The prestigious title of European Green Capital is awarded every year to a European city of 100,000+ inhabitants for its commitment to environmental, social and economic sustainability. The European Green Leaf Award 2022 is also underway, for smaller cities with 20,000 to 99,999 inhabitants. The Commission will award a financial prize of €600,000 to the winning city of the 2023 European Green Capital title; and €200,000 each to up to two cities for the 2022 European Green Leaf Award; to enhance the cities’ environmental sustainability and to contribute to achieving their sustainability vision.

Being a European Green Capital brings many benefits including a greater focus on environmental projects, increased tourism and foreign investment, boosting the local economy and helping to create employment. Winners and shortlisted cities also gain access to the exclusive European Green Capital Network, providing them with support and a platform for sharing knowledge and best practice. In addition, previous applicants have said that the application process in itself proved beneficial in evaluating their progress and plans and benchmarking themselves against their peers.

There is still time to enter as applications close on 28 October 2020. Check the Rules of Contest and further information on eligibility, application, evaluation, and updates, on the awards portal.