Strategizing for Climate Neutrality. How to Make Social Innovation Relevant in the City’s Journey to Climate Neutrality

This chapter explores the imperative for cities to accelerate their journey towards climate neutrality through social innovation and systemic transformation. It begins by contextualizing the challenge within the European Union’s “100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030” Mission, emphasizing the need for collaborative governance and creative approaches to city planning. Key practices for sustainability action planning are outlined, including the establishment of Transition Teams, development of portfolios of actions, mobilisation of cross-sectoral ecosystems, and iterative planning processes. The chapter further introduces the Climate Transition Map as a tool to guide cities through their transition journey. Additionally, it discusses the importance of learning and capability building for embedding sustainability and social innovation in city practices, highlighting the need for facilitating continuous learning and reflection for informing innovation towards sustainable practices. Finally, it addresses the evolving nature of sustainable transitions and the need for transformative policies, innovative approaches, and agile structures to achieve systemic transformation. Throughout, the chapter emphasizes the central role of social innovation in empowering collective action towards climate neutrality, as a crucial aspect of sustainability transitions beyond technological innovations.