CapaCITIES 2.0 contributes to the 2nd International Conference of Cidades pelo Clima in Lisbon

On 2 July 2026, the 2nd International Conference of Cidades pelo Clima took place at the Beato Innovation District in Lisbon, bringing together around 200 representatives from municipalities, academia, finance, business, civil society and public policy to discuss how local climate investment can be accelerated.

Held under the theme “Delivering Climate Neutrality – Business, Finance & Collective Action”, the conference focused on the cooperation needed between municipalities, financial institutions, policymakers and businesses to support climate neutrality at the local level. The event was organised by the IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research at Instituto Superior Técnico, DGEG – Direção Geral de Energia e Geologia, within the scope of the European project CapaCITIES 2.0, and Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics, as part of the 2nd Lisbon Sustainability Week.

CapaCITIES 2.0 was particularly represented in Panel 1: “Unlocking Municipal Climate Investment”, which addressed one of the central challenges for cities: how municipalities can mobilise the investment needed to deliver the climate transition in their territories.

Moderated by Julio Lumbreras from CitiES2030, the panel brought together Elena Simion from UEFISCDI and M100, Miguel Almeida from the Municipal Recovery Fund, and Olga Kordas from Viable Cities. The discussion explored financial instruments, governance models and public policies that can strengthen municipalities’ capacity to attract and manage climate investment.

By contributing to this debate, CapaCITIES 2.0 reinforced its role in supporting cities and national platforms across Europe to build the enabling conditions for climate-neutral urban transformation. The panel highlighted the importance of connecting policy, finance and local implementation capacity so that municipalities can move from ambition to action.

The conference programme also included thematic panels on blended finance, local climate pacts and the mobilisation of private capital for the urban transition, creating a space for dialogue between public authorities, financial actors, companies and civil society.

Through its participation in the Cidades pelo Clima conference, CapaCITIES 2.0 continued to promote knowledge exchange, capacity building and collaboration among cities working towards climate neutrality.