Ezine No. 26 – May 2018
EGCA 2020 and EGLA 2019 Shortlist Announcement!
The shortlisted cities for the 2020 European Green Capital Award (EGCA) and the 2019 European Green Leaf Award (EGLA) have been announced!
On 18 April, the European Commission announced that three cities, Ghent (Belgium), Lahti (Finland), and Lisbon (Portugal), are the finalists for the European Green Capital Award for 2020. Five finalists will compete for the 2019 European Green Leaf Award: Cornellà de Llobregat (Spain), Gabrovo (Bulgaria), Horst aan de Maas (Netherlands), Joensuu (Finland), and Mechelen (Belgium).
The shortlisted cities were selected by an independent international Expert Panel. The experts evaluated EGCA applicant cities based on 12 environmental indicators and EGLA applicants were assessed based on six environmental topic areas.
The finalists will now go on to present their cities to a Jury in Nijmegen in June 2018, where they must present their capacity to act as a role model for other cities and on how they intend to fulfil their green capital year, should they win. Best of luck to all!
Date for your diary…
Thursday 21 June 2018 - After the Jury presentations, the winners of the 2020 EGCA and 2019 EGLA competitions will be announced at the Awards Ceremony in Nijmegen! Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for the link to a live webstream of the ceremony!
Ghent (Belgium), Lahti (Finland) and Lisbon (Portugal), are the finalists for the 2020 European Green Capital Award.
Cornellà de Llobregat (Spain), Gabrovo (Bulgaria), Horst aan de Maas (Netherlands), Joensuu (Finland), and Mechelen (Belgium) are the finalists for the 2019 European Green Leaf Award.
Looking ahead to the next Awards Cycle
If you think your city can be an international ambassador, showcasing best practice in environmental management, planning and can inspire other cities, then you should apply for the 2021 European Green Capital Award (EGCA)! The EGCA, open to EU cities with 100,000+ inhabitants, recognises the efforts of cities and municipalities that are striving to be more sustainable and fit for life!
Are you a town or city with 20,000 to 100,000 inhabitants? Then why not apply for the 2020 European Green Leaf Award (EGLA)! The EGLA promotes our towns and cities into growing greener and is open to EU cities with 20,000 to 100,000 inhabitants!
Important Dates for the EGCA 2021 and EGLA 2020
22 May 2018 - Launch of call for entries to 2021 European Green Capital Award (EGCA) and 2020 European Green Leaf Award (EGLA)
2 July 2018 - 2021 EGCA Applicant City Workshop in Brussels
18 October 2018 - Close of 2021 EGCA competition and 2020 EGLA competition
2021 EGCA Applicant Workshop
Brussels: Monday, 2 July 2018
Is your city thinking of applying for the 2021 European Green Capital Award? If so, the Applicant Workshop for the 2021 cycle will take place on Monday 2 July 2018 in Brussels and is an essential source of information to guide you through the process.
This year’s Applicant Workshop will provide cities with an overview of the 2021 Evaluation Process along with guidance and advice on what makes a successful application from the European Commission, the Awards Secretariat, previous winners and members of the expert panel.
Participants are required to register in advance to secure a place. If you would like to attend, or would like more information, please contact the EGCA Secretariat at: applicantworkshop@europeangreencapital.eu or phone +353 87 361 9039.
Please note - all participants should provide passports/national identity cards in advance of attending to comply with strict EU Commission security procedure
For more information, take a look at the previous Applicant Workshop presentations.
EU Green Week 2018
EU Green Week will take place from 21-25 May 2018, in Brussels (Belgium), Utrecht (Netherlands) and Madrid (Spain)! This year’s theme, ‘Green Cities for a Greener Future’, will explore how cities can become better places to live, work and visit.
The week of events will kick off at the official opening in Utrecht on 21 May, with the main events, including the high-level EU Green Cities Summit, taking place in Brussels from 22-24 May. The week will come to a close at an official ceremony in Madrid on 25 May. Visit the website for more information on the main EU Green Week events.
Can’t make it to Utrecht, Brussels or Madrid? See if your city is hosting a partner eventand take part!
'Let's make a match and fall in city-love': Speed-dating session for cities!
Do you have a burning question you would like to ask a European Green Capital or European Green Leaf winner? Have you ever wondered what current and previous winning cities are doing to overcome challenges such as sustainable employment, waste and transport?
Now is the chance to have your questions answered! On Wednesday 23 May 2018, the European Commission is hosting speed-dating for cities in Brussels; a dynamic networking session, providing participants with the opportunity to speak directly to cities that have transitioned to be more sustainable and fit for life! Register here!
Greening your city: sharing learnings from the experience of European Green Capital and European Green Leaf cities
Another way you can learn from European Green Capital and Green Leaf cities is to attend the ‘Greening Your City’ session, taking place on Wednesday 23 May 2018 in Brussels.
Previous European Green Capital Award winners, including Oslo (2019) and Bristol (2015), along with European Green Leaf winners Mollet del Vallès (2015) and Torres Vedras (2015), will be there to share their experiences and lessons learned from before, during and after participating in the competitions. Register here!
European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards Secretariat
The European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards Secretariat will be at EU Green Week in Brussels! If you would like to learn more about the awards, winning cities past and present, or urban sustainability in general, then be sure to visit the stand!
Keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook for more information on where to find us at Green Week!
#EUGreenWeek
What’s happening in Nijmegen,
European Green Capital 2018?
Nijmegen became the first Dutch city to win the prestigious EGCA when it was awarded the title for 2018 and now, almost halfway through its year as our EGC, the busy programme of events continues.
Green Capital Challenges
Every month, the Dutch city of Nijmegen is setting environment challenges for its residents, businesses and institutions, with each challenge focusing on a different environmental topic, such as the circular economy (January), waste (February) or biodiversity (March) for example.
Mobility was the hot topic for April, with citizens being encouraged to use their bikes, share their cars, and test drive (or cycle!) electric cars and bikes.
Cyclists turning the pedals in Nijmegen city centre
See if you can rise to the challenge: for all previous and upcoming challenges, check out the Nijmegen Green Capital Challenges website!
Kelfkensbos Square gets a new landmark!
The Nijmegen European Green Capital 2018 Visitor Centre on Kelfkensbos Square
Nijmegen has opened its European Green Capital 2018 visitor centre in a newly-built pavilion on Kelfkensbos Square, right in the heart of the city! The pavilion, designed by famous Flemish architect Chris Poulissen, will be open all year to provide information about Nijmegen's European Green Capital events and activities!
In keeping with the city’s commitment to sustainability, the pavilion is powered by solar energy and was constructed using recycled material, with an exterior made of sustainably-sourced tree trunks, providing the building with insulation. It was also designed to be easily disassembled after Nijmegen’s green year is complete, meaning the materials, or the entire structure, can be reused elsewhere – a great example of the circular economy in action!
Operation Steenbreek Nijmegen
Nijmegen is striving towards a greener future! The city, along with other municipalities across the Netherlands, is participating in Operatie Steenbreek (‘Operation Breaking the Stones’). The campaign advocates for greening urban areas by introducing more trees, flowers and plants into urban spaces and moving away from hard, impermeable surfaces.
Urban greening can bring many benefits to a city, including cleaner air, flood management, increased biodiversity, improvements in health and wellbeing and mitigating the effects of climate change. With all of these advantages, it’s no surprise that European Green Capital cities such as Nijmegen are making this transition!
‘Operation Breaking the Stones’ kicked into action on 14 March with 32 primary schools getting involved in the replacing of stones with green spaces.
‘Operatie Steenbreek’ Nijmegen kicked off on National Tree Feast Day (14 March), when pupils, parents and teachers from 32 different primary schools came together to replace over 8,000 tiles with plants! The municipality is aiming to replace a total 100,000 paved tiles with greener alternatives this year!
What’s happening in Leuven and Växjö, European Green Leaf winners for 2018?
European Green Leaf 2018 brochures!
Do you want to know more about Leuven (Belgium) and Växjö (Sweden), the joint European Green Leaf winners for 2018? Then click on the images below to read the brochures! You can learn about why these two cities earned the European Green Leaf title, and what they have planned for their laureate year!
The Leuven brochure is also available in Dutch and the Växjö brochure can be read in Swedish.
Leuven gets greener!
The City of Leuven teamed up with students of Sint-Norbertus School to plant 250 trees in Abdij van Park (‘Park Abbey’). As the name suggests, the park surrounds the historical abbey, which dates back to the 12th Century.
Park Abbey, Leuven. Picture: Marco Mertens
The trees will form part of a green buffer between the abbey and a nearby railway reducing noise and visual impact. Alder buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) was the tree of choice; these flowering trees are very good for pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. What’s good for pollinators is good for us: they help to ensure that plants and crops grow.
Mayor Mohamed Ridouani and primary school students planting a tree at Park Abbey
Deputy Mayor of Leuven, Mohamed Ridouani, aims to have a tree planted for each of the 10,000 children living there, ensuring they have sustainable and healthy future! The European Green Capital 2015, Bristol, undertook a similar project, entitled ‘One Tree Per Child’, during their EGCA year and aim to have planted 63,000 trees by 2020!
See what Leuven has planned next on the Leuven 2030 website!
Leuven: Camping Zero Emissions
Throughout May 2018, Leuven 2030 and the City of Leuven will collaborate with 16 schools for Camping Zero Emission, or Climate Camping, an annual event to raise awareness and generate discussion about climate change and how to live more sustainably. Each school will transform their schoolyard into a campsite and spend a night under the stars!
Now in its 5th year, Climate Camping has grown in popularity in schools across Leuven. With students enjoying a host of educational and fun activities, including preparing sustainable meals, gardening, generating energy through cycling and making furniture from old pallets, it’s no surprise that the Climate Camping idea has taken root!
Click on the image below to see a video of Climate Camping 2016!
Växjö Earth Week
Earth Week in Växjö took place from 19-24 March 2018. Earth Week is an annual event that raises awareness of environmental issues, with each year focusing on one theme. Water was the theme for 2018, with a week of events centred around water management and how to secure the future of this previous resource.
Over 7,000 citizens took part in events and activities such as concerts, film screenings, markets, a pop-up park, lectures, workshops, and repair cafes that took place throughout the city. A big attraction was the ‘schnippel-disco’ where municipal chefs cooked and served food from ingredients that normally would be food waste. Citizens and politicians came by and helped out with the food preparation, while dancing to the music!
Municipality chefs and Deputy Mayor of Växjö, Per Schöldberg, preparing food at the 'schnippel-disco'
Växjö’s schools played a big part in Earth Week, with students putting on a musical about a city where citizens live on one litre of water a day. In addition, schools tailored their meals to be more water-smart by substituting certain foods for a less water intensive alternative, for instance, replacing rice with bulgur wheat.
Växjö: International Bio-diversity Day
On 22 May 2018, Växjö will be celebrate International Bio-diversity Day by organizing events at an urban farm, such as ‘create your own meadow’ and an award ceremony for the most interesting birdhouse. However, the fun will start one day earlier, with the ‘24-hour bike race of species’. For 24 hours, participants can cycle to biodiversity-rich areas in Växjö and explore the wildlife!
For more on what Växjö is doing for its year as European Green Leaf, visit the municipality’s website.
European Green Leaf Network
On 21-22 February 2018, Galway, European Green Leaf 2017, hosted EGL network members from across Europe at the fourth meeting of the EGLN. The focus of the meeting was this time placed on ‘Waste Management’. Attendees from the network member towns and cities visited a recycling plant and a number of initiatives focussed on the reduction of waste including a bike renewal project and a waste education project.
EGLN members at the February 2018 Network Meeting in Galway, Ireland.
The EGLN meeting provided an opportunity for each of the members to present their cities strategies and innovative approaches to waste management, the circular economy and best practices, fostering the sharing of knowledge between the network members.
Galway: Plastic Free Challenge
In addition to hosting the EGLN meeting in February, Galway promoted the ‘Plastic Free’ challenge, where high profile citizens of Galway attempted to live without plastics for one week. The National University of Ireland Galway, the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology and schools across the city also embraced the challenge which aimed to both reduce the use of single-use, disposable plastic products and raise awareness of the throwaway culture of these items. Also participating in the week was Mayor Anna Tenje of 2018 European Green Leaf, Växjö, and Mayor Carlos Manuel Antunes Bernardes of Torres Vedras, Portugal, 2015 European Green Leaf Award winner.
Galway’s ‘Plastic Free’ challenge followed the launch of the European Commission’s Plastics Strategy which aims to transform the way products are designed, produced, used, and recycled in the EU.
Launch of the ‘Plastic Free’ challenge in European Green Leaf 2017, Galway, Ireland.
