European cities like Dresden (Germany), Zaragoza (Spain), Istanbul (Turkey), Ghent (Belgium), and Vantaa (Finland) are striving to cut emissions and reach climate neutrality. But projects involving advanced energy technologies often struggle to integrate societal perspectives, resulting in limited citizen engagement.
NEUTRALPATH tackles this challenge by showing how Positive Clean Energy Districts (PCEDs), designed with people at the centre, can accelerate decarbonisation. Yet technology alone is not enough — success also requires breaking down social, policy, and governance barriers, and ensuring citizens play an active role in shaping the transition.
As leader of NEUTRALPATH’s participatory and governance activities, Three o’clock put citizens and stakeholders at the heart of the project. We established Climate-Neutral Labs (CN-Labs) in Dresden, Zaragoza, Vantaa, Ghent, and Istanbul — living innovation spaces where policymakers, businesses, researchers, and communities co-create the future of Positive Clean Energy Districts (PCEDs).
Our work focused on:
Through this approach, Three o’clock turned co-creation into concrete impact.
The result: stronger governance, empowered communities, and practical resources that anchor climate-neutrality efforts in real participation. NEUTRALPATH is not only delivering results today — it is laying the foundation for citizen-powered, climate-neutral cities of tomorrow.
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This work was developed as part of the project NEUTRALPATH an HORIZON Innovation Action project with a duration of 60 months, and including 25 partners in the consortium that will work to pave the way towards climate-neutral cities through the development of positive and clean energy districts (PCEDs) and the co-design of efficient, climate-friendly solutions. By contributing to the European mission of achieving at least 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, it sets an example for other cities to replicate the process by 2050.
