Europe's Greenest Cities Awards

Europe’s greenest cities have been unveiled at a prestigious ceremony this month, securing €1 million in collective sustainability grants from the EU Commission.

Heilbronn city hall

A little-known German city quietly leading the way on air quality, climate change adaptation, and the circular economy has been declared ‘European green capital’ for 2027. Heilbronn was crowned at the European Green Cities Awards hosted at the Lithuanian National Art Gallery in Vilnius, Lithuania, reports EuroNews. Vilnius is the current title holder, whilst the 2026 greenest city award went to Guimarães in Portugal.

The accolade was awarded to Heilbronn by the European Commission, which launched the initiative to showcase cities making the greatest strides towards sustainable living. “[These are] cities that strive to be at the forefront of urban and environmental sustainability,” said Jessika Roswall, European commissioner for the environment. “Cities that - simply put - lead by example.” She added: “This is both a recognition and responsibility - you are our new ambassadors of the green transition”.

Heilbronn, located in the Stuttgart region, was praised for its efforts to cut air pollution, improve water quality, boost active travel, embrace the circular economy, and adapt to climate change. Key to its success, judges said, was engaging and communicating with its citizens. Heilbronn was also specifically praised for its holistic urban planning, which combines noise and air quality.

The Green Leaf Award, which is open to smaller cities with populations below 100,000, was given to Assen (the Netherlands) and Siena (Italy), which both received €200,000.