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Paper short abstract

This study examines citizen participation in EU Climate City Contracts through an environmental justice lens, analysing decision-making influence in nature-based solutions governance. Findings indicate predominantly procedural participation with limited development toward co-governance arrangements.

Paper long abstract

Green urban strategies, including nature-based solutions (NbS), are increasingly promoted as pathways to climate neutrality that can also support social inclusion and spatial justice within EU climate-neutral and smart city agendas (Beretta & Bracchi, 2023). Within the EU Mission: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, Climate City Contracts (CCCs) formalise local transition strategies and emphasise citizen participation (Doci et al., 2025). However, it remains an open question to what extent participatory approaches embedded in CCCs enable meaningful influence on decision-making and contribute to more inclusive urban transitions (Kiss et al., 2022).

Existing NbS research highlights that these strategies are often framed as win-win solutions for climate mitigation, risk reduction, and urban attractiveness, while social and environmental justice considerations receive comparatively less attention. Alternative perspectives emphasise biodiversity protection and ecological integrity (Nóblega-Carriquiry et al., 2023; Wijsman & Berbés-Blázquez, 2022).

This article examines how citizen participation around green urban strategies and NbS is structured in CCCs. Using Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation, it maps participation levels across cities and identifies patterns of involvement and decision-making influence (Cortés-Cediel et al., 2019). The analysis is complemented by the triad of social acceptance and the Nature4Cities framework (Wüstenhagen et al., 2007; Sari et al., 2020).

Preliminary findings indicate that participation is uneven and largely situated in informing and consultation stages, with fewer cases reaching higher levels of citizen influence (Oregi et al., 2025). These results suggest that, while participatory elements are present, their potential to support more inclusive and deliberative governance arrangements remains under development.