The European Commission has launched the competition for the 2020 European Green Capital and 2019 European Green Leaf Awards. With more than two thirds of Europeans now living in towns and cities, finding innovative and better environmentally sustainable solutions is necessary to manage and improve how we live, travel, and work. European Green Capitals and Green Leafs provide inspiration and motivation to help other cities find solutions, on both a European and a global stage.

To celebrate the 10th year of the European Green Capital competition and to encourage more cities to apply, the European Commission will award a financial incentive of €350,000 to the winning city of the 2020 European Green Capital title (cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants) and €75,000 to the winner of the European Green Leaf 2019 title (smaller cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants).

Winning Green Capital and Green Leaf cities enjoy increased levels of tourism, positive international media coverage, increased international profiles, networks and alliance opportunities, foreign investment, and momentum to continue improving their environmental sustainability.

To help cities get started, the European Commission has organised a dedicated Applicant Workshop to be held on 27 June 2017 in Brussels (Belgium). The day will provide an overview of the competition process, include tips on how to complete the application, and will provide an opportunity to meet cities that have gone through the application process before. To register, contact applicantworkshop@europeangreencapital.eu

Both the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards are open to cities in EU Member States, EU Candidate Countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The deadline for applications for both competitions is 18 October 2017.

For more information, visit the European Green Capital Award website.