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Environment

European Green Capital Award - Inspiration

Citizens can make significant changes in favour of healthier villages, cities, countries. In favour of a better planet. 

How is that possible?


To best support and inspire you in your green transition, we would like to share citizen’s diaries, stories and good practice factsheets. We hope they will motivate and mostly empower you in your daily life.

Citizen Diaries

Have you ever wondered what it is like to live in a European Green Capital? 

Now you can hear from some of the citizens who act as engines of change and pioneer innovative solutions to environmental challenges. We will be posting interviews with residents from our European Green Capital cities to inspire you.

Please check the Citizen Diaries from 2012 to 2021.

Citizen Diaries - Tallinn

Citizen Diaries - Grenoble

Jacques Felix-Faure

Jacques Félix-Faure

Jacques Félix-Faure, architect for Atelier17C in Barraux (France) has engaged with a tremendous request to build an eight-floor social housing entirely in wood.

Isabelle Robles

Isabelle Robles

Isabelle Robles, agricultural engineer and founder of “MillePousses”, (“One thousand micro sprouts”) has realised her dream: she has built an urban farm with the aim to create social integration jobs and enhance circular economy in Grenoble. 

Bernard Mehl

Bernard Mehl

Bernard Mehl, zero food waste ambassador and college canteen responsible, watches over and promotes the “En Isère, stop au gaspillage alimentaire!” plan that fights against food waste in college schools.

Gloria Leroy_Web

Gloria Leroy

Gloria Leroy, female entrepreneur, vélotaxi (bicycle taxi) driver and soft mobility promoter had the glorious idea to propose a vélotaxi service (bicycle taxi) in Grenoble (European Green Capital 2022).

Pascal Aspe picking up some flowers in the garden of Terre Vivante

Pascal Aspe

Pascal Aspe, a biologist holding a PhD in forest trees genetics, has been training people for years to garden at Terre Vivante.

Loïc Bouffard on his bycicle

Loïc Bouffard

Loïc Bouffad considers that a trained cyclist is a sustainable cyclist who will not give up on riding his bike at the first technical issue.

Good Practices

Would you like to know more about what makes a city green? 

The EU Green Capital Good Practices provide real life examples of how applicant cities and winners have become more sustainable in various areas such as air quality, sustainable public transport, public engagement, urban planing and many others.

Please check the Good Practices and Reports for the cycles from 2010 to 2021.

Good Practices 2024

Repairing of electrical appliances - Velenje

Velenje - Transforming Waste to Worth

Discover how Velenje Reuse Centre reduces waste, creates green jobs, and fosters a circular economy by refurbishing and selling second-hand items, making a positive impact on the environment and the community.

Good Practices 2023

Helsingborg Factsheet

Helsingborg - 3 Pipe Wastewater System

The innovative “Tre Rör Ut” (Three Pipe Wastewater) system collects and separates municipal wastewater closest to the source: in people’s houses. 

Krakow - Code of Good practice

Kraków - The Code of Good Practice

Development and maintenance of green areas that add value to the life of citizens as well as to biodiversity is a challenge that can only be addressed in close cooperation with all the relevant stakeholders in the city.

krakow air protection map

Kraków - Air protection

Kraków was known as one of the cities with the worst air quality in Europe. About 20 years ago, inhabitants as well as city authorities decided that this was no longer acceptable.

letter box

Kraków Eco-Boxes

People need simple ways to deal with difficult waste. Kraków Eco-Boxes show that citizens are willing to engage in an environmentally-friendly waste collection system if it’s easy to use.

Tallinn's Pollinator Highway

Tallinn - The Pollinator Highway

Tallinn has made a rough plan for the development of Putukaväil, a 13 km long linear park, a corridor for biodiversity, green mobility, and public space.

Good Practices 2022

Aerial view of Birstita, Romania

Bistrița - Thermal rehabilitation

The city of Bistrița, Romania showed how to drop the energy consumption significantly with a structured, well-organised thermal-retrofitting programme. This contributes to the European climate goals and improves the living conditions of the residents.

Gavà mobility

Gavà - Beach mobility

The transition towards the use of more sustainable mobility solutions needs an integrated and flexible approach, which is shown by the Spanish City of Gavà in the Gavà Mar area.

Landscape Valongo Iconic Photo

Valongo - Conversion of Quinta do Passal

The redevelopment of the Quinta do Passal achieved multiple goals. Not only did the appearance of the area significantly improve but it also contributed to the wellbeing of the surrounding inhabitants.