The European Commission launched a call Wednesday for European cities committed to sustainability to apply for the 2027 edition of the European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards.
A panel of independent urban sustainability experts will review and assess the performance of the competing cities against the following seven environmental indicators: air quality; water; biodiversity, green areas and sustainable land use; waste and circular economy; noise; climate change mitigation; and climate change adaptation.
Based on the experts’ recommendations and factual background checks, the Commission will select the finalist cities.
The EU’s environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall said: “I am calling on our European cities to apply for the 2027 European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards. This is an opportunity to show how sustainable you already are, and to share inspiring stories and best practices with other cities on becoming greener. Most Europeans live in cities, so let us make them healthy and pleasant to make living, working and doing business as sustainable as possible.”
With over two-thirds of European population living in cities, cities play a leading role in the social, environmental, and economic transformation prioritised by the European Green Deal.
The European Green Capital Award was launched by the Commission to encourage cities to become greener and cleaner. The awards promote and reward the efforts of European towns and cities that strive to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants and reduce their impact on the global environment. 17 cities have won the European Green Capital Award and 19 smaller cities have won the European Green Leaf Award to date, forming an ever-growing network of leading European cities that share a common vision and expertise and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
Cities can apply online until 15 April 2025.
You can find more information on the competition for the 2027 European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards online.
