At the end of April, the municipality of Riga submitted an application in the competition to claim the title of European Green Capital in 2026. The title “European Green Capital” is awarded annually to a European city with more than 100,000 inhabitants that has demonstrated leadership in environmental sustainability.
“Riga municipality has invested a lot of work in greening the city and improving air quality – with the aim of creating a better environment for Riga residents and also for city guests. Investments and improvements in Riga’s environmental quality measures make the city both an attractive destination for tourists and an attractive destination for entrepreneurs and investors. We have decided to take a step further and claim the title of European Green Capital this year. The application process gives you the opportunity to compare yourself with other equivalent cities,” emphasizes Viesturs Zeps, chairman of the Housing and Environment Committee of the Riga City Council.
The technical evaluation of the received applications will be carried out by a group of independent experts. The European Commission will then determine the number of selected cities and they will have the opportunity to present their application and action plan to the jury. A jury chaired by the European Commission will select the winner based on the following award criteria: the city’s communication strategy and measures for the European Green Capital role; the city’s general strategy, vision and commitment to ensure sustainability, short-term and long-term implementation in practice; technical evaluation of the ecological characteristics of the city. The title will be awarded in October 2024 at a ceremony in Valencia.
Finalists and winners will be included in a network of leading cities that share knowledge and best practices. The recipient of the European Green Capital 2026 title will be awarded a cash prize of €600,000 to support environmental initiatives on the ground and create an even more ambitious vision.
The award helps to promote and disseminate environmentally friendly actions in European cities, joining the EU’s goals for the European Green Deal, the New European Bauhaus and the Zero Pollution Action Plan, among others. This complements NetZero’s urban mission with tangible results in areas visible to residents.
The honorary title of European Green Capital comes from an initiative created by cities with a “green vision”. The idea originally arose in 2006 at a meeting in Tallinn. Stockholm and Hamburg became the first winners in 2010 and 2011. In 2023, this title was won by Tallinn, but the European Green Capital of 2025 will be Vilnius.
Department of External Communication of Riga Municipality
