Vilnius named European Green Capital 2025
Vilnius / Gabrielius Jauniškis nuotr.
On Thursday, October 5th, the winners of the European Green Cities 2025 Awards were announced in Tallinn, Estonia.
The jury crowned Vilnius as the 2025 European Green Capital Winner, and as it is written on EC website: “especially liked their down to earth approach. Their motto “Vilnius – the greenest city in the making” is guided by a clear vision and tangible actions. The jury recognised that Vilnius has successfully reduced emissions through various measures, such as increasing renewable energy sources and renovating heating infrastructure with the the aim to become climate neutral by 2030. The city intertwines its sustainability efforts with the happiness of its residents, connecting initiatives to clean air, clean water, biodiversity preservation, green spaces, and more. Vilnius’ tech-oriented approach to citizen engagement and participation is innovative, using an app for citizens to engage in all relevant areas of city management and planning.”
Vilnius / Gabrielius Jauniškis nuotr.
The jury commended all finalist Green Capital cities for their outstanding achievements and commitments. They acknowledged it was a tough competition between three excellent candidates, and that they are an inspiration for other cities.
Vilnius will be granted a financial prize of €600,000. The prize will support the winning city to implement measures to enhance the city’s environmental sustainability as part of the European Green Capital 2025.
Vilnius / Joana Suslavičiūtė nuotr.
A total of 14 cities competed for these awards. An international expert panel of seven independent urban sustainability experts evaluated each application and shortlisted 5 finalist cities. The finalists were interviewed by an international jury comprising representatives from the European Commission, Committee of the Regions, Covenant of Mayors Office, European Environment Agency, European Environment Bureau.
The European Green Capital Award was launched in 2010 by the European 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 and the Biodiversity Strategy.
