On 28 May 2026, BLOSSOM Project was represented by The Lisbon Council at the Cities Mission Conference in Turin, bringing together cities, policymakers, financial actors, researchers and other stakeholders to discuss pathways towards climate neutrality and the mobilisation of investment for urban climate action.
The opening plenary, including contributions from the Italian Minister for the Environment Mr. Fratin, Turin Mayor Mr. Lo Russo and Mr. Patrick Child, Mission Manager, highlighted the crucial role of cities and cross-level collaboration in addressing environmental challenges, as well as the importance of cooperation between public authorities, research institutions and the private sector in scaling innovative solutions.
Across the parallel sessions, different approaches to overcoming barriers to private investment in climate solutions were presented through concrete city-level examples. Leuven presented its forthcoming Climate City Fund, developed in the context of its Climate City Contract to create a diversified portfolio of projects capable of attracting private investors. The Capital Hub, part of the Cities Mission Platform managed by NetZeroCities, was presented as another mechanism to help cities access finance beyond traditional public funding. Discussions on municipal bonds in France highlighted the significant process of de-risking projects and strengthening municipal capacity to develop bankable investment opportunities. Another Portuguese example focused on a municipal energy fund designed to attract Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) to invest in energy-efficiency solutions and provide services at more affordable prices, illustrating how innovative financing mechanisms can combine climate objectives with social goals such as reducing energy poverty.
Taken together, these examples provided relevant insights for BLOSSOM on the financial mechanisms, partnerships and institutional capacities required to transform locally identified climate solutions into bankable projects capable of attracting private investment while delivering wider environmental and social benefits.
