Siena will be one of the protagonists of the European green transition in 2027 Together with Assen (Netherlands), Siena has been selected from twenty candidates from eleven European countries.
The announcement arrived in Vilnius on October 2, during the official ceremony of the European Green Cities Awards 2027, in the presence of the European Environment Commissioner, water resilience and the competitive circular economy, Jessika Roswall. “The European green capital prizes and European green leaf reward the cities that commit themselves to being at the forefront of urban and environmental sustainability every year. City that, in a nutshell, give a good example,” said Roswall, underlining how the winners become ambassadors of the European ecological transition.
The merits of Siena
For Siena it is a recognition that comes after years of targeted investments and urban planning choices focused on sustainability. The jury has rewarded the city for the extension and quality of the green areas, the sustainable management of the territory and the efficiency of waste collection and recycling systems. Today Siena can count on 28 square meters of public green per inhabitant, a figure higher than the Italian average.
Public investments have made it possible to create new urban parks and to regenerate abandoned spaces, returning them to citizens. At the same time, the city reached a recycling rate of 61.4% and reduced the transfer to landfill only 1%: results that the jury called “specimens” in the European panorama.
Another decisive element was the active involvement of the community. Siena promotes reuse and repair initiatives, circular economy workshops and environmental awareness programs in schools. The path to the prize was accompanied by a strong civic participation work, which made sustainability a shared and not only administrative theme.
Assen, the other winning city of the Green Leaf Award 2027, has instead been awarded for circularity and reduction of emissions projects: from the recovery of materials to the “Repair Café”, to the cycle paths that connect the urban center with Groninga. The Dutch and Sienese approach, although different, share the same vision: to make sustainability integral part of everyday life.
The main title of the competition, that of European Green Capital 2027, went to Heilbronn (Germany). The city has obtained the highest score for air quality, water management, noise reduction, adaptation to climate change and circular economy. His “2030 landscape plan” and the “mobility concept” convinced the jury for the ability to combine urban planning and participation of citizens.
Heilbronn will receive 600,000 euros to implement new environmental projects, while Assen and Siena will receive 200,000 euros each to strengthen their green policies. Funds that can be intended for further sustainability actions and local involvement programs.
Since 2010, the European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards program enhances cities that are distinguished by ecological innovation, energy efficiency and urban well -being, in line with the European Green Deal and with the action plan for zero pollution. The goal is to recognize the key role of urban centers in combating the climatic crisis: today, over 70% of Europeans live in the city, and their transformation is essential to build a healthier Europe.
