As the role of cities becomes critical in combating climate change, the EU’s “Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission” provides a systemic innovation framework for urban decarbonization. This study examines the strategic road map developed by Izmir, one of the 112 cities selected under the Mission, to accomplish climate neutrality by 2030. The study utilizes a mixed-method approach, combining the analysis of Climate City Contract (CCC) documents with semi-structured interviews conducted with stakeholders and decision-makers. The study reveals how Izmir integrates existing strategies, such as the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan, with the “GCC-SYNERGY” pilot project, which digitalizes energy consumption, and the multi-stakeholder “Global Climate Community” governance model. The findings show that while the city exhibits a high level of technical readiness and local stakeholder engagement, it faces systemic barriers regarding access to financial resources and capacity for large-scale implementation.