Why Cities Need a Copilot for the Green Transition

Europe’s cities are at the frontline of climate change. By 2100, climate-related damages could cost the continent €22.2 trillion if decisive action is delayed. Municipalities understand the urgency – but turning climate ambitions into actionable plans remains a challenge.

The gap is clear: Earth Observation (EO) data offers unparalleled insights into urban heat islands, flood risks, and vegetation health. Yet, this data is often locked behind technical complexity, fragmented tools, and resource constraints.

At the recent ESA Acceleration Days – Accelerate Urban Green Transition, an Innovation Sprint organized by the European Space Agency (ESA), our team set out to bridge this gap with a solution that is both technically robust and user-friendly.

Introducing the Urban Green Navigator

The Urban Green Navigator is the first AI Copilot designed specifically for European cities to accelerate their green transition. Developed in just five days by engineers from FEV.io and FEV etamax, this solution transforms satellite data into fundable, actionable climate strategies – in minutes, not months.

“Hi! I’m the Urban Green Navigator. I help you explore satellite imagery like a 10-year expert – and I speak your language.”

How It Works: From Space Data to City Action

At its core, the Navigator integrates three pillars:

1. Access to ESA Earth Observation Data (e.g., Sentinel-2, MODIS or via the Google Earth Engine API)
2. AI-powered reasoning through a multilingual knowledge graph
3. Systems thinking to link climate risks, infrastructure, and funding pathways

Imagine a city like Essen (Germany) asking:
“Which schools are most exposed to urban heat – and what can we do about it?”

The Navigator responds with:

• A heat risk analysis based on EO data
• Reference projects from global best practices
• A customized action plan, complete with funding-ready documentation

All delivered in under 15 minutes.

Benefits at a Glance

• Rapid insights: from satellite data to actionable plans in minutes
• Localized strategies: tailored to each city’s unique climate risks
• Funding-ready outputs: documentation aligned with European Union (EU) and national programs
• Scalable and multilingual: designed for diverse European municipalities
• Evidence-based decisions: powered by ESA data and global best practices

The Technical Backbone

Our decades of systems engineering expertise at FEV were instrumental in designing a streamlined process that moves from problem definition to actionable solution with minimal friction.

Here’s how it works:

• We leverage the biggest Large Language Models (LLMs) and agentic AI architectures to digest complex datasets, policy frameworks, and best practices
• All processed information is stored in a dynamic knowledge graph, which continuously learns and improves as it ingests more data – from satellite imagery to urban planning guidelines
• This architecture ensures that every recommendation is context-aware, traceable, and aligned with European climate objectives, while remaining adaptable to local conditions

The result? A Copilot that combines space data precision, AI intelligence, and engineering rigor to deliver actionable insights at scale.

A Vision Beyond the Hackathon

While we narrowly missed first place (congratulations to LETO SPACE!), the experience was a launchpad. Our mission continues: to make Copernicus data truly useful for cities – not just to observe Earth from space, but to heal it, one city at a time.

We envision a future where every European municipality has access to a digital Copilot that simplifies complexity, accelerates decision-making, and unlocks funding opportunities for climate resilience.

Let’s Talk

If you are a city leader, policymaker, or innovation partner ready to accelerate your green transition, we’d love to connect. Together, we can give every European city a Copilot for climate resilience.

Contact us to learn more or join our pilot initiatives.