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Urban areas account for 65% of total energy use and generate 70% of global CO2 emissions. Strong and targeted measures are essential to steer cities toward climate neutrality by 2050, with strategies designed by and for their inhabitants. In this context, the “100 climate-neutral cities Mission” sets the deadline for achieving climate neutrality at 2030. This paper, developed under the H2020 GRETA project—GReen Energy Transition Actions (GA101022317), explores energy communities and climate city contracts as central instruments for realizing the challenging vision of citizen-focused, climate-neutral urban environments. To meet this goal, the paper is arranged in the following sequence: (1) a refreshed review of European and Italian rules governing energy communities; (2) a concise presentation of the concept and core elements of climate city contracts; (3) a choice and evaluation of real-world energy community examples; (4) an outline of pilot climate city contracts that have already been established. The outcomes deliver enhanced understanding of EU-level energy community approaches and of the contractual mechanisms capable of securing mutual obligations among involved parties while promoting direct citizen involvement in the energy system. These insights support the rollout of the GRETA project’s Italian case study, including a description of its early citizen participation efforts.