The M100 Hub, a national project through which Romania aims to support Romanian cities in their green transition, announced the names of the 10 cities selected in the M100 Mission, as part of the M100 Climate Neutrality Forum, which takes place in Bucharest from 29-30 October at MINA Museum, according to Romania Journal.
In the coming years, they will receive support in the development of climate neutrality plans and will be financed to implement actions to help them in the green transition. The 10 cities were chosen by an international jury made up of specialists in urban planning and urban development, in a competition held between June and September 2024.
Therefore, Alba Iulia, Bistrița, Brașov, Bucharest, Buzău, Constanța, Iași, Oradea, Reșița and Timișoara are the cities that will be supported to reduce their carbon emissions by 2035 and to transform into smart, green and eco-friendly cities their inhabitants.
The 10 cities join Romania’s three other cities—Cluj Napoca, Bucharest Sector 2, and Suceava—that are already on the path toward climate neutrality. These cities were selected as part of the European Mission “100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities” and have already made significant progress toward a green transition. The M100 Mission mirrors the European initiative, aiming to replicate EU policies nationally and help more Romanian cities achieve the carbon reduction targets set under the European Green Deal.
“M100 is now one step closer to our national goal: achieving climate neutrality in Romanian cities. Congratulations to the 10 cities selected for the M100 Mission for their efforts and innovative solutions. The real work, however, starts now, and I assure these cities that we will do everything possible to help them learn to build strategies for climate neutrality and to fund their solutions. We know these efforts require adequate financing, so by 2035, M100 aims to fund €1 billion worth of projects from the 10 newly selected cities, as well as the three from the European Mission: Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest – Sector 2, and Suceava. This is just one of M100’s initiatives, and we will continue to support all Romanian cities, diversifying the types of assistance we offer,” stated Ovidiu Cîmpean, State Secretary at the Ministry of Investments and European Projects and M100 Hub Coordinator.
In the coming period, the 10 cities will develop Climate City Contracts with support from M100 consultants—a European action plan model that helps identify individual solutions for achieving climate neutrality. Through M100, the cities will then be able to apply for funding to implement actions in areas like green energy, sustainability, smart mobility, circular economy, and green governance. These cities will also learn from the experiences of the three cities already included in the European Mission and could themselves become best-practice examples for other Romanian cities.
“The interest shown by Romanian cities in joining the M100 Mirror Mission and the quality of their applications demonstrate that the idea UEFISCDI had in 2022 to request the Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitization’s approval to establish M100 was sound. From the outset, M100 was about providing integrated interventions to ensure cities have the knowledge and resources needed for the transition to climate neutrality. Congratulations to the 10 cities selected for M100, and I look forward to starting work. I am convinced that their experience and innovative solutions will establish Romania as a high-performing, internationally recognized player, a model for cities and countries to follow. M100’s message is also that “no city is left behind.” We will encourage and support other local governments that are determined to make their communities more sustainable—climate-neutral and smart. Romanian cities need M100, and I am confident they are ready to take action,” declared Adrian Curaj, Director General of UEFISCDI, the institution providing the general secretariat for M100.
The cities were selected following a process similar to the European one, and applications from 16 cities impressed the jury with innovative proposals. “I am impressed by the quality of proposals from Romanian cities to join the national mission. They are bold, present a systemic vision, have a clear, multi-sectoral approach, and address the needs of multiple stakeholders, essential elements for the genuine transformation of our cities. Many applications also propose innovative multi-level governance systems. Romania is undoubtedly a pioneer in Europe regarding implementing the EU Mission for Cities and a driving force for broader transformation on the continent, particularly for Eastern European countries,” stated Julio Lumbreras, Tenured Associate Professor at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and M100 jury member.
The M100 Climate Neutrality Forum, held on October 29-30 at the Mina Museum in Bucharest, is a unique initiative in Romania, bringing together, for the first time, mayors of selected cities, representatives of the Presidential Administration, government officials, ministers, representatives of the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Net Zero Cities, Dark Matter Lab, as well as representatives from the non-governmental, academic, and private sectors and independent experts under a common theme: supporting Romanian cities in their transition toward climate neutrality.
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