Eight cities shortlisted for European Green Capital and Green Leaf 2028
From 27 eligible applicants, five cities vie for European Green Capital 2028 while three smaller towns compete for European Green Leaf.
Eight European cities have been chosen as finalists in the competition for the continent's leading urban sustainability awards, with five contenders for the European Green Capital 2028 and three finalists in the European Green Leaf category for smaller towns. The shortlist was drawn from 27 cities that met the eligibility criteria.
The five cities competing for the main title, European Green Capital 2028, are Aalborg (Denmark), Bielsko-Biała (Poland), Košice (Slovakia), Porto (Portugal) and Zaragoza (Spain). Each candidate was highlighted for different strengths: Aalborg for an integrated approach to climate adaptation, citizen participation and a developed waste-management system; Bielsko-Biała for substantial emissions reductions through modernization of its central heating and building-efficiency measures; Košice for a balanced sustainability strategy with active public engagement and water‑use measures; Porto for pronounced work on water management and climate adaptation, including ecosystem restoration, green infrastructure and rainwater retention solutions; and Zaragoza for high marks on biodiversity and green infrastructure, where parks, river corridors, wetlands and natural areas are linked into a broader network that helps reduce flood risk.
Green Leaf finalists and what sets them apart
The European Green Leaf category 2028, aimed at smaller urban areas with populations between 20,000 and 100,000, includes three finalists: Benidorm (Spain), Chiclana de la Frontera (Spain) and Estarreja (Portugal).
Benidorm is noted as an unusual example because it is a dense tourist city that has substantially expanded public green space: since 2012 the area of public green has risen from roughly 350,000 to more than 1.5 million square metres, and today 92 percent of residents live within 300 metres of public green space. Chiclana de la Frontera is recognised for emission‑reduction efforts and local energy initiatives with active citizen involvement. Estarreja is presented as focusing on sustainable urban development and measures to improve local environmental quality.
An attention-grabbing detail of this year's shortlist is that three of the eight finalists — Zaragoza, Benidorm and Chiclana de la Frontera — are from Spain, the largest single‑country representation in the final round. The selection process now moves on to further assessment ahead of the final decision.
Photo: press material from the event
