The DECARBONIZE is centred in the mission “Carbon-neutral and smart cities” from the Horizon Europe programme. The main objective is to support, promote and showcase a systemic transformation towards climate neutrality at the local level. The geographical focus will be on the Northern Region of Portugal, given the relevance of local actions and the role of several local actors towards carbon neutrality –from decentralization of energy management to citizen engagement and tailored solutions. However, the aim is to develop solutions that can also be replicated and transferred to different contexts EU-wide, using cities as testbeds for experimentation of innovative solutions. The achievement of carbon-neutral and smart cities relies on three main pillars:

• Carbon neutral energy systems, through system integration (multi-level, multi-sector),complemented with non-energy abatement solutions taking advantage of potential synergies among a multitude of sectors and vectors, at different management levels, moving from silo-based solutions to a holistic and integrated solution. This will comprise technical challenges at different levels –from dwelling/building to district and the whole city;
• Active citizens and new governance models: policy and technical challenges associated with the achievement of multi-level governance, with solutions that are created by and for the citizens, which will guarantee a fair and inclusive transition;
• Smartness through digitalization and automation: digitalization and the increasing data availability will be fundamental tools to guarantee carbon neutrality, as these will support both system integration and the involvement of different stakeholders and the promotion of active citizenship.

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Este trabalho é financiado pelo FEDER através do Programa Operacional Regional do Norte – NORTE 2020 do Portugal 2020 no âmbito do projeto DECARBONIZE, com a referência NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000065.