This year’s EHPA forum zooms in on cities as main actors of the energy transition. An increasing share of humans live in cities. This trend requires no-pollution solutions to maintain local air quality, reduce the effect of heat islands and provide the fair share of cities in the fight against global warming. At the same time, cities have their own budgets and can act more directly and on the ground than national or European legislators. Cities thus become urban labs that can explore possible pathways towards zero emissions.

In Session 1 representatives of proactive cities will explain how they have dealt with the most prevailing challenges (or are planning to do so). The participating representatives have already made big steps in the energy transition and are close in setting best practice examples for other cities to follow.

Session 2 will discuss the challenges from a planning perspective: how can the quest for zero emission cities be modelled and which tools are available to monitor execution over time. City planners and researchers will present what is feasible and may also elaborate on tools they wish they had at their disposal.

Session 3 will shed light into progressive and innovative projects which prove that any challenge can be solved with the use of sustainable and smart tools that move away from the use of fossil fuels and combustion.