Limassol awarded by EU for climate goals

Limassol was named on Tuesday as one of 23 cities to be awarded with the European Union’s Mission Label for its climate neutrality goals.

The European Commission said the label “recognises the cities’ plans to achieve climate neutrality by 2030 and will help them get easier access to public and private funding to make it happen.

“These cities are showing us the way to a healthier and better future,” it added.

The label, as the Commission stated in October, is an “acknowledgement of the successful development of Climate City Contracts”.

The contracts outline the cities’ overall vision for climate neutrality, including both an action plan and an investment strategy.

The Commission plans to deliver a total of 100 climate neutral and smart cities by 2030 and ensure that these cities act as “experimentation and innovation hubs” to enable all European cities to follow suit by 2050.

The 22 cities awarded with the EU Mission Label alongside Limassol include four cities in Greece: Ioannina, Kalamata, Kozani, and Thessaloniki.

Other cities in receipt of the label on Tuesday include Barcelona, Seville, Malmo, Lisbon, Florence, Marseille, Lyon, and Izmir.

Limassol has been working towards boosting its green credentials for a number of years and was named a “Green City of Cyprus” last year. The city won the award for its free park and ride system.

It was named among the 100 EU cities to be climate neutral back in 2022, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying there’s always a need for trailblazers, who set themselves even higher goals. These cities are showing us the way to a healthier future. We will support them on this!”

Then-Innovation Deputy Minister Kyriacos Kokkinos said Limassol can “spearhead efforts towards climate neutrality for the whole of Cyprus.”