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European Commission opens applications for 2027 Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards

03/02/2025 15:18 Comments Off

Cities committed to sustainability are invited to apply for the 2027 European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards by 15 April 2025.

These prestigious awards recognize cities that demonstrate leadership in reducing environmental impacts while enhancing the quality of life for their residents. Winners receive financial support and gain entry into a network of European cities at the forefront of urban sustainability.

Award categories and financial support

The European Green Capital Award is open to cities with populations exceeding 100,000, with the winning city receiving a €600,000 prize. The European Green Leaf Award is available for towns and cities with populations between 20,000 and 100,000, with up to two winners each receiving €200,000.

These financial awards are intended to help cities implement sustainability projects and engage with residents throughout their designated award year.

Evaluation criteria and urban mobility focus

A critical aspect of the evaluation process is urban mobility, with cities recognized for their efforts in reducing transport emissions and promoting sustainable mobility solutions. Past award winners have demonstrated innovative approaches to urban transport, including improved public transit, cycling infrastructure, and multimodal transport systems
Applications will also be assessed based on seven key environmental indicators: Air quality, water management, biodiversity and green spaces, waste management, noise pollution, climate change mitigation and climate adaptation.

Notable past winners and their achievements

Several previous Green Capital and Green Leaf winners have been recognized for their sustainable urban mobility initiatives:

Águeda, Portugal (European Green Leaf 2026) – Honored for its beÁgueda shared-use e-bike programme, as well as its collaboration with the national rail company to enhance local transport schedules and intermodal connectivity.
Vilnius, Lithuania (European Green Capital 2025) – Recognized for its transformation from a car-centric city to a pedestrian-friendly and sustainable urban environment. The city’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) includes expanding cycling infrastructure, modernizing its public transport fleet, optimizing transit routes, and improving cargo and freight logistics.
Treviso, Italy (European Green Leaf 2025) – Acknowledged for its comprehensive SUMP, featuring a 32 km cycling network, 30 bike-sharing stations, and investments in electric buses and charging infrastructure.
Valencia, Spain (European Green Capital 2024) – Recognized for investing in cycling infrastructure, creating over 164 km of cycle lanes, and working toward the electrification of its public transport fleet and the development of multimodal transport hubs.

How to apply

Cities interested in applying for the 2027 European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards can find out more information here and register through the official European Commission website.

With these awards, the European Commission continues to promote sustainable urban development, encouraging cities to take innovative steps toward greener, cleaner, and more livable environments.

Applications open for the 2026 European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards

05/02/2024 15:41 Comments Off

The European Commission recently launched the application portal for cities to submit their case for winning the European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards. The awards exist to recognise the achievements of European cities and towns in the quest for a more sustainable urban environment. Efforts might include actions that reduce negative impact on the local and global environment, or those that enhance mobility infrastructure and improve quality of life.

The award includes a financial prize for winning cities, and means that cities will join the likes of Tallinn, Valencia and Vilnius under the united banner of commitment to a more just, sustainable future for all.

Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius expanded on the concept behind the awards:

“Our EU Green Deal work becomes a reality through greener cities that take up the right initiatives. And there is a chance to shine and get rewarded for that effort. It’s our European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards. I am calling on our European cities to pick up the challenge and apply for the 2026 titles. This is an opportunity not only to win the prestigious title, but also to share great stories and actions with other cities, inspiring one another in the process.”

How to apply

Cities and towns interested in nominating themselves for the award should register via the EU survey. This will ensure that all relevant information and the application form is received in advance.

Application deadline: 30 April 2024

Selection criteria for entrants cover seven environmental indicators: air quality, water, biodiversity, green areas & sustainable land use, waste and circular economy, noise, climate change mitigation, and climate change adaptation. The city must also show a consistent record of achieving these environmental standards, along with a commitment to further environmental progress.

Alignment with and performance of these indicators will be reviewed by a panel of sustainability experts, who will make recommendations to the Commission, who will then select the city finalists. Finalist cities will be invited to present additional information on their sustainability governance and strategy to a jury panel, and the winners will be selected around October 2024.

More information on the selection criteria and process can be found here.

About

The European Commission established the European Green Capital award in 2008. The first city to win the award was Stockholm, for the year 2010. It was launched to recognize the important role that local authorities play in furthering environmental causes and enhancing the quality of life for residents of European cities. As more of the European population lives in urban areas, the need for social, environmental, and economic transformation becomes increasingly important.

Since the onset of the award, 16 cities have been awarded the European Green Capital Award: Vilnius (2025), Valencia (2024), Tallinn (2023), Grenoble (2022), Lahti (2021), Lisbon (2020), Oslo (2019), Nijmegen (2018), Essen (2017), Ljubljana (2016), Bristol (2015), Copenhagen (2014), Nantes (2013), Vitoria-Gasteiz (2012), Hamburg (2011) and Stockholm (2010).

17 smaller cities have won the European Green Leaf Award: Treviso, Italy and Viladecans from Spain (2025), Elsinore in Denmark and Velenje from Slovenia (2024), Winterswijk in The Netherlands and Valongo, Portugal (2022), Grabovo, Bulgaria and Lappeenranta, Finland (2021), Limerick, Ireland and Mechelen, Belgium (2020); Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain, and Horst aan de Maas, the Netherlands (2019); Leuven, Belgium, and Växjö, Sweden (2018); Galway, Ireland (2017) and Mollèt del Valles, Spain and Torres Vedras, Portugal (2015).

Important Links

Apply here
European Green Capital and Leaf website
X: @EUGreenCapital
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EuropeanGreenCapitalAward
LinkedIn: European Green Capital Award EU
Directorate-General for the Environment: EU Policy on Urban Environment