Frequently asked questions

What is A+CLASS?

A+CLASS – Alliance for Climate Leadership for Actionable Sustainability Solutions is a collaborative project that brings together Guimarães, Lisbon, and Porto to strengthen the leadership of Portuguese cities in the transition towards climate neutrality. Funded by the NetZeroCities programme, the project develops digital and collaborative solutions to monitor and accelerate urban climate action.

O A+CLASS – Alliance for Climate Leadership for Actionable Sustainability Solutions é um projeto colaborativo que une Guimarães, Lisboa e Porto para reforçar a liderança das cidades portuguesas na transição para a neutralidade climática. Financiado pelo programa NetZeroCities, o projeto cria soluções digitais e colaborativas para acompanhar e acelerar a ação climática urbana.

The project will create an integrated digital platform that combines a top-down approach, focused on municipal monitoring, with a bottom-up approach developed together with the private sector. This platform will enable real-time assessment of emissions, investments, and the impact of climate actions, bringing together essential information to plan and adjust policies and projects. 

The project is led by the Municipality of Guimarães and Laboratório da Paisagem, with technical coordination by IST-ID/IN+, in partnership with Porto City Council, Lisbon City Council, Porto Ambiente, Porto Energy Agency, and Porto Digital.  A+CLASS also integrates the Cidades pelo Clima network, promoting knowledge sharing with other Portuguese municipalities committed to climate neutrality. 

The business sector is an active partner in A+CLASS. Companies will be involved through a self-reporting platform and encouraged to share their climate data and actions, making their contributions visible and measurable. 

This involvement will make it possible to assess in real time the combined impact of cities and companies, strengthening public–private cooperation in the climate transition. 

A+CLASS values citizen participation through co-creation and capacity-building processes that aim to engage people in the monitoring and implementation of climate actions. 

A+CLASS will start in March 2025 and will run until September 2026.

Among the main outcomes of A+CLASS are:

  • The creation of a digital platform to monitor Cities’ Climate Contracts; 
  • A Practical Climate Action Handbook with replicable policies and best practices; 
  • Stronger collaboration between municipalities, companies, and citizens; 
  • And knowledge sharing with other cities through the Cidades pelo Clima network. 

Because it promotes a new way of acting based on data and collaboration, bringing together municipalities, science, businesses, and citizens in a joint effort. The project is innovative as it is the first to propose a real-time monitoring tool for cities’ climate transition, using their commitments outlined in the Climate Contracts as a basis. 

 

The Cities’ Climate Contracts (CCC) are key documents that define the pathway for each European city towards climate neutrality by 2030.Created within the framework of the European Union’s Mission Cities and the NetZeroCities programme, the CCCs bring together targets, action plans, and investments to reduce emissions and accelerate the climate transition. 

They are developed collaboratively by municipalities, businesses, universities, and citizens, serving as a shared compass to guide decisions, mobilize resources, and ensure coordinated action to build greener, more inclusive, and resilient cities. Each contract is tailored by the city to address its specific needs. 

For the Private Sector
Why should my company be a part of the project?

Taking part in A+CLASS is an opportunity to position your company as a leader in urban climate action. 
By joining the network of partner companies, your organisation actively contributes to the carbon neutrality of cities and gains access to tools, data and knowledge that strengthen the efficiency and sustainability of its operations. 
Participation also enhances your capacity to respond to sustainability criteria in sustainable public procurement processes and other similar initiatives. 

“Reporting” means sharing, in a structured way, information about your company’s climate actions and emissions, such as energy consumption, investments in efficiency, or sustainable mobility initiatives. 
This process will be carried out through the A+CLASS digital platform, which simplifies data submission and allows companies to visualise their direct contribution to the city’s climate neutrality goals. 

  • Visibility and public recognition as a company committed to the climate transition and urban sustainability. 
  • Access to tailored indicators and analyses that help identify opportunities to reduce costs and emissions. 
  • Integration into innovation and collaboration networks with municipalities, universities and other companies.
  • Direct contribution to local and national decarbonisation policies, strengthening the organisation’s institutional responsibility and reputation. 

No. Participation in A+CLASS is voluntary and collaborative. The aim is to share knowledge, create transparency and facilitate cooperation between the public and private sectors. 
The platform has been designed to simplify the reporting process, ensuring security, confidentiality and an accessible experience for companies of different sizes and sectors. 

Getting involved is simple. Interested companies should express their interest to the municipality or the A+CLASS team, who will provide technical support and personalised guidance. 

Data will be collected on energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, mobility, waste, and other sustainability initiatives. The aim is to build an integrated and realistic view of the private sector’s contribution to the climate neutrality of cities. 

More than 90% of urban emissions result from activities outside the direct control of municipalities. The involvement of companies is therefore essential to measure and accelerate collective progress. 
By reporting its actions, your company helps the city to plan more effectively, prioritise investments and demonstrate tangible results in the fight against climate change. 

A+CLASS is not just a technological project — it is an alliance between cities, science and companies. 
By taking part, your organisation joins a pioneering network that combines data, innovation and collaboration to build more sustainable and competitive cities, with local impact and national and European recognition. 

You can contact the project team using the contact details provided on this website.

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