The Urban Transitions Mission (UTM) has launched the City2City Programme, a new global initiative designed to connect cities through collaboration and peer learning, accelerating the transition toward net-zero, resilient, and people-centred urban development
The City2City Programme was officially announced at the UTM Global Innovation Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 6 November 2025.
Urban innovation
The City2City Programme builds on successful European cooperation models to help cities share knowledge and co-create practical solutions for sustainable urban transformation.
Through “twinning” arrangements, cities will exchange best practices and collaborate on pilot projects addressing issues such as clean energy, climate resilience, mobility, and inclusive urban planning.
Following an open call for expressions of interest that closed in September 2025, 28 cities were selected to participate in the first round. These cities are grouped into 11 partnerships, each comprising up to three towns, spanning regions from Europe and Asia to Africa and Latin America.
Some of the new twinning pairs include:
- Darkhan (Mongolia) – Istanbul (Türkiye) – Valencia (Spain)
- Ablekuma (Ghana) – Belo Horizonte (Brazil) – Salvador (Brazil)
- Barranquilla (Colombia) – Córdoba (Argentina) – Quelimane (Mozambique)
- Kisumu (Kenya) – Sakarya (Türkiye) – Surat (India)
- Baguio (The Philippines) – Chefchaouen (Morocco) – Leh (India)
Each partnership will be guided by experienced facilitators from the UTM team, who will coordinate group sessions, study visits, and city-to-city exchanges. The goal is to enhance local capacities for designing and managing sustainable urban solutions while fostering collaboration between public and private stakeholders.
Scaling solutions through collaboration
The City2City Programme is backed by funding from the European Commission and supported by the UTM Global Innovation Alliance, which brings together governments, research organisations, and private sector partners. The programme will help participating cities identify bankable projects and joint pilot actions that can be implemented in the short to medium term.
By fostering cooperation across regions, the City2City Programme aims to scale up real-world climate solutions that deliver measurable impacts, from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to enhancing the quality of life in urban areas.
Expanding the network
At the Rio de Janeiro summit, co-hosted by the European Commission, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, and Brazilian partners, UTM confirmed that a second call for expressions of interest is now open, with a deadline of January 8, 2026. This next round aims to expand participation to up to 50 cities worldwide.
The urban transitions mission
The Urban Transitions Mission is one of seven global missions under Mission Innovation, a collaborative initiative that accelerates clean energy innovation to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Co-led by the European Commission, the Global Covenant of Mayors, and JPI Urban Europe, the mission supports cities in developing integrated, climate-friendly urban systems.
Launched at COP26 in Glasgow, UTM has since established a network of 118 cities across 48 countries, with plans to expand to 300 cities by 2030. Collectively, these cities are projected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by over 280 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually by 2030, helping to shape a more sustainable urban future worldwide.
