Breaking silos – can the EU’s mission approach for climate-neutral cities accelerate energy transitions?
Innovative ideas and working methods are needed to speed up sustainable energy transitions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Previous studies have shown the importance of breaking silos between institutions to accelerate this transition. This project investigates how an innovative governance approach - the EU's mission for climate-neutral cities - can increase the pace of energy transitions. For this purpose, we study two cities that have been selected to participate in the EU’s mission approach: Stockholm and Amsterdam.
The overarching research question of the project is: To what extent and how can the mission approach contribute to an acceleration of energy transitions in cities? Specifically, in the context of the European Cities Mission it will (1) map out the mission approach, (2) analyse how it works in practice, and (3) evaluate its effects in Stockholm and Amsterdam. In particular, it will investigate if and how the mission approach can break up silos horizontally (for instance within a city administration and public/private actors domestically) and vertically (for instance within transnational networks and international institutions) and how it can impact energy transitions both in terms of reducing emissions but also from the perspective of social justice.
The project will contribute to research, policy, and practice with an understanding of how the mission approach can break up silos and provide approaches and tools to accelerate sustainable energy transitions towards net-zero emissions.
The project runs between 2023 – 2025
Researchers in the project
Naghmeh Nasiritousi, Utrikespolitiska institutet (projektledare)
Alexandra Buylova, Utrikespolitiska institutet
Björn Wickenberg, Lunds Universitet
Cesar Casiano Flores, Universiteit Twente
Lisa Sanderink, Universiteit Twente
Kes Mccormick, Lunds universitet