On 5 November 2024, a pivotal moment unfolded at the Smart Cities World Expo Congress in Barcelona, Spain, as ASCEND and NetZeroCities formalised their collaboration, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding, marking the first step in our joint effort to tackle urban sustainability challenges and drive climate innovation in cities. The MoU is expected to lay the groundwork for a strong, cooperative relationship aimed at accelerating cities’ transitions to carbon neutrality.