European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards Secretariat
In this issue….
…News from Europe
A-Z of the European Green Deal
The Green City Accord
…News on the Awards
Increased financial prize reflects importance of Awards to support delivery of Europe’s Green Deal
Competition heats up: Nine cities in Finals for EGCA 2022 / EGLA 2021
…News from Europe’s Green Cities
What’s happening in our 2020 Green Cities: Lisbon, Limerick and Mechelen
Looking ahead to Lahti 2021
What is the legacy of being a green city? New reports by Copenhagen,
Nijmegen, Oslo, Galway and Leuven will show you!
Knowledge sharing from the European Green Capital Network: ‘How to become 100% Renewable’ or… ‘How to become the next European Green Capital’ toolkits are out!
News from Europe
The European Green Deal
The European Union is comprised of its Member States. But it is also uniquely made up of its regions, that go beyond national borders, and its cities. Urban areas are the source of many of today’s environmental, social and economic challenges – not surprisingly, since two out of three Europeans live in towns and cities. The coronavirus outbreak has brought further unprecedented challenges. The world is facing the most severe recession in living memory, but we must not forget that climate and environmental challenges have not gone away. The European Commission recently presented the European Green Deal and it’s the best tool we have to tackle both crises together.
The European Green Deal is our growth strategy to transform our way of living and working, of producing and consuming so that we live healthier while making our businesses more innovative. It is about improving the well-being of people. Making Europe climate-neutral by 2050 and protecting our natural habitat for the benefits of the people, the planet and the economy.
The European Green Deal encompasses a number of policy areas that are of relevance to cities: clean energy; sustainable industry; building and renovating; sustainable mobility; biodiversity; sustainable food systems with “Farm to Fork”; and reducing pollution.
The Commission presented a new Circular Economy Action Plan in March including a sustainable products initiative and particular focus on resource intense sectors such as textiles, construction, electronics and plastics in March this year. In May, the Commission presented the Biodiversity Strategy. In 2021 a Zero
Pollution Action Plan for water, air and soil will also be adopted.
Now is the opportunity to invest in clean public transport, renewable energy, affordable insulated housing, sustainable agriculture, and the protection of nature and biodiversity. To help repair the economic and social damage brought by the coronavirus pandemic, kick-start European recovery, and protect and create jobs, the European Commission has put on the table a major recovery plan for Europe based on harnessing the full potential of the EU budget: the Recovery Plan for Europe. To mobilise the necessary investments, the Commission is putting forward a two-fold response:
First, Next Generation EU: a new recovery instrument of 750 billion euros which will boost the EU budget with new financing raised on the financial markets for 2021–2024.
Second: A reinforced long-term budget of the European Union of 1.100 billion euros.
Funding instruments are mobilised with some directly relevant for municipalities, such as REACT-EU: these are flexible cohesion policy grants for municipalities, hospitals, companies via Member States’ managing authorities. 55 billion euros of additional cohesion policy funding between 2020-2022 will be available and no national co-financing is required.
Through the EU's recovery package and the European Green Deal, we must empower and finance cities and regions to build resilience and bounce back from the COVID-19 crisis.
More information is available here
Policy areas covered:
Clean energy: Opportunities for alternative, cleaner sources of energy
Sustainable industry: Ways to ensure more sustainable, more Environmentally- respectful production cycles
Building and renovating: The need for a cleaner construction sector
Sustainable mobility: Promoting more sustainable means of transport
Nature and Biodiversity: Measures to protect our fragile ecosystem
From Farm to Fork: Ways to ensure more sustainable food systems
Sustainable Agriculture: Sustainability in EU Agriculture and rural areas
Eliminating pollution: Measures to cut pollution rapidly and efficiently.
Climate Action: Making the EU climate neutral by 2050
The Green City Accord
The Green City Accord is a new European Commission initiative to mobilise European Mayors committed to safeguarding the natural environment. The Accord will support cities in their efforts to achieve greener, cleaner and healthier environments, thereby improving the quality of life of city dwellers.
Cities joining the Accord will commit to stepping up action in five important areas of environmental management:
The Accord will complement the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, by addressing issues not covered by the Covenant. It will also build coherence with other EU urban initiatives and support the delivery of the European Green Deal and the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This voluntary initiative is open to all cities in the EU. It will support cities in designing and implementing actions covering the five areas. The Green City Accord is being developed in coordination with city experts and will be officially launched in October 2020.
News on the Awards
The competitions for the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards (EGCA and EGLA) are continuing during 2020, albeit with adjustment to some timelines.
Launching the new competition for the EGCA 2023 and EGLA 2022 recently, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said
“Sustainability is not a luxury; it is a necessity. In these difficult times, when a number of European cities are facing economic and social challenges, we want to help them in realising their sustainability vision. Past winners have shown that it is perfectly possible to live in a cleaner, greener environment and protect citizens’ health while having a thriving economy. I encourage all cities in Europe to follow the Green Capital and Green Leaf path of urban sustainability.”
Competition open to find Europe’s Green Cities
The competition for the 2023 European Green Capital (EGCA 2023) and 2022 European Green Leaf (EGLA 2022) Awards is now underway. The financial prize for both Awards has been significantly increased to a combined one million euro, aimed at supporting cities in putting in place urban sustainability measures.
The EGCA 2023 winning city will receive €600.000, while up to two EGLA 2022 winning towns/cities will receive €200.000 each.
This increased financial prize reflects the importance of cities for delivering on the objectives of the European Green Deal, including the recently adopted Communication: EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 - Bringing nature back into our lives. With the increased financial prize, the winning cities are expected to take on additional responsibilities, such as committing to tangible projects or actions to enhance their city’s environmental sustainability.
Further information on the Rules of Contest and how to apply is available on the Awards website.
Be sure to check out the online Applicant Workshop held on 7 July, which includes invaluable advice and tips from the EU Commission, members of the Expert Panel who evaluate each application, the city of Lahti and the Awards Secretariat.
Competition heats up:
Nine cities in Finals for EGCA 2022 / EGLA 2021
Since May, nine cities have been preparing for their Jury presentations to compete for the EGCA 2022 and EGLA 2021. Due to the coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak, the Jury meetings will take place later than usual, on 7 and 8 October 2020, followed by the official Awards Ceremony on 8 October when the title winners will be announced.
Dijon (France), Grenoble (France), Tallinn (Estonia) and Turin (Italy) are the four finalists for the title of European Green Capital 2022.
For the European Green Leaf 2021 contest, open to smaller urban areas, the finalists are Elsinore (Denmark), Gabrovo (Bulgaria), Lappeenranta (Finland), Nyborg (Denmark) and Ringkøbing-Skjern (Denmark). Up to two Green Leaf cities may win the Award in any given year.
The winner of European Green Capital 2022 will win €350.000 and the winner(s) of the European Green Leaf 2021 title will win €75.000 to kick-start their green years (max. 2 winners).
Benchmarking and Self-assessment made easy:
the Green City Tool
The Green City Tool is an easy-to-use benchmarking and self-assessment tool for European cities. It provides information and advice to anyone wanting to learn more about how to make their city greener and more sustainable. Cities can use the Green City Tool to see how the city ranks and how it can improve with best practice from other European cities.
The Green City Tool is an ideal way to prepare your application for the European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards – visit the website for more information or send us your questions via ENV-URBENVPOL@ec.europa.eu.
It is also useful to study what previous winners and finalists have achieved and learn from their experiences. There are dozens of reports from previous winners on our website and a number of recently published reports below. In addition, two new toolkits to guide and help cities have been developed with the European Green Capital Network of previous finalists and winners (see below).
News from Europe’s Green Cities
Lisbon European Green Capital 2020 chooses to evolve
Earlier this year Lisbon celebrated the beginning of its year as European Green Capital 2020. The opening ceremony marked the dawning of a climate action decade, where Europe will be at the forefront of driving global environmental change.
Despite all the setbacks, all the changes, all the cancellations during the first few months of Lisbon’s European Green Capital year, Lisbon has not given up – it is still the European Green Capital 2020 and Lisbon is still evolving.
Lisbon’s Opening Ceremony earlier this year with Lisbon Mayor, Fernando Medina, Deputy Mayor of Lisbon for Green Infrastructure, Environment, Climate and Energy, José Sá Fernandes and Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa
Tree planting is a significant part of Lisbon’s green agenda. From October to March, the first Saturday of every month is dedicated to planting trees and shrubs with citizens along the city’s green corridors and open spaces. This year alone, the city aims to plant 60 000 trees! To start its European Green Capital year, over 5 000 citizens gathered to plant 20 000 trees in one day.
The city’s programme for 2020 has been rethought, focusing on measures and events that show that now, more than ever, we need to take better care of this planet. New initiatives, presented by the Councillor for the Environment, José Sá Fernandes, focus on five main pillars: to Inform, Participate, Value, Debate and Involve.
Two innovative energy projects are currently underway: creation of a 2MW solar power plant, coupled with a hydrogen station to charge e-buses in Carnide, “the first project of its kind in the country”; and the “Shore-to-ship” measure, which powers cruise ships mooring in Lisbon. Under the initiative, from 2022 cruise ships will no longer be able to use diesel when they dock in the capital.
Adapting to our changing times
In June 2020, the Mayor of Lisbon announced extensive changes to the city centre this year that will deliver long-term benefits for citizens and visitors, including improved air quality, additional open spaces and more choices for getting around Lisbon. New measures being implemented include:
Visit https://lisboagreencapital2020.com/en/ or follow @greenlisboa2020 on Twitter or @LisboaGreenCapital2020 on Facebook, for more information on Lisbon, European Green Capital 2020.
Reaching citizens on the go
The new “Lisboa 24” app, allows access to real-time information about the city such as available car parking; public notices; and traffic conditions, existing trees and new initiatives, and will also include air quality and noise data soon, following a public tender that will deploy sensors throughout the city.
Lisbon’s Tropical Botanical Garden, classified as a national monument in 2007, also now has its own app, available in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. Developed under a project between the Rectory of the University of Lisbon and the Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon, the app aims to promote the garden as a scientific, cultural, educational and leisure space. Using augmented reality, it allows visitors to interact with their surroundings through four routes covering the entire garden area. Download the app today!
“Changers”, the app that aims to reduce everyone’s carbon footprint through challenges, has arrived in Portugal. The app is free for municipalities and cities and creates a fun way to reduce individual traffic within cities. In 2019 Changers users saved 450 thousand kilos of CO2, walked 1.2 million kilometres and cycled more than 260 thousand kilometres. In turn, in the first two months of 2020, the environmental savings have already reached 100 000 tonnes of CO2.
2020’s European Green Leaf Ambassadors
This year, Ireland’s city of Limerick joins the Belgian city of Mechelen as 2020’s European Green Leaf ambassadors. The global COVID-19 pandemic has understandably, brought a number of challenges to both of this year’s Green Leaf cities but there is still plenty happening. The Commission has also recently published brochures on both cities detailing their achievements and future plans –
More information is available here
Limerick mobilises technology in response to crisis
Limerick made the move to online events and mobilised technology to help it continue delivering its Green Leaf year since the COVID-19 crisis struck earlier this year.
This includes delivering a series of impactful and informative Biodiversity Workshops online – which are also now available on the city’s YouTube channel: Limerick EGLA2020
Citizens and stakeholders have been busy downloading the Limerick City and County Council “Hush City” app launched this year. A free science-based smartphone app, developed by Dr. Antonella Radicchi and piloted in Berlin, allows citizens to identify and share tranquil spaces around Limerick city to relax, play, read and enjoy a quiet time. It has ensured much needed blissful calm!
For more information follow this link
Limerick also developed an invasive species app. The ‘Report Invasive Plants’ app is an easy way for the public to quickly report sightings of invasive plant species to a central database.
By knowing where invasive plants are, the council can carry out effective and realistic plans to minimise the destruction of native species and control the invasive species.
In 2021, the city will host an International Pollinator Conference. For more information on this and what else Limerick is achieving please visit Limerick’s website.
Mechelen implements projects to increase sustainability
In its 2020 Green Leaf year Mechelen continues to build a sustainable future. This includes a pilot project exploring if storm water can be stored and re-used by farmers. By closing these loops, flooding will be prevented, and fewer crops will be lost. Within the next five years, Mechelen has plans to construct more than 45 km of bicycle paths, including four bicycle bridges and a new link to create a non-stop bicycle highway between Antwerp and Brussels! In addition, by 2030, Mechelen has plans to provide over 85 000 solar panels in the city – that’s almost one solar panel per inhabitant!
Looking ahead to 2021
The incoming European Green Capital for 2021, Lahti, is busy preparing for its year. The City is working on a comprehensive regional and international programme featuring events and ambitious cooperation projects for its European Green Capital year, including working with many partners.
Later this year, an Environment Gala will involve thousands of students collaborating on innovative sustainability solutions, while dining on tasty meals created from leftovers that would otherwise go to waste.
The Sustainable Lahti Foundation has been established to implement the programme for Lahti – European Green Capital 2021. The Foundation is responsible for the planning, operation and finances of the project and brings together the key partners of the EGC year. In keeping with Lahti’s ambitious goal to be carbon-neutral by 2025, the Sustainable Lahti Foundation will continue operations after Lahti’s winning year until December 2025! In June the Foundation held a meeting to decide the first tranche of projects to receive funding. 16 environmental projects will receive funding this includes:
- Waste Watcher: a project focusing on the real-time monitoring of food waste in schools which will engage with children and young people, encouraging them to act in a climate-friendly manner and see the results of their actions in a tangible and understandable way.
- Lahti Green Design Week 2021: this event is a showcase for how sustainable design, product development and people-orientated sustainable lifestyle solutions are implemented in Päijät-Häme. The event includes expert sessions, workshops, and exhibitions.
What is the legacy of being awarded the Green City title? Five new reports from previous winners show you!
Many of our recent former European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Award winners have been busy compiling data and publishing reports on how the Awards have positively impacted their cities.
Reports by former European Green Capital winners, Copenhagen, Nijmegen and Oslo, demonstrate impressive results and make for very interesting reading.
Copenhagen, the 2014 European Green Capital, continues to inspire European cities as pioneers of sustainability. Five years on and Copenhagen is getting even greener and working harder than ever to become CO2 neutral by 2025.
Copenhagen’s district heating system now covers 99% of all households.
In 2018 it recorded that 49% of daily commuters cycled to work or education.
Copenhagen has introduced a new Resource and Waste Management Plan 2024 that aims to triple reuse amongst citizens and recycle 70% of household waste.
Read more about Copenhagen five years after its title year, here
Nijmegen is the smallest European Green Capital Award winner to date at only 53.6 km2. Despite its small size, during its European Green Capital year in 2018, Nijmegen lived up to its reputation of a city that has Green in its Genes!
The city saw a 10% increase in principal bicycle routes.
In 2018, Nijmegen built 243 circular bus stops and 10 eco-lounges.
Seven eco-schools and more than 30 green schoolyards have been certified.
Nijmegen replaced 190 000 paving stones with plants & trees.
5 000 bottles of beer were brewed using rainwater!
Read more about Nijmegen’s 2018 European Green Capital year, here and check out its amazing infographic highlighting the year’s key results here!
Oslo, European Green Capital 2019, successfully inspired Europe with its programme of activity last year, including a Climate Education school programme, its focus on reducing the city’s plastic waste and the Oslo Fjord Garden launched in August 2019.
The schools programme saw four young and inspiring climate enthusiasts visit 78 schools and engage with 17 000 pupils. Impressively, Oslo has the world’s first electric taxi driver; it further increased the number of privately-owned electric vehicles (EVs) on its streets thanks to incentivising car-buyers to choose electric; and installed 115 new electric buses during its green year.
Read more about Oslo’s 2019 European Green Capital year, its successes, its involvement in the European Green Capital Network, and its future plans to continue to improve the quality of life of its citizens, here
