The winners of the two most prestigious European Green Cities Awards for 2027 were announced today (2 Oct) in Vilnius during a festive ceremony held at the Lithuanian National Art Gallery.
In 2027, Heilbronn (Germany) will be the European Green Capital, and the European Green Leaf Awards - for smaller cities - will go to Assen (the Netherlands) and Siena (Italy).
Speaking on the issue, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall said:
“The European Green Capital and European Green Leaf awards, each year, recognise cities that strive to be at the forefront of urban and environmental sustainability. Cities that – simply put – lead by example.
I am delighted to congratulate Heilbronn, Assen and Siena for having been awarded these titles for 2027. This is both a recognition and responsibility – you are our new ambassadors of the green transition.”
The jury awarded Heilbronn the title of European Green Capital 2027 based on top scores that the city received in air quality, water, noise, climate change adaptation and the circular economy.
Heilbronn demonstrates a successful intersectoral collaboration of noise, climate and air pollution into its ‘Landscape Plan 2030’ and the city’s ‘Mobility Concept’. Citizen engagement is central, with participatory platforms, awareness campaigns, and protection for quiet areas.
The jury also recognised the city’s ambitious targets for 2035, as well as the regional collaborations that Heilbronn has built to further improve air quality and noise reduction.
Heilbronn will succeed 2025 titleholder Vilnius (Lithuania) and 2026 titleholder Guimarães (Portugal).
Both Green Leaf Award winners, Assen and Siena, impressed the jury with their exemplary approaches to engaging their communities in the green transition.
Members of the jury were impressed with Assen’s strong commitment to circularity and climate change mitigation. Its innovative waste management policies, including enhanced PMD (Plastic, Metal, and Drink cartons) collection and initiatives such as Repair Cafés, showcase reducing residual waste and promoting material recovery, which drive forward the circular economy.
The city has achieved significant CO₂ reductions through building retrofits, decarbonisation of municipal operations, and innovative projects like the Energy Garden.
The cycling highway to Groningen is an example of a sustainable mobility project that further highlights Assen’s efforts to reduce emissions.
Siena impressed the jury with its green areas and sustainable land use, as well as effective waste management systems.
The total area of public green areas in Siena has increased thanks to public investment. New urban parks have been created, resulting in an average of 28m2 of public green spaces per capita.
The city recycled an impressive 61.4% of its municipal waste and reduced landfill to just 1%. The jury also recognised the public engagement programs in Siena, which promote reuse, repair, and circular economy practices.
Heilbronn will be granted a financial prize of €600,000. The money will contribute to the city’s effort to implement measures of sustainability and participation to enhance its environmental sustainability as European Green Capital 2027.
Similarly, Assen and Siena, as European Green Leaf 2027 award winners, will receive a financial prize of €200,000 each.
A total of 20 cities from 11 European countries competed for the awards in this edition. An international panel of seven independent urban sustainability experts evaluated each application and proposed a shortlist of seven finalist cities.
All seven finalists were interviewed by a jury comprised of representatives from the Commission, the European Committee of the Regions, the European Environment Agency (EEA), the EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB).
The jury also commends the Green Capital finalists Debrecen (Hungary) and Klagenfurt on Lake Wörthersee (Austria) and the Green Leaf finalists Benidorm (Spain) and Saint-Quentin (France) for their outstanding performances. All finalists have shown an impressive commitment to further urban sustainability in their communities.
Background
The EU recognises that cities play a crucial role in delivering a low-carbon, resource-efficient, clean, sustainable and resilient society. With over 70% of Europeans living in urban areas, cities play an important role in the environmental and economic transformation.
The European Green Capital Award was launched in 2010 by the Commission to encourage cities to become greener and cleaner, and thereby to improve the quality of life for their citizens.
The Award recognises cities that are committed to achieving the European Green Deal’s ambitious goals and more specifically the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Biodiversity Strategy, the EU Adaptation Strategy and the EU goals on climate neutrality.
The European Green Leaf Award was established to recognise the environmental efforts and achievements of smaller towns and cities (20,000 – 100,000 inhabitants).
Being a European Green Capital or a European Green Leaf city brings many benefits, from increasing the city’s profile to building new alliances. Winning also creates a spirit of optimism, attracting investments and building a better quality of life for citizens.
More background information can be found in our press kit.
Discover more about the European Green Cities Award, as well as the current and previous winners.
More information
Details
- Publication date
- 2 October 2025
- Author
- Directorate-General for Environment
