European Green Capital

Today, cities across Europe face several environmental and climate challenges. Air pollution continues to be the main environmental cause of premature death and disease. Europe's water bodies still face significant pressures.

Biodiversity and ecosystems continue to deteriorate.

Environmental noise is a growing concern, and inefficient waste management practices mean that significant quantities of valuable resources are lost, hindering the transition to a more circular economy. Cities also continue to generate increasing GHG emissions and at the same time are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Cities are important players in making urban areas greener, less polluted, healthier and cleaner.

Cities that have signed the Green City Accord have agreed to take further action on Air, Water, Waste/Circular economy, Nature/biodiversity, and Noise to make their cities cleaner, greener and healthier by 2030.

The European Green Capital Award has the mission to increase the number of cities that manage the transition to a green and healthy place for citizens to have a better quality of life. The winners of the Award show excellence in their green transition and act as role models for other cities.

The European Green Capital Award offers clear guidelines to performance and a supportive community to keep it running promotes and rewards the efforts of cities that are commit the urban environment and follow the ambitious goals under Green Deal and more specifically the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the circular Economy Action Plan and the Biodiversity strategy.

EUROPEAN GREEN CAPITAL

The City of Valencia, Spain has been chosen as the European Green Capital 2024, a distinction with which the European Commission recognises and rewards cities* which have implemented projects that reduce their environmental impact and improve quality of life for residents.