European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards Secretariat,update

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

EGCA/EGLA Ezine No. 29 Out Now! Happy Reading!

Ezine No. 29 - March 2019

Oslo kicks off its European Green Capital 2019 Year!



On 4 January 2019, Oslo held the European Green Capital 2019 Opening and Handover Ceremony to officially kick off its European Green Capital year. The Ceremony took place in Oslo’s iconic City Hall and was fully packed to receive guest speakers Mayor of Oslo, Marianne Borgen; Governing Mayor of Oslo, Raymond Johansen; European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella; Mayor of Nijmegen European Green Capital 2018, Hubert Bruls; and Oslo’s Vice Mayor for Environment and Transport, Lan Marie Nguyen Berg, amongst others.

At the Ceremony, Commissioner Karmenu Vella congratulated Oslo on becoming the 2019 European Green Capital and commended Oslo for putting people first, as well as the great steps they’ve made for the climate, including their ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. He also expressed his warmest thanks to Nijmegen for the excellent work they did during their 2018 European Green Capital year, being a very strong overall Ambassador of the Green Capital title. This includes in particular bringing the European Green Capital Network to COP 24 in Katowice to launch the Network’s ‘Call for Action’, which aims to inspire cities worldwide to become more sustainable and climate-resilient by creating a green movement.

Governing Mayor of Oslo, Raymond Johansen, also shared how proud the City of Oslo is of becoming the European Green Capital for 2019 and the importance of the title in spreading knowledge and inspiration across the globe. He expressed Oslo’s strong commitment to the city’s climate change agenda, underlining how combatting and adapting to climate change is the greatest challenge of our time and that “we need to act here and now – it cannot be left to someone else, at another time, in another place”.

The Ceremony ended with the symbolic ‘Turning of the page in the Green Book’ from European Green Capital 2018, Nijmegen’s page to Oslo’s European Green Capital 2019 page. Check out this video for highlights of the Ceremony. For those of you who missed the Opening Ceremony and official Opening of Oslo’s SALT Winter Village which kicked off Oslo’s European Green Capital weekend, check out some photos here.

Stay tuned to see what Oslo has in store throughout 2019 by checking their European Green Capital 2019 website here and Oslo’s European Green Capital activities on Twitter here.


Find out why Oslo won European Green Capital 2019



Want to find out all about Oslo’s green initiatives and projects that led them to become the 2019 European Green Capital? The best place to start is by reading Oslo’s brochure! From its ambitious targets to cut emissions by 95% by 2030 and the city’s ‘Climate Budget’, to the restoration of its waterways to being the ‘Electric Vehicle Capital of the World’, you can find out everything there is to know about Oslo’s sustainable urban projects, including future plans to continue being a Green Ambassador to inspire cities across Europe and beyond.


The Bold Climate Mayors of the Oslo Region



The 50 Mayors from the Oslo Region who signed the Declaration (Photo by Stine Østby/Oslo Region Alliance)


Oslo needs good neighbours to achieve its ambitious green goals - and the city has them! In February, 55 Mayors from the Oslo region signed a common commitment to become a leading European Capital Region through a 10-point action plan. The Declaration was initiated and drafted by the Oslo Region Alliance, inspired by Oslo’s status as European Green Capital 2019.

By signing the climate and environmental Declaration, the Mayors committed to working towards targets that require bold and comprehensive changes – in technologies, behaviours, values, systems and structures.

To achieve the necessary changes and speed up the green transition, you need people on all levels to commit. 13 Climate Mayors in the Oslo region have taken this to heart, embarking on a 30-day challenge to make a green change in their own lives – including the Governing Mayor of Oslo, Raymond Johansen.



Get to know the European Green Leaf 2019 title holders



Cornellà de Llobregat



From Left to Right: Cornellà Mayor Antonio Balmón with Joanna Drake from European Commission’s DG Environment unveiling the European Green Leaf 2019 plaque at Greening for Change Conference & European Green Leaf and European Green Capital participants at Conference


First, let’s go to the Spanish municipality of Cornellà de Llobregat, located in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, between the Llobregat River and the Collserola Mountains.

Cornellà is a highly urbanised area, posing certain environmental challenges regarding air quality, access to green space and nature conservation. With its plans to significantly increase the amount of green areas throughout the city, Cornellà is tackling these challenges head-on and striving to improve the quality of life of its citizens. Want to know more about Cornellà’s environmental plans and actions? Take a look at the European Green Leaf 2019 brochure and learn how this city is tackling climate change, reducing food waste, improving its water quality, and so much more!

Cornellà marked the start of its green year by unveiling its EGLA plaque at a two-day conference on 7-8 February 2019, which was organised with the Barcelona Metropolitan Area and in partnership with the European Commission under the theme Greening for Change: European Green Capital & European Green Leaf Cities’ Experiences. Demonstrating Cornellà’s commitment to upholding the EGLA 219 title, the municipality carried out an analysis of the total emissions produced from participants’ attendance at the conference and announced that it is offsetting this by planting 62 trees in Mexico. Check out the infographic here.

Follow Cornellà on Twitter here for their latest news and initiatives during their EGLA 2019 year.


Horst aan de Maas



From Left to Right: the Horst aan de Maas team unveiling the European Green Leaf 2019 plaque & Horst aan de Maas’s Mayor, Ina Leppink, giving the New Year’s speech at the Opening Even


Next stop: the Dutch municipality of Horst aan de Maas. This municipality of 42,000 inhabitants is surrounded by a wealth of natural spaces, with agriculture and nature tourism accounting for much of the municipality’s economic activity.

The city puts citizen engagement and collaboration at the heart of its environmental practices, for instance, through working with farmers to develop a climate change resilient agricultural sector, and involving citizens in sustainable transport planning. To learn more about Horst aan de Maas and why it was chosen to be a green Ambassador, check out their European Green Leaf 2019 brochure by clicking here!

Horst aan de Maas officially began its year as the joint European Green Leaf at an official ceremony on 4 January. Check out this link in Dutch about their Plaque unveiling. To stay up to date with Horst aan de Maas’s latest events and initiatives throughout 2019, you can follow them on Twitter here.




Looking forward to seeing what these three green cities have in store for 2019? You can also keep up to date by following the dedicated EGCA/EGLA Twitter and Facebook accounts & website!



Meet our new Experts




From Left to Right: Nathalie Cecutti, Sustainable Land Use Expert; César Asensio, Noise Expert; and Vesna Kolega, Energy Performance Expert


This year, the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards’ Expert Panel welcomed three new experts: Nathalie Cecutti, César Asensio and Vesna Kolega. The Expert Panel is made up of 12 independent and international experts in fields relating to the environment and sustainable urban development.

Playing a vital role, the Expert Panel carries out the technical review of the applications submitted by applicant cities for the EGCA and EGLA competitions, determining which cities become finalists and enter the next round of the competitions.

To find out more about the new experts, click on his/her name, below:
Sustainable Land Use - Nathalie Cecutti
Noise - César Asensio
Energy Performance - Vesna Kolega

For the full list of the 12 experts and their expertise, visit our website here.

The Expert Panel is currently busy assessing the applications for the EGCA 2021 & EGLA 2020 competitions, and we aim to announce who the finalist cities are in April 2019. Stay tuned!

As we welcome our new Expert Panel members, we would also like to thank the exiting Expert Panel members for their valued contribution to the Awards - thank you!


A look back to 2018 with Nijmegen, Leuven and Växjö


As we enter into the first few months of 2019, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on all the positive events and activities that took place throughout 2018, thanks to the European Green Capital, Nijmegen, and joint European Green Leaf winners, Leuven and Växjö.


Nijmegen, European Green Capital 2018



Nijmegen 2018 in pictures (from left to right): Nijmegen’s Mayor Hubert Bruls opens the Wintertuin kicking off the city’s European Green Capital year & the European Green Capital Visitors Pavilion


Nijmegen had a very successful year full of activities, events and initiatives that would not have been possible without a great team, committed partners and engaged citizens. 2018 marked the start of a green wave for Nijmegen and they have only just begun! Let’s take a look at their 2018 year in numbers:
200 big and small-scale conferences, lectures and festivals organised
14,000 professionals welcomed
71,000 visitors at public events
16,000 people at the visitors pavilion
10,000 trees and bushes planted
190,000 tiles removed for a greener city as part of ‘Operation Stone Breaker’
Won Green Destination Gold Award 2018
Won the Circular Economy Award for best region in the Netherlands as Arnhem-Nijmegen
Led the signing of a Call for Action, along with 22 European Green Capital Network cities, to enhance sustainability in all cities around the World & presented Call for Action at COP 24.

If you want to relive Nijmegen’s year, check out this interactive and colourful website that is full of photos, videos and facts, telling Nijmegen’s story from the very beginning – from how they won the European Green Capital title all the way to the end of their year, as well as their plans for a more sustainable future.

Looking to the future - in 2019, Nijmegen is already planning on building on an even stronger sustainability network. This programme will focus on the themes healthy city, green city and circular economy. We can’t wait to follow their journey in the years to come!



From left to right: Citizens of Nijmegen enjoy a special European Green Capital concert at the Spiegelwaal & the European Green Capital year came to an end with Green Friday on 14 December 2018


Leuven, European Green Leaf 2018



From Left to Right: Delegation from Lille & Delegation from Latin American that visited Leuven during their EGLA 2018 year


Leuven also had a fully packed and exciting year as joint European Green Leaf 2018. Some of their key highlights include being one of six finalists of the iCapital Award, another European Commission initiative which rewards cities for their ability to harness innovation to improve the lives of its citizens.

In its work within the NGO Leuven 2030, Leuven contributed to the creation of a climate change Roadmap along with several experts across several environmental areas. The Roadmap illustrates the challenges concerning climate change for the city, how to take steps to combat it in 2025, 2035 and 2050, and how to become a carbon neutral city. With the help of every citizen, company, organisation, knowledge institution and government, the Roadmap delivers a plan consisting of eight ambitions with 13 programmes. For more information, visit this website (in Dutch).

Leuven also welcomed several international delegations to the city during its European Green Leaf year. Each delegation was shown around the city to get to know all the innovative sustainable projects in Leuven.



Joint European Green Leaf 2018, Växjö







2018 was a busy year full of environmental initiatives and events for Växjö, and it started with the right foot forward. After winning the European Green Leaf 2018 title, Växjö received international interest from journalists and students alike who wanted to find out more about the Swedish city. This created a strong sense of local pride amongst citizens and confirmed that Växjö is on the right path towards improving its city’s quality of life.

Växjö also organised and hosted several events for its citizens in 2018. These included Earth Week, which focused on the theme of Water, and attracted thousands of citizens, companies and organisations to take part in many sustainable activities, including activities related to sustainable food. Växjö also organised a ‘Biodiversity Day’, which provided the public with several activities including a 24-hour biodiversity cycling tour of the city.

Here are also some more highlights of Växjö’s concrete actions and decisions that were made in their EGLA 2018 year:
Decision to introduce recycling / separation of household waste in each home from 2020
Creation of a recirculation park to improve reusing and recycling
Inauguration of a new national park on the border of Växjö municipality
New nature protection area inaugurated – Hoyshaga Nature Conservation Area
Construction of bus lanes
Inauguration of “speed cycle lanes”

Overall, Växjö’s European Green Leaf year has been both successful and promising for the future of the Nordic city. Many small and big steps have been taken in the right direction!



Bus and cycle lanes that were constructed in 2018 in Växjö


European Green Capital Alumni: Essen and Vitoria-Gasteiz

Essen European Green Capital 2017 – a year in review!



Cover page of ‘Monitoring of Selected Action Fields of the European Green Capital Essen 2017’ Report


The City of Essen published a report reflecting on their year as European Green Capital 2017 to share best practices and assess the ways in which the activities of their European Green Capital year had a measurable impact within the city. You can find the full report in English here. To compile the report, the research team, made up of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy and the University Alliance Ruhr, interviewed and surveyed residents and participants from events held during Essen’s EGCA 2017 year to understand their level of interest, and to gauge the level of popularity and perception of Essen holding the title. Of the 1,885 people surveyed, almost all were aware that Essen was the 2017 European Green Capital and there was a high level of popularity for the city holding the title due to the mainly positive connotations that the residents associated with the European Commission initiative.

The report also includes an impact analysis on four selected fields of action which Essen identified before it took the title (green areas and climate change; local transport and mobility; air quality and C0₂ emissions; and eco-innovation and employment), to determine what impact holding the EGCA title had on these fields. Within these fields, Essen also set several goals, ranging from increasing public green spaces to improving the walkability and bicycle-friendliness of the city to improving Essen’s air quality and generating more opportunities for eco-friendly business. With these goals, Essen has established a strong framework and plan for what the city must do to continue to improve the quality of life of its citizens.

Congratulations to Essen on continuing the green work even after their year of 2017 European Green Capital!


‘Vitoria-Gasteiz, The European Green Capital 5 Years Later’: Report reflects on 5 years since EGCA 2012 title



Cover page of the Vitoria-Gasteiz Five Year Report


Five years after being named the European Green Capital 2012, Vitoria-Gasteiz published a report looking back on its experience of holding the title and shares all the green initiatives it has put in place ever since as well as plans on how it will to continue being a green Ambassador into the future. More specifically, this report begins by giving readers a glimpse into what contributed to Vitoria-Gasteiz becoming the 2012 European Green Capital by showcasing their green projects, like their commitment to biodiversity through the city’s famous ‘Green Belt’, how they used waste as a resource and the importance of political consensus.

It also gives an overview of their successful 2012 year by putting a spotlight on some of their key events and initiatives, such as the launch of their agri-food strategy, the ‘Plan Futura’ for water and the extension and environmental upgrades made to their Europe Congress Centre, to name a few. Finally, Vitoria-Gasteiz ends the report by outlining the challenges and goals for their next ten years, demonstrating that once a European Green Capital, always a European Green Capital! Some of these goals include becoming climate neutral by 2050, improving biodiversity and ecosystems and boosting their green economy.

Check out Vitoria-Gasteiz’s Report Vitoria-Gasteiz, The European Green Capital 5 Years Later to find out more about the sustainable urban projects the green city has been implementing over the past few years, the range of stakeholders involved to deliver them and their future goals. We hope this report inspires more European cities to apply for the European Green Capital Award, illustrating how you can make your city Fit for Life!


Mark your Calendars!
21-22 March: Nordic EV Summit in Oslo
21 March: Economist Sustainability Summit in London with EGCA 2020 Lisbon Mayor Fernando Medina and the European Commission’s Director General for Environment Daniel Calleja
28 March: ‘Road to 2050’ Conference in Leuven
April: EGCA 2021 & EGLA 2020 Finalists will be revealed – stay tuned!
9-10 April: Nordic Biogas Conference in Oslo
14 May: Launch of EGCA 2022 & EGLA 2021 competitions
22-24 May: Urban Future Global Conference in Oslo – EGCA Session on 22 May @ 12-1pm
27 May: EGCA 2022 Applicant Workshop & ‘World Café’ cocktail in Brussels (at European Commission’s DG Environment premises)
20 June: EGCA 2021 & EGLA 2020 Awards Ceremony in Oslo
25 June: ICLEI’s European Urban Resilience Forum in Bonn
14 October: Closing date of EGCA 2022 & EGLA 2021 competitions

European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards Secretariat...wishes and latest news

Ezine No. 28 – December 2018

 

Season’s Greetings!

We hope you enjoy the 28th issue of the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Award’s Ezine. We at the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards Secretariat would like to wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year! 

 

In this issue

• The Race is on for EGCA 2021 & EGLA 2020: Applicants Announced!
• EGCN Cities Sign Call for Action
• First ever EGCA and EGLA Recipe Book
• Members of the European Parliament Visit Nijmegen
• Faces of Nijmegen
• What is Oslo doing for 2019?
• First  EGCN Workshop
• New artwork for Leuven
• Växjö on the world stage

 

The Race is on to find the 2021 European Green Capital and 2020 European Green Leaf Winners!

21 cities from 14 different European countries are officially competing to win the EGCA 2021 and EGLA 2020! Nearly two thirds of the applicant cities applied for the first time and most applications were received from Southern and Eastern European cities, which means that our EGCA and EGLA family is growing!

Who entered the race?

The following nine cities are competing for the European Green Capital 2021 Award: Budapest (Hungary); Cagliari (Italy); Dijon (France); Lahti (Finland); Lille (France); Skopje (Macedonia); Strasbourg (France); Tirana (Albania); and Västerås (Sweden).

12 cities are in the running for the European Green Leaf 2020 Award, as follows: Avignon (France); Kaposvár (Hungary); Lappeenranta (Finland); Limerick (Ireland); Mairena del Alcor (Spain); Mechelen (Belgium); Oliveira do Hospital (Portugal); Svishtov (Bulgaria); Szentes (Hungary); Valmiera (Latvia); Viana do Castelo (Portugal); and Vranje (Serbia).

What happens next?

Each city’s application will be evaluated by an independent Expert Panel, who will then determine what cities will go on to the final stage of the competition. Finalists for each competition will be announced in April 2019, so stay tuned for the big reveal! For the latest information on the EGCA and EGLA competitions visit our website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

European Green Capital Network Cities Sign Call for Action

Joanna Drake, Deputy Director-General for Coordination of Resource-efficiency policies and instruments in DG Environment, speaking at Call for Action meeting

On 23 November 2018, Nijmegen, European Green Capital 2018, signed a ‘Call for Action’ together with 17 European Green Capital Network (EGCN) cities and 4 city partners, pledging to enhance sustainability in all cities around the world. The Call for Action seeks to inspire, calling on cities to recognise and act upon their role as drivers of sustainable development. In return, European Green Capital Network cities also offer to help other cities in their efforts to give sustainability a boost in their own city.

Mayors from the following cities of the EGCN signed the Call for Action: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bristol, Essen, Freiburg, Ghent, Hamburg, ’s Hertogenbosch, Lahti, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Malmö, Nantes, Nijmegen, Nuremberg, Oslo, Umeå and Vitoria-Gasteiz. The Call for Action is endorsed by the European Commission and strongly supported by ICLEI (Local governments for sustainability), the Covenant of Mayors, Energy Cities and EUROCITIES.

With this Call for Action, these EGCN cities are emphasising the important role cities are playing in transforming their cities to tackle climate change in advance of COP 24, the Global Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland taking place from 3-14 December 2018. On 10 December, during the COP 24 reception “Katowice Climate Shift”, EGCN cities Nijmegen, Oslo (the 2019 European Green Capital) and Barcelona (tbc) will present the Call for Action and will call upon national governments and international institutions to acknowledge the important role of cities and involve them early in the process of developing policies.

Click here to read the full Call to Action and get inspired!

European Green Capital Network Representatives Presenting and Signing the Call for Action

 

First ever Recipe Book from EGCA and EGLA cities

We can probably all agree that one of the best things about travelling is trying new food! What if you could taste cuisines from all over Europe and learn about sustainable food practices, all from the comfort of your own home? Well, now you can! Introducing the first ever European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Network Recipe Book!

This unique recipe book contains 26 delicious recipes from 21 European cities that have either been finalists or winners of the European Green Capital or European Green Leaf Awards (i.e. cities from the EGCA and EGLA Networks). You could impress your friends and family with a Vegetable Loaf from Malmö; Cottage Cheese Pancakes from Ljubljana; or a Crème Caramel from Cornellà de Llobregat!

Another element that sets this recipe book apart is that all of the featured recipes are centred around sustainable food – but that’s not all! Readers can also enjoy inspiring stories about these cities’ sustainable food initiatives and how they are continually striving to be more ‘Fit for Life’!

Here’s a sneak preview of a recipe from the current European Green Capital, Nijmegen…

 

Feeling hungry yet? Visit our website for the full recipe book and start cooking!

Learn more about the European Green Capital Network (EGCN) & European Green Leaf Network (EGLN).

 

What’s happening in EGCA winning cities?

With the EGCA 2021 and EGLA 2020 competitions well underway, let’s now hear from our current (and future) winning cities!

 

Delegation of MEPs Visit Nijmegen

MEP Delegation Visiting Different Nijmegen Initiatives and Projects

In September, a delegation of four Members of the European Parliament, MEPs Bas Eickhout, Annie Schrijer Pierik, Renate Sommer, Elena Gentile, from the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee of the European Parliament (EP) and EP advisors, visited this year’s European Green Capital, Nijmegen. They were welcomed to the green city by Nijmegen’s Vice Mayor Harriët Tiemens and spent three full days exploring the European Green Capital and discovering all about the different green initiatives in place in the city.

Over the course of their visit, MEPs visited some of the city’s sustainable projects, such as the first fully citizen-owned wind farm of the region, the Wind Park Nijmegen-Betuwe; the waste management centre and company, DAR; the impressive River Waal Project; and Innofase, an industry/synergy park where companies and the local municipality link up to achieve greater sustainability. Citizen action was emphasised throughout the visit and MEPs had the chance to meet with a wide variety of citizens who are working together on sustainable initiatives, to learn and discuss bottom-up approaches to sustainability policy in Nijmegen. The MEPs were very impressed by all of the sustainable initiatives they saw throughout their visit to the European Green Capital 2018, as well as the city’s energy and circular innovations. MEPs were particularly impressed with the level and scale of energy innovation seen in Arnhem at the Industrial Park Kleefse Waard (IPKW).

If you want to find out more about the visit, you can check out this link (in Dutch) or hear what MEP Annie Schreijer-Pierik has to say in this video clip.

The Faces of Nijmegen

Click on the image to read each story

Life in a European Green Capital is like no other! We spoke to six citizens from Nijmegen, the current European Green Capital, to find out more about what it’s like to live in a European Green Capital city, what benefits it brings to them and how they are playing their part in ‘greening’ Nijmegen. From running a nature kindergarten to living in an eco-village, these citizens show there are many different ways to be green! One thing these green Ambassadors all have in common: their passion for sustainability and making their city more ‘Fit for Life’!

Read these Nijmegen City Diaries for some greenspiration!

European Green Capital Network in Nijmegen

European Green Capital Network Members at First Workshop

Ever wondered what happens after cities win or are nominated for the European Green Capital Award? They join the European Green Capital Network, an exclusive network of former winners and nominees, which advocates for impactful sustainable urban development in Europe. To this end, members of the Network do not only exchange on best practices, challenges and potential solutions between each other, but they also encourage other European cities on their paths towards a more sustainable future, by providing guidance and support. The Network additionally serves as a platform for change, representing European cities in relevant European and global political processes.

On 20-22 November, the current European Green Capital, Nijmegen, hosted European Green Capital Network members for the 'Future-proof workshop'.

Workshop participants included experts on climate change adaptation, resilience and nature-based solutions from the member cities Barcelona, Bristol, Essen, Hamburg, Lahti, Lisbon, Nijmegen, Oslo, Reykjavik, Stockholm, Umeå, Vitoria-Gasteiz and ‘s-Hertogenbsch. Through the facilitated workshop sessions, input was gathered for the up-coming future-proof toolkit, which will soon be available on the European Green Capital Network webpage. The toolkit will provide recommendations and strategies for other European cities on their paths towards a more climate-proof and resilient future.

Click here for more information on the Network, its visions and plans for further up-coming workshops (topics and host cities soon to be announced) and toolkits.

 

 

 

Oslo Launches its 2019 Programme

 

As we come towards the end of Nijmegen’s year, Oslo is busy preparing for its green year as the 2019 European Green Capital! And when we say busy, we mean busy! The city already has over 300 events and activities planned for 2019, all with sustainability and citizen engagement at their heart. The programme is the result of a true collaborative effort. The city is working with over 150 partners, including grass-roots organisations, the business community and academic institutions.

 

Governing Mayor of Oslo, Raymond Johansen, at the launch of Oslo’s European Green Capital 2019 Programme

The programme was officially launched on 25 September 2018 during Oslo Innovation Week with European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella’s opening video message found here. Olso’s programme will include everything from international conferences to local neighbourhood events. Why not see for yourself - the full programme of events is available on the official website in Norwegianand English.

Oslo’s green year will officially kick off at the Handover and Opening Ceremony on 4 January 2019, when Nijmegen will pass on the European Green Capital title. Check for updates on our website, Twitter and Facebook for a livestream of the event!

What’s new with the 2018 European Green Leaf winners?

Leuven’s new green leaf artwork!

Leuven has unveiled new public artwork to celebrate their green win! The sculpture is located in Sluispark, one of the city’s many green spaces. With its giant yellow characters, this artwork cannot be missed, serving as a constant reminder of Leuven’s achievement and encouraging citizens to keep working towards a healthy and sustainable future!

‘Leuven Green Leaf’ artwork in Sluispark

As well as brightening up the public space, the installation also includes a seating area, providing a place for people to come together, meet their neighbours and enjoy their city!

The artwork was officially unveiled on 26 August 2018 during Leuven’s Car-Free Sunday, one of the city’s many actions to promote sustainable transport and reduce carbon emissions.

Leuven’s Car Free Sunday – celebrating the city’s public spaces with family fun and outdoor activities

Please visit Leuven’s website to find out more about all the great ‘green work’ they are doing in their city here.

Växjö leads the way in the fight against climate change!

Växjö gained worldwide media attention, including in Reuters and the World Economic Forum, following its announcement that greenhouse gas emissions have been cut at rates normally only seen after economic crashes or war. With the latest International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report affirming the urgent need for climate action, cities across the globe are now looking to role models, such as Växjö, to learn how they can reduce their emissions, while maintaining a thriving economy.

So, what can we learn from Växjö’s amazing feat? Prioritising cycling over motorised transport and promoting renewable energy across all sectors are just two examples of how the European Green Leaf is tackling climate change. Växjö has driven down CO₂ emissions by 58% per capita from 1993 to 2017, while energy use has dropped 12% per capita from 2008 to 2017. Looking forward, Växjö aims to eliminate carbon emissions from fossil fuels by 2030 from all sectors, including homes, industry and transport.

Växjö promotes sustainable transport through improving cycling infrastructure, increasing priority bus lanes and fuelling its public transport through renewable sources

Visit Växjö’s website to see all the initiatives the city has put in place and follow their lead towards a greener future!