Brussels, 28 October 2022
Last night, the winners of the European Green Capital and Green Leaf 2024 Awards were announced at a ceremony in Grenoble, France, this year’s European Green Capital. The city of Valencia (Spain) will become the European Green Capital for 2024 and the title of European Green Leaf 2024 will be shared by Elsinore (Denmark) and Velenje (Slovenia).
Announcing the winners, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said:
“I would like to warmly congratulate Valencia, Elsinore, and Velenje and welcome them to the European Green City club! These cities are working hard to build a healthier and greener environment for their residents and are an inspiration to others. Cities are at the forefront of the green transition and with the progress made so far, I truly believe that we can build a greener and fairer Europe for all.”
Valencia earned the title due to its past and current achievements in sustainable tourism, climate neutrality, and a fair and inclusive green transition. The city also impressed with its work to improve air quality and restore natural ecosystems. Elsinore addresses high energy prices by speeding up building renovation and heat source conversion, including by new district heating systems. The city has also rebuilt the sewage system to separate rainwater and waste water, which improves water quality and helps adapt to changing climate. Velenje is working to phase out coal while opening up new employment opportunities in the green job sectors. The city was one of the first in Slovenia to install a separate waste collection system and has been improving waste management ever since. The prizes will support the cities’ planned green work: Valencia will receive €600,000 and Elsinore and Velenje, €200,000 each. The award comes right after the Commission proposed new rules on the way to zero pollution in the EU, where the winning cities show exemplary efforts. More information is in the news item.
Source – EU Commission