At the Smart City Expo World Congress 2024, EU-supported projects, including the Support service for Citizen-led renovation, came together to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time: building climate-neutral and positive energy districts. The panel, titled "Power of Communities: Co-Creating Pathways to Climate Neutrality," included inspiring insights from the Support Service for Citizen-led Renovation and other impactful initiatives.

Session Highlights: Moderated by Veronika Cerna from Twenty Communications, the session emphasized that while technology is essential, it’s only half the equation—real progress requires engaged communities, empowered citizens, and collaborative innovation across all sectors.

Local Approaches Making an Impact:

• Jörgen Lööf from Stockholm’s ASCEND project shared how ElectriCITY is catalyzing climate innovation with 18,000 residents testing sustainable solutions in their daily lives. His guiding principle? “It’s got to be profitable to be climate-smart.”
• Anh Minh Vu from NEUTRALPATH highlighted Dresden’s grassroots-driven approach, where citizens pushed for climate action through a local referendum. Today, Dresden is piloting clean energy districts with real estate companies, the University of Dresden, and a gamified platform to boost citizen engagement.
• Dirk Ahlers from Re-Value spoke on intentional co-creation, focusing on nine European waterfront cities where collaborative planning shapes tailored, community-driven climate solutions.
• Baptiste Mougeot of Scalable Cities shared how cross-border community networks accelerate solutions. Learning from Madrid’s mobility hub, Lyon found a sustainable business model for its own.
• Leen Peeters from Th!nk E discussed the unique trust energy communities bring to renovation projects. Involving nonprofits in energy renovations has led to remarkable success, grounded in a non-commercial, trust-based approach.

Key Takeaway: Achieving climate-neutral and energy-positive districts depends on committed partnerships across sectors—from residents to local governments to European networks. Each stakeholder brings essential perspectives, knowledge, and trust, making climate action accessible, sustainable, and, most importantly, community-driven.