URBAN-ESG+: Climate-Positive Cities

Context for Urban ESG AI-Dashboard Project (English)

The Urban ESG AI-Dashboard initiative is rooted in the European Union's values and priorities, aiming to foster sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities by integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into local decision-making. Aligned with the European Green Deal, EU Urban Agenda, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the project seeks to enhance data-driven urban governance while promoting transparency, participation, and innovation.

Rapid urbanization, climate change, and socio-economic inequalities challenge municipalities' capacity to provide equitable services. By leveraging AI-powered data analytics, the dashboard enables cities to monitor, evaluate, and improve their ESG performance across key domains such as climate resilience, energy efficiency, social equity, circular economy, and citizen engagement.

The theoretical foundation draws on urban sustainability transitions, multi-level governance theory, and EU digital transformation frameworks, situating the project within the broader European commitment to open data ecosystems, inclusive innovation, and climate-neutral cities. The dashboard is designed as a living lab for ESG-driven policymaking, fostering collaboration between municipalities, academia, civil society, and private sector actors.

By integrating real-time data with participatory governance tools, the project aligns local priorities with EU missions such as NetZeroCities and the New European Bauhaus (NEB), supporting cities to not only comply with ESG standards but to lead sustainable transformations. This approach positions municipalities as active contributors to EU-wide objectives on climate neutrality, social cohesion, and digital sovereignty, while empowering citizens to co-create urban futures.