Turning commitment into action – the winners of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022

As global attention focuses on moving beyond commitment to decisive and effective action, the City of Hyderabad’s entry in the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 stands as a world-class example of the power of plants and nature in the urban context.

The City of Hyderabad, India, was announced as the grand winner, taking home the highest accolade and most highly coveted award for their winning initiative titled: Green Garland to the State of Telangana. The initiative was voted on by a prestigious and world-renowned jury as the entry demonstrating the highest capacity for impact, influence, replicability, and potential to inspire transformative change.

Hyderabad, one of the fastest-growing metropolises in India, is expected to be home to about 19 million residents by 2041. Telangana Ku Haritha Haram (TKHH), meaning ‘Green Garland to the State of Telangana’,  is a flagship programme which has inspired large-scale tree-planting by the Government of Telangana since 2015-16. The programme was established with the aim of increasing the tree cover of the state from 24 percent to 33 percent of its total geographical area, and its success far exceeds this ambition.

“With this global recognition, we can confidently say that Hyderabad is a world leader in nature-oriented approaches to city design, form, and function,” says Mr. Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General of AIPH. “The innovation, ambition, and inspiring action demonstrated in the city’s entry is a powerful legacy for other cities from around the world to aspire to.”

On behalf of the network of partners for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022, AIPH is proud to showcase examples of bold action in transforming cities. The announcement of the six category winners and the grand winner was made at a dedicated awards ceremony which took place at a special gala dinner at the IUCN Leaders Forum in Jeju, South Korea on 14 October 2022.

View the case study of the grand winner here.

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The grand winner was chosen from the winners of six categories – all powerful demonstrations of bringing green city principles into practice. AIPH presents these category winners and invites other cities to read the case studies and become inspired into action.

Living Green for Biodiversity

Reverdecer Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia

Agro-ecological urban and peri-urban agriculture takes on special importance in Bogota as it involves more than 120 plant species, including fruit trees in orchards, shrubs, vines, and small plants. In 2020, this urban agriculture programme gained strength and prominence, responding to and benefiting the community.

Living Green for Climate Change

Mexico City’s environmental and climate change programme, Mexico City, Mexico

Thanks to Mexico City’s ‘Green Challenge’ strategy, the increase in the annual production of plants rocketed from less than 500,000 in 2018 to more than 10 million in 2021, reversing deterioration and a loss of its natural heritage.

Living Green for Health and Wellbeing

Transforming degraded land into urban micro parks, City of Fortaleza, Brazil

In the context of Fortaleza, where access to public leisure areas is restricted and unequal, urban micro parks have become a low-cost and fast implementation solution, also supporting recovery of degraded areas.

Living Green for Water

Phytotechnology stations at the Montréal Botanical Garden / Space for Life, City of Montreal, Canada

Montréal Botanical Garden has set up a series of phytotechnology stations to address various environmental issues. The idea is to design installations that simultaneously solve problems, demonstrate technology, and educate the public as to the role and functioning of plants.

Living Green for Social Cohesion

OASIS schoolyard project, City of Paris, France

The OASIS schoolyard project seeks to renew and green existing public schoolyards. By December 2021, 72 schoolyards had been transformed, and the City’s goal is to reach all 770 kindergarten, elementary and middle schools by 2050.

Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth

Green Garland to the State of Telangana, City of Hyderabad, India

Hyderabad is committed to the creation of a bio-aesthetic environment by developing a green, beautiful, and purified atmosphere for all citizens. Intensive greening efforts clean its water, purify its air, maintain its soil, regulate the climate, and recycle nutrients.

All eligible entries to the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 were assessed and scored through a two-stage judging process. Following the first round of judging by the technical panel, a list of 18 finalists was delivered to the world-renowned 2022 awards jury. The jury, in the second stage of judging, was tasked with voting for a winner from each of the six categories, and then selecting the grand winner from these six category winners.

All 18 finalist cities were presented with ‘highly commended’ certificates and six more cities were presented with certificates of merit at the ceremony. Case studies from all finalist cities, including the category winners, are available in the AIPH Green City Case Study Library.

With this highly anticipated announcement of the 2022 winners, AIPH and its partners bring the inaugural edition of the world’s first global Green City awards to a close. The resounding success of the 2022 edition has set the stage for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024, alongside an announcement of a new collaborative partnership between AIPH and IUCN to support the 2024 edition of the Awards. The 2024 edition will see AIPH and its growing network of partners recognise and celebrate the work of an even broader variety of inspiring cities from around the world who are champions for the power of plants and nature.

To express your city’s interest in entering and to be informed when entries open for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024, click here.

To receive the latest news on the AIPH World Green City Awards and other Green City activities, AIPH invites you to subscribe to the monthly AIPH Global Green City Update here.

AIPH expresses gratitude to the category sponsors Expo 2021 Hatay and Biblo for their support of the inaugural AIPH World Green City Awards 2022.

AIPH is grateful to the network of partners for their ongoing support – Biophilic Cities, Cities & Health, CitiesWithNature, European Federation of Green Roof & Green Wall Associations (EFB), The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments (GTF), Greener Spaces Better Places, #NatureForAll, Salzburg Global Seminar, The Nature of Cities (TNoC), Trees for Cities, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Urban Biodiversity Hub (UBHub), World Urban Parks, Youth Climate Leaders, and 8 80 Cities. Thank you also media partners Cities Today, FloraCulture International, and Host City.