CapaCITIES at COP31: From Horizon Europe Missions to Local Implementation

20 November 2026, 12:30–13:15 · COP31 Green Zone, Resilient Cities Stage 2, Antalya

CapaCITIES is co-organising a panel at COP31, the UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. The session, “Transitioning to Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities: From Horizon Europe Missions to Local Implementation”, will take place on 20 November from 12:30 to 13:15 at the Resilient Cities Stage 2 in the COP31 Green Zone.

The panel looks at how research and innovation under the Horizon Europe Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission help cities move toward climate neutrality. Speakers will discuss how Mission solutions are put into practice at city level, how cities build the technical capacity they need, and how successful approaches can be taken up by other cities.

The discussion draws on the experience of Mission cities in Türkiye and asks how European support mechanisms such as NetZeroCities and CapaCITIES can be adapted to local conditions and turned into concrete action.

Moderator

• Dr. Görsev Argın Uz, Marmara Municipalities Union

Panelists

• Nicolas Francart, Danish Cities Mission Platform / CapaCITIES
• Carolina Urrutia Vasquez, C40 x Global Covenant of Mayors Joint Program
• Hikmetullah Mert Aldemir, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality
• Ece Özön, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality

The session will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation into Turkish.

If you are attending COP31, join us on 20 November at the Resilient Cities Stage 2!