About

Decarbonising the global economy is the primary means of tackling global warming. However, it also implies a disruptive change process which can be costly for social groups already at risk. The social impact of adaptation and mitigation policies has become clear and there is a growing need to reconcile social justice and environmental sustainability goals. Cities have a clear role to play in achieving these goals.

There is a pressing need to identify practical ‒ and just ‒ policy solutions able to inspire locally driven low-carbon transitions in EU cities. Recognising the urgency, the UIA has led a two-year policy review (2021-2023) to explore a sample of projects run by cities to support just transitions so that no one is left behind.

The review identifies city-level good practices. It teases out useful policy insights to help urban policy practitioners and managing authorities with the challenges of making Just Transitions a reality in their territories. In this regards, the study focuses on three main key topics: It

• Skills for a Green urban future.
• Accessible and Affordable Green City for All.
• Democratic and Green Transitions.

The review looked at some 86 UIA projects working under 14 topics; it involved an in-depth review of 10 UIA projects and of 1 URBACT city, a literature review, and interviews with key witnesses.

The present report presents the findings of the in-depth case studies for the Accessible and Affordable Green City for All topic. It provides background information and concrete solutions to the challenge of inventing the green city in a way that is both accessible and affordable to all. This report:

• Presents the main issues and the role of cities in the EU policy context, together with the major barriers they face (Table 6 presents the barriers considered).
•  Details the Promising Practices implemented by 11 cities.
• Translates the lessons into a set of recommendations for cities keen to implement Just Transitions inspired policies.