European Green Capital Award

The European Green Capital Award is an initiative of the European Commission (EC) that was developed in 2009. As urban areas account for 75% of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions, the EC recognised that cities play a vital role in developing solutions to environmental problems. The European Green Capital Award was created to encourage and give recognition to cities that have shown a commitment to achieving sustainable urban development and have set ambitious action plans to continue to reduce their environmental impact for the future.

Despite the huge challenges they face, many cities across Europe are developing innovative, sustainable initiatives to reduce their impact on the environment. In 2010, Stockholm (Sweden) was honoured as the first European Green Capital. This title was awarded to Hamburg (Germany) for 2011, while Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) and Nantes (France) have been named winners for 2012 and 2013.