, etc.);
• mobility and transport (improvement of public transport, improvement of green mobility and accessibility management, decarbonisation of road and other motor vehicles, improvement of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, etc.);
• waste and the circular economy (reducing the amount of waste, comprehensive and sustainable waste management, etc.);
• green infrastructure and greening (sustainable urban planning and construction, urban greening and green and blue infrastructure, forest management, sustainable agriculture, nature-based solutions, etc.);
• digitization (urban digital platform, smart digital solutions, digital tools for management, planning and implementation of city policies, single information and communication point for citizens, administration and economy, etc.);
• built environment (land management, energy renovation of buildings, intended use of space, etc.);
• inclusion of the population.

Ljubljana is part of Mission 100