Lithuania's Tauragė secures €20m EIB loan to become climate neutral by 2030

The loan forms part of an investment programme worth more than €110 million, bringing together EIB financing, European Union funding and municipal money for projects across the city and surrounding district.

Tauragė, a city in western Lithuania, is receiving a €20 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to fund changes residents will encounter on their journeys, in public buildings and along the Jūra River waterfront. The investment supports the municipality's goal of becoming one of Europe's first climate-neutral mid-sized cities by 2030.

New cycling paths, more zero-emission buses and warmer, more energy-efficient schools are among the planned improvements. The loan forms part of an investment programme worth more than €110 million, bringing together EIB financing, European Union funding and municipal money for projects across the city and surrounding district.

More ways to get around and a renewed riverfront

A planned 16.9 km network of cycling paths will give residents more space to travel by bike, supported by EIB Advisory assistance to help the municipality put the investment into practice. Additional zero-emission buses will expand the public transport fleet as part of Tauragė's sustainable mobility programme. The revitalisation of the Jūra River waterfront brings another familiar part of the city into the programme, connecting its climate plans with the public spaces residents use.

For Mayor Dovydas Kaminskas, the value of the financing rests on how it changes daily life across the municipality. He said cooperation with the EIB would accelerate sustainable development throughout Tauragė city and district, with residents experiencing the benefits directly. "This is another important step towards our goal of making Tauragė greener, more modern and a better place to live," Kaminskas said.

Investment reaches schools, housing and essential services

The programme extends beyond transport to the buildings and services that communities depend on. Schools and other public buildings are scheduled for energy-efficiency renovations, with renewable energy investment forming another part of the work.

Social housing and care facilities are included, putting residents' living conditions and support needs within the scope of the wider modernisation programme. Historic buildings will receive attention through preservation and adaptive reuse, allowing existing properties to serve new purposes.

Expanded water and wastewater services will benefit communities across Tauragė district, carrying the investment beyond the city centre into essential infrastructure for the surrounding area. These projects give the municipality's climate commitment a practical shape: improving the places where people learn, live and receive care, alongside the systems that provide energy, water and sanitation.

A local programme with a wider European role

Tauragė is one of 100 EU municipalities participating in the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, which seeks climate neutrality by 2030 and asks participating cities to become centres of innovation for Europe's wider green transition.

Through the InvestEU Advisory Hub, EIB Advisory helps cities in the mission develop and deliver sustainable investment projects. Its support for Tauragė's cycling paths adds implementation assistance to the financing, helping move the transport programme towards delivery.

EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer described Tauragė's 2030 commitment as one of Europe's most ambitious urban development goals. He said the combination of lending and advisory support would help turn that commitment into cleaner mobility, modern infrastructure and more sustainable public services.

The financing also contributes to the EastInvest Facility, a joint European initiative supporting investment in EU eastern border regions to strengthen resilience, economic development and territorial cohesion. For Tauragė, the programme brings those European priorities into a local setting, with investment spread across transport, public spaces, housing and basic services that residents use throughout the year.