A memorandum of understanding between the Municipality of Padua and the University of Padua to implement the Climate City Contract

By adopting the European Green Deal, the European Union has committed to reducing emissions by 55% by 2030, and to achieving climate neutrality in 2050. Achieving this goal implies a major involvement of cities, which are responsible for more than 65% of the world’s energy consumed and for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions.
As part of the “Climate-neutral and Smart Cities Mission”, the European Commission has selected 100 pioneer cities that will commit to achieving climate neutrality by 2030. The initiative will be funded by Horizon Europe with euro 360 million for the period 2022-2023. These include the city of Padua, along with nine other Italian cities.

In the scene of this important recognition, the Municipality of Padua is now engaged in developing the Climate City Contract, which will include a master plan for climate neutrality in all sectors – energy, buildings, waste management and transport – together with related investment plans, through a process involving citizens, research organisations and the private sector.
The University of Padua is a key player in this context, as a result of the many such partnerships established over the years with the Municipality, and of the University’s own commitment to reducing its energy consumption and emissions.

In order to promote effective coordination and collaboration between the Municipality and the University to achieve the objectives of the Net Zero Cities Mission, a memorandum of understanding has been drawn up to include commitment to carry out the following actions:

– share policies on sustainability and decarbonisation between the Municipality of Padua and the University of Padua, to implement synergistic strategies and actions studied to enhance their impact and effectiveness, and to improve living conditions in the city;
– collaborate in dissemination initiatives addressing the public at large, information campaigns, events and training projects on sustainability issues – with a view to raising awareness in the people living, studying and working in the city of Padua concerning the 2030 Agenda goals and to involve them – and on the contribution each person can make towards achieving them;
– identify and launch initiatives for technical-scientific collaboration, information sharing and co-planning on topics of interest to the Municipality and to the University with the aim of supporting the City of Padua’s transition to climate neutrality;
– ensure joint participation in regional, national and European programmes to identify additional forms of funding for the further development and support of the above activities.

The University of Padua’s contact person for the protocol is Professor Francesca da Porto, Pro-Rector for Sustainability.