Ten Cities Compete for the Title of Europe’s Greenest Capital in 2027

The race for the 2027 European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards is officially underway. The European Commission has unveiled the list of candidate cities hoping to be recognised for their bold steps toward urban sustainability and climate resilience.

🏙️ For the European Green Capital Award, which honours cities with over 100,000 inhabitants, ten candidates are in the running:
Bielsko-Biała (Poland), Chernivtsi, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil (Ukraine), Debrecen (Hungary), Heilbronn (Germany), Košice (Slovakia), and Klagenfurt (Austria).

🌿 For the European Green Leaf Award, targeting smaller cities (20,000–100,000 inhabitants), the contenders are:
Assen (Netherlands), Ávila, Benidorm, Riba-roja de Túria, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Saint-Quentin (Spain/France), Cannes and Cayenne (France), Siena (Italy), and Vratsa (Bulgaria).

All applicants are evaluated across seven key environmental areas:
air quality, water, biodiversity and land use, waste and circular economy, noise, climate mitigation, and climate adaptation.

The selection process will involve a technical review by independent experts followed by a final jury presentation on 1–2 October 2025, where shortlisted cities will pitch their vision and communication strategies. The winners will be announced during a festive ceremony on 2 October 2025 in Vilnius, the current European Green Capital.

🏆 What’s at stake?

• The European Green Capital 2027 will receive €600,000
• Each European Green Leaf winner (1 or 2 cities) will be awarded €200,000
  The prize money supports actions within the seven indicator areas and citizen engagement initiatives throughout their title year.

💡 Why does it matter?

These awards do more than celebrate best practices—they empower cities to scale up local green action, attract investment, and inspire civic pride. Winning cities often see long-lasting benefits through increased visibility, national support, and a stronger push towards sustainable urban development.
Follow the journey of these candidate cities and mark your calendar for the winners’ reveal in October. Local and regional energy agencies can draw inspiration, explore partnerships, and use the award framework to benchmark and promote their own green transition strategies.

🔗 Learn more about the awards