The role of the University of Bologna in contributing to the Climate City Contract process for Bologna

According to the EU Mission Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 (Cities Mission), cities play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change and achieving climate neutrality by 2050, the goal of the European Green Deal. In 2021, the European Commission launched a call for interest addressed to cities to deliver at least 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, to inspire and enable all European cities to follow suit by 2050. The city of Bologna in Italy is one of the 100 EU cities that have been selected. By describing the unique long-lasting city-university partnerships that characterises Bologna, this chapter presents the collaborative process behind the expression of interest of the Municipality of Bologna in the Cities Mission, and the contribution the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna is committed to give to the city’s goal to become climate-neutral by 2030.