TWINVERSE · The Federated Universe of AI-Enhanced Digital Twins to Achieve Climate Neutrality of Urban Environments

European cities are at the frontline of the climate crisis, responsible for over 70% of global CO2 emissions while hosting 75% of the EU population—a figure projected to rise further. Cities are also increasingly exposed to the compounding impacts of heatwaves, flooding, air pollution, and energy poverty, all of which disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. At the same time, cities are expected to deliver on the ambitious goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030 under the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. However, urban planning and management processes remain fragmented, siloed, and often lack the integrated, real-time data analysis capabilities needed to support systemic transformation. TWINVERSE aims to design, implement, and operationalise a federated ecosystem of interoperable, AI-enhanced Digital Twins across diverse European cities to accelerate the transition toward climate-neutral, resilient, and inclusive urban futures. The project will develop modular, robust, and explainable AI-based services that integrate real-time and static urban data across multiple domains—such as mobility, energy, land use, socio-demographics, and green infrastructure—supporting scenario analysis, impact simulation, and participatory planning. TWINVERSE will empower local authorities with actionable intelligence to inform cross-sectoral decisions, foster citizen engagement, and contribute directly to the implementation of Climate City Contracts (CCC), Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs), and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). The project will ensure scalability, replicability, and sustainability through open-source components, capacity-building, and synergies with the EU Local Digital Twin Toolbox, Common European Data Spaces, and relevant mission-oriented partnerships, while stimulating EU innovation ecosystems and industry through market-oriented exploitation strategies.