València (Spain)

Date of publication: 01.07.2026

The city of Valencia, the third-largest city in Spain with more than 840,000 inhabitants, has a strong and broad political consensus on sustainability and environmental protection. This commitment has grown in scope and ambition over the years and is now more necessary than ever, following the devastating floods caused by the DANA storm on 29 October 2024.

This shared vision reflects a long-term commitment to protecting natural resources and people, reducing environmental impact and promoting a more resilient city, while creating opportunities for local innovation and talent attraction. València was awarded European Green Capital in 2024, was a finalist in the Innovation Capital in 2020 and 2022, is a signatory of the Covenant of Mayors since 2009, received the Mission Label in 2023, and has recently submitted an update of its Climate City Contract in 2026.

Turia Garden @ José Luis Filpo Cabana
Climate Shelter @ València Sostenible

Sustainability focus: Adaptation, Energy Transition and Sustainable Food

Fit-for-purpose governance is a fundamental enabler of the sustainability transition. The city has recently created a new public entity, called Sustainable València (València Sostenible), that merges two previous foundations into one municipal agency dedicated to urban sustainability, climate protection, energy transition and sustainable food. 

València has also created a multi-stakeholder body, called Sustainable València Forum, that joins together more than 50 entities from the public, private, social and academic fields to foster the implementation of collaborative projects.


Some of the most relevant projects implemented in the city to advance towards sustainability include:

  • RIP (Requiem in Power): a set of large-scale solar plants with a total capacity of 2.8 MW, installed in municipal cemeteries to power public buildings and to provide 25% of the energy free of charge to vulnerable households.
  • Green Schools Plan: a participatory assessment of 12 public schools to evaluate how their playgrounds can be better adapted to heat through nature-based solutions, shading, or water-based play. This is carried out through several initiatives, including the EnerCmed project, the Fair Local Green Deals project, and with support from NetZeroCities.
  • Energy Offices: one-stop shops that assess, inform, and support citizens on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy poverty. Sustainable València currently manages four Energy Offices in the city: three permanent and one itinerant.
  • Citizen-Led Renovation: to promote collective energy renovation measures by aggregating demand in order to increase the city’s renovation rate, reduce the cost of interventions, and foster a sense of community among homeowners with similar needs.

The need to knows

  • València has committed to climate neutrality and resilience through its participation in the Mission of Climate-Neutral Cities and of Adaptation.
  • València has reduced its emissions by 38% since 2007 (first GHG emissions inventory developed).
  • The Turia Garden has more than 10 kilometers and 120 hectares of walkable and green space.
  • La Albufera is a unique wetland in Europe for being home to a great diversity of flora and fauna, with more than 350 species observed.
  • The Huerta de València has more than 120 square kilometers of fertile fields and land, where top-quality fruit and vegetables are harvested, the basis of the Mediterranean diet and of our gastronomy.
  • València currently has 223.35 km of cycle lanes and 37.57 km of cycle streets.
  • More than 70% of citizens have a green space within a five-minute walk of their homes.

Achievements

  • Awarded European Green Capital in 2024
  • Finalist for Innovation Capital in 2020 and 2022
  • Signatory of the Covenant of Mayors since 2009
  • Signatory of the Aalborg Charter
  • Signatory of the Aalborg Conditions
  • Received the Mission Label in 2023, and has recently submitted an update of its Climate City Contract in 2026.
Foro València Sostenible @ València Sostenible

What the city has to say

“Valencia takes a qualitative leap in cooperation between institutions, companies, universities, and civil society to join forces in building a safer, healthier, and more climate-responsible Valencia. And we are doing so hand in hand with our European partners, learning from the experience of other cities in our region and thanks to the cooperation of European institutions. The City Council is directly responsible for only a small share of the city’s emissions, so we need to act collectively, mobilizing the entire economic and social network in order to achieve climate neutrality goals.” 

Carlos Mundina, Councillor for Climate Improvement and Energy Efficiency, City of València

ICLEI and València

València, signatory of the Aalborg Charter and the Aalborg Conditions, has been an ICLEI Member since February 2023 and collaborated in many projects such as CEPPI, ARCH, Save the Homes, Fair Local Green Deals, UTMC and UPPER. Through these initiatives, València has contributed to the development and exchange of best practices in areas such as climate adaptation, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, and urban resilience.

This collaboration led to València hosting the 11th edition of EURESFO in 2024, coinciding with the city’s year as European Green Capital.

Bioclimatic Pergola at Ballester Fandos School @ València Sostenible