FIT4Urban Mission

Nine cities, Austria's pioneers, are setting out together to become climate-neutral. The Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) supports these nine cities in building up knowledge about climate neutrality and in improving and developing strategies for implementation measures through a targeted funding scheme.

Setting the course through research, technology and innovation

The "FIT4UrbanMission" initiative within the program "City of the Future" aims to fund the structural prerequisites in cities to significantly accelerate their paths toward climate neutrality through research, technology and innovation ("RTI"). In addition, the initiative was set up to support Austrian cities in participating in the EU mission "100 Climate-Neutral Cities by 2030" as well as in the future focus of the "Climate-neutral city" supported by the BMK.

Key role of cities

The National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP) outlines Austria's energy and climate goals by 2030 and functions as a comprehensive roadmap. The plan also includes non-emissions trading sectors such as transport, agriculture and buildings.
Cities are already acting not only as planners, investors, and operators of carbon-neutral infrastructure, but also have essential tools for designing and implementing carbon neutrality and will have a pioneering role in achieving the NEKP goals.

Cities are the economic, cultural and social centers of our world, but at the same time cause about 75% of global CO2 emissions and consume 78% of the global energy. Around 75% of the European population lives in urban areas - and the trend is rising (source: EIT Climate-KIC 2019: 1). These figures show the importance of cities in the fight against climate change. The nine Austrian cities - Vienna, Graz, St. Pölten, Klagenfurt, Villach, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Dornbirn - are actively taking on this challenge by participating in the FIT4UrbanMission.

Together on the way

In recent years, many Austrian cities and municipalities have developed smart city or other climate protection strategies, including the corresponding target, measure and monitoring catalogues. A particular contribution to these strategies was made by the national RTI and demonstration programs such as City of the Future (BMK), Mobility of the Future (BMK) and Smart Cities Demo (KLIEN). Urban actors are also constantly involved in national research projects, with the results and insights being incorporated into the cities' concrete measures and sector strategies. Through the support of and collaboration with the BMK, Austrian cities have already laid a solid basis for their transition towards climate neutrality.

Communication and network

The Smart Cities Network Austria is a national platform funded by the BMK, in which Austria's largest cities (currently Vienna, Graz, Klagenfurt, Villach, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck) regularly exchange ideas, discuss issues related to infrastructure, governance and future developments and initiate city-spanning projects. The Network formed the basis for the FIT4UrbanMission consultation process, in which all network cites as well as St. Pölten and Dornbirn participate. The Salzburg Institute for Spatial Planning and Housing acts as coordination center of the network.