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EU Commission increases prize money for Europe’s greenest cities
29 May 2020
by Sarah Wray
The European Commission has launched a competition to name the 2023 European Green Capital and up to two 2022 European Green Leaf cities with the prize increased to a combined €1 million.
Towns and cities with a population of between 20,000 and 100,000 can apply for the 2022 European Green Leaf award, and a maximum of two will receive €200,000 each, up from €75,000. The European Green Capital 2023 award is open to cities with a population of over 100,000 and the winner will receive €600,000, up from €350,000.
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.”
New commitments
With the increased financial prize, the winning cities are expected to take on additional responsibilities, such as committing to tangible projects and actions which will enhance environmental sustainability.
The European Green Capital Awards have been running since 2008 and are judged by a panel of independent urban sustainability experts, based on 12 environmental indicators.
Stockholm, Hamburg, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Nantes, Copenhagen, Bristol, Ljubljana, Essen, Nijmegen, Oslo, Lisbon and Lahti are past winners of the European Green Capital title. European Green Leaf winners include Mollet del Vallès, Torres Vedras, Galway, Leuven, Växjö, Cornellà de Llobregat, Horst aan de Maas, Limerick and Mechelen.
For 2022 Dijon, Grenoble, Tallinn and Turin were recently named as the finalists for the European Green Capital award and Elsinore, Gabrovo, Lappeenranta, Nyborg and Ringkøbing-Skjern have been shortlisted for the European Green Leaf 2021 awards. The winners will be announced later this year.
Image: Jessicahyde | Dreamstime.com
