News European Green Capital 2022 and European Green Leaf 2021 awards 5 min read 0 1,313 [:ro]Premiile European Green Capital 2022 și European Green Leaf 2021[:hu]Európa Zöld Fővárosa 2022 és Európai Zöld Levél 2021 díj[:en]European Green Capital 2022 and European Green Leaf 2021 awards[:] Interest in “going green” is growing: a record number of applicants for the Green Cities awards. Municipalities across Europe are increasingly choosing sustainability. 36 cities from 18 European countries entered the competition for the European Green Capital 2022 and European Green Leaf awards. Since the inception of the awards 13 years ago, this edition has attracted the highest number of participants. The award is given to cities and citizens who successfully address the challenges posed by climate and environmental changes in urban areas. This year, applicants from across Europe, especially from Eastern and Southern countries, have registered. Many are newcomers, with 23 out of 36 municipalities entering the competition for the first time. Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, stated: “We are in an ecological and climate crisis. Cities are on the front line of climate change and environmental degradation, and also on the front line of efforts to improve the situation. That is why I am encouraged by the record number of participants this year in the European Green Capital 2022 and European Green Leaf 2021 Awards. European cities are beginning to realize that greening not only improves everyday quality of life, but also protects their investments from environmental risks. However, the title also carries great responsibility—a responsibility that our network of winners takes very seriously. A winning city remains a global ambassador for how environmental challenges are addressed in Europe. Metropolises around the world learn from European cities, pioneers in this period of climate transition.” The 18 cities competing for the “European Green Capital 2022” award are: Belgrade (Serbia); Budapest (Hungary); Dijon (France); Gdańsk (Poland); Grenoble (France); Katowice (Poland); Kraków (Poland); Lyon (France); Maribor (Slovenia); Murcia (Spain); Parma (Italy); Pécs (Hungary); Perugia (Italy); Poznań (Poland); Sofia (Bulgaria); Tallinn (Estonia); Turin (Italy); and Zagreb (Croatia). The 18 municipalities participating for the “European Green Leaf 2021” award are: Avignon (France); Bistrița (Romania); Carballo (Spain); Çiftlikköy (Turkey); Coswig (Germany); Elsinore (Denmark); Gabrovo (Bulgaria); Kemi (Finland); Lappeenranta (Finland); Nyborg (Denmark); Oliveira do Hospital (Portugal); Riba-Roja de Túria (Spain); Ringkøbing-Skjern (Denmark); Sombor (Serbia); Tauragė (Lithuania); Valmiera (Latvia); Viana do Castelo (Portugal); Vichy (France). What’s next? A panel of 12 independent experts will conduct a technical analysis of the applications to create a shortlist of finalists. For the European Green Capital award, the committee will evaluate the applications based on 12 environmental indicators: climate change mitigation climate change adaptation sustainability of urban transport sustainable land use biodiversity and nature air quality noise pollution levels waste management water management greening and eco-innovation energy performance and governance For the European Green Leaf Award, six environmental criteria will be considered: climate change and energy performance air quality and urban noise sustainable urban mobility nature, biodiversity and sustainable land use waste and recycling and water Finalists from both competitions will be announced in spring 2020, after which they will be invited to present their concepts to an international jury. The jury will assess the administration’s involvement in sustainable urban development, their capacity to serve as a model for other urban areas, as well as their communication and citizen engagement strategy. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in June 2020, to be held in Lisbon, the European Green Capital for 2020.
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