20 Jul 2026
16 Mission cities and their twin partners cooperate in new Twinning Learning Programme
On 20 July 2026, the fifth cohort of the Twinning Learning Programme was launched under the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. This marks the start of a year-long collaboration between 16 Mission cities and 13 twin cities across 11 partnerships. The programme strengthens cooperation between cities working towards climate neutrality by 2050. It builds on the Mission’s objective to turn Mission cities into hubs of experimentation and innovation that can inspire and support all European cities in their transition.
The partnerships for this cohort are as follows:
- Izmir and Sofia – Cascais
- Dortmund – Gdynia and Issy-les-Moulineaux
- Miskolc and Zagreb – Matosinhos
- Istanbul and Athens – Prague
- Turku and Porto – Aalborg
- Riga – Kifissia
- The Hague and Sønderborg – Ghent
- Aarhus – Hamburg
- Gabrovo – Rethymno
- Lappeenranta – Maribor
- Vitoria-Gasteiz – Barreiro and Bodrum
The programme is built on practical exchange and mutual learning. Twin cities bring tested solutions from their own EU-funded projects in areas such as energy, mobility, nature-based solutions and citizen engagement to the partnerships. Mission cities share experience from implementing their Climate City Contracts and from developing city-wide climate strategies. The exchange works both ways. Mission cities benefit from new perspectives and locally tested solutions. Twin cities gain insight from cities that are already implementing large-scale climate neutrality strategies. Over the next twelve months, the paired cities will take part in regular online exchanges and two study visits. Together, they will develop joint Action Plans to turn their exchanges into concrete local action. Since its launch in 2023, the Twinning Learning Programme has connected more than 200 cities across Europe.
For more information: