The Green Capital of Europe is European Commission’s initiative which awards one European city with high environmental standard every year, encouraging the city to make pledges with ambitious goals regarding further environmental improvements and sustainable development. According to the European Commission (EC), Ljubljana won the title for its progress in sustainability, which the city has achieved in the past decade.

Ljubljana has been transforming from a city dominated by cars to a city where public transport, pedestrians and cyclists are given priority, reads EC’s explication.
The municipality of Ljubljana will celebrate the title with numerous activities and events, and each month one environmental topics will be brought into focus. In January, this is smart waste management. A new website will be put up, with the aim of encouraging people to contribute to creating a green society.

The municipality has pointed out the significance of responsible and eco-friendly behaviour, which is why a column called ‘Be actively green’ will be started, enabling everyone to contribute to improving the quality of living in Ljubljana through small changes.

In addition to Ljubljana, finalists for this year’s title had been Essen (Germany), Nijmengen (The Netherlands), the Norwegian capital Oslo and Umea in Sweden. The first city to be awarded EC’s title of the Green Capital EC was Stockholm in 2010, and since them the title has been carried proudly by Hamburg, Victoria-Gasteiz, Nantes, Copenhagen and Bristol.

D. S.; translated by K.Z.