The Rescue (Renewable Smart Cooling in Urban Europe) project focuses on the key challenges for further development and implementation of district cooling using low and zero carbon emitting sources, thereby enabling local communities to reap the environmental and economic benefits of district cooling (DC) technology. The target is to work directly with 15 cities, at least 10 of which initiate separately financed feasibility studies or at least include DC as a mature technology in their Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP). The project's activities include increasing familiarity and reliability of information available to decision makers and local governments about the DC business, and improving networking activities and experience exchange. The background of the Rescue project in general is the potential contribution in achieving the EU's 2020 environmental targets. Under the current framework there seem to be no market drivers for accelerated development of DC.