Kopenhagen verkozen tot Groene hoofdstad van Europa 2014 (en)

The winner was officially announced by Commissioner Potocnik on Friday 29 June, during an award ceremony held in the current Capital, the Spanish city of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The title of European Green Capital i(EGC) is awarded by the European Commission in recognition of the important role local authorities play in improving the environment.

The Danish city of Copenhagen has been awarded the fifth European Green Capital title for 2014, after Stockholm (2010), Hamburg (2011), Vitoria-Gasteiz (2012) and Nantes (2013). A total of 18 cities applied for the 2014 award, but only three - Bristol, Copenhagen and Frankfurt - were shortlisted as finalists.

With a population of 541,989, Copenhagen has been working to reduce CO2 i emissions and for a better energy performance. An estimated 75% of the CO2 reductions will come from initiatives in relation to the city's energy system. The main tool will be to increase the share of renewable energy in the city's district heating which is expected to be almost entirely based on renewable by 2025. The city of Copenhagen has set itself the overall goal to be the world's best city for cyclists. Public-private partnerships are also at the core of the City's approach to eco-innovation and sustainable employment. The city is working with green companies, universities and organisations on green growth.

CoR President Mercedes Bresso recalled during the award ceremony the engagement of the Committee of the Regions together with the European Commission, to "build up a community of Green Capitals, because, she added, "the CoR believes that the Green Capitals can serve as an excellent role model for other towns"." We are counting on the political leaders of the European Green Capitals to call for a more ambitious European economic agenda for sustainable growth and jobs", she added.

Illustrating this commitment, Mercedes Bresso referred to recent events including the workshop on the best urban practices on water management held during Green Week in Brussels and the presentation of the European Green Capital scheme to authorities from other continents during the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Finally, the CoR President alluded to the ongoing work on bringing to life the new China-EU Partnership on Sustainable Urbanisation.

Javier Maroto Aranzábal, the mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz stressed how important the EGC title had been for his city, in that it had represented "an opportunity to enhance and develop the future of our city and become a European and international reference on environmental issues". He also highlighted the direct economic impact the award had had on the city. "The award is a long-term investment in the future. It has supported businesses and the hotel sector, encouraged thousands of tourists to visit the city and provided an opportunity to create jobs".

Referring to the European Green Capital Award, Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment, said that this title "showcases local efforts to improve the environment and promote sustainable growth". He added that "we need to move towards greener cities and the best answer can only come from within the cities".

Since its launch in 2010, the award has been given each year to a European city that has demonstrated a well-established record of achieving high environmental standards and is committed to ongoing and ambitious goals for future environmental improvement and sustainable development. A total of 46 different cities in 22 European countries have competed for the title.

The city of Copenhagen has demonstrated his commitment with environmental issues. We had the opportunity to learn more about Danish projects during the 5th European Summit of Regions and Cities organised from 22-23 March by the Committee of the Regions in partnership with the City of Copenhagen and the Capital Region of Denmark. Under the title of "The European urban fabric in the 21st century", the event brought together about 700 participants coming from all over Europe and showcased how the EU i has shaped its cities and what type of future European urban policies and strategies are relevant for regional development alike. As a result of the summit the "Copenhagen Declaration" expressed the commitment from European regional and local authorities to making cities greener, more socially inclusive and more economically competitive.

For more information about the award and projects see the official European Green Capital Web Page

The call for candidatures for the 2015 title is now open until 15 September 2012.