A new toolkit from the European Commission guides cities through every step to become the next European Green Capital – from the decision to apply to collecting the necessary data and writing a successful application. Based on insights and first-hand experience from previous winners and finalists of the European Green Capital Award, it contains all the information needed to bring home this coveted prize.

More and more European cities are committed to becoming sustainability leaders, but many still wonder how to gain recognition for their green efforts. The European Green Capital Award, an initiative of the European Commission to promote and reward cities that are committed to raising standards in improving their urban environment, is the most widely recognised way to earn a place on the map of Europe’s greenest cities.

To date, 12 cities have earned this prestigious title, ten of which are ICLEI Members. These winners, as well as each year's finalists, make up the European Green Capital Network (EGCN). The EGCN, founded by ICLEI Member Copenhagen (Denmark) during its own award-winning year in 2014, aims to share best practices, discuss challenges and create solutions for impactful sustainable urban development in Europe, and to serve as a platform for change, representing European cities in relevant political processes.

Their newest toolkit, “How can your city become...the next European Green Capital,” published by the European Green Capital Network, offers specific guidance and insider tips on how to submit a high-quality application and make the most of the application process to generate long-term sustainability benefits.

“We hope that the toolkit will inspire a growing number of cities to create their own green profiles and submit their applications,” said Joanna Drake, Acting Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment. “The award is not only a prestigious seal of approval by the Commission, but also a way cities can align their efforts with European policies, programmes and perspective, all the while contributing to a bigger, global picture. The application process enables cities to accelerate their efforts to achieve an urban sustainability vision and helps them find ways to continue raising the bar”.

In addition to a financial prize – amounting to €600,000 for the 2023 winning city – and increased international media coverage, winning the award also brings cities a range of long-standing benefits. Previous winners have reported a boost in local pride, in foreign investment and a greater focus on environmental projects.

In fact, the benefits already begin to appear during the application process. One example is 2019 winner, ICLEI Member Oslo (Norway), for whom the application process created the necessary environment for cooperation between different city experts, bringing them together to work more closely across departments. The 2018 finalist, ICLEI Member Umeå (Sweden), used the  application as a hook to get people to talk more about sustainability and to start a fund to support green projects, which is still ongoing. These are only a few of the stories featured in the toolkit, which also contains hints on how applications are evaluated and tips on how to prepare for the presentation to the jury.

The toolkit concludes that, even if applicants do not succeed in their first attempt to win, applying is nonetheless worth it, as it sets a city on the right path for sustainable urban transition.

Winners and finalists of the award gain access to the European Green Capital Network, through which members can exchange best practices, challenges and potential solutions, while also encouraging other European cities on their own paths towards a more sustainable future by providing guidance and support. Current EGCN cities include:

• ICLEI Members: Brussels and Ghent (Belgium); Copenhagen (Denmark); Lahti (Finland); Dijon, Lille, Nantes and Strasbourg (France); Freiburg, Hamburg and Münster (Germany); Reykjavik (Iceland); Nijmegen (the Netherlands); Oslo (Norway); Lisbon (Portugal); Ljubljana (Slovenia); Barcelona and Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain); Malmö, Stockholm and Umeå (Sweden); Bristol and Glasgow (United Kingdom).
• Other EGCN member cities are: ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Amsterdam, Essen, Frankfurt, Grenoble, Nuremberg, Tallinn and Turin.

The network has so far published two other toolkits, exploring the topics of Future-Proof and 100% Renewable cities. Further toolkits, on Zero Waste and Human Scale cities, will be launched in the next few months.

Save the dates! The EGCN is hosting a webinar series open to all cities and relevant stakeholders, to enable exchange with the Network's experts around five vision clusters: Future-Proof, 100% Renewable, Zero Waste, Human Scale, and How Your City Can Become the Next European Green Capital. The first webinar took place in 2019, and the four remaining ones are scheduled for September.

For more information, please register here and save the dates to your calendar.