This TECHNE issue n. 29, Beyond Decarbonization – Toward a Climate Neutral Urban Environment, critically examines the limits of current decarbonization strategies and calls for a broader, multidimensional approach to climate neutrality. Although the term “climate neutrality” has only recently entered international agendas, its implementation still largely focuses on energy transition and efficiency measures. Given that the construction sector accounts for a significant share of global emissions, waste, and resource depletion, the issue advocates for a systemic paradigm shift, from compensatory “zero-emission” approaches to restorative and regenerative actions consistent with the Nature Restoration Law and biodiversity recovery goals.

The selected essays and research contributions expand the debate across multiple scales of intervention: from public open spaces and climate-responsive urban districts to innovative building design. They explore strategies such as urban greening, blue-green infrastructures, and nature-based solutions, alongside community-led self-sufficiency initiatives, productive landscapes, and circular material cycles enhanced by digital and parametric design technologies. Industrial research highlights the potential of innovation and artificial intelligence to support circular manufacturing systems and accelerate ecological transition.

Ultimately, the issue asserts that decarbonization, while necessary, remains insufficient without integrated actions for ecosystem protection, biodiversity regeneration, and a radical reduction in resource consumption, embracing the principle of “doing more with less” as a pathway toward sustainable, climate-neutral urban environments.