Three Spanish Cities Among Finalists for 2028 European Green Awards

The European Commission is preparing to announce the winners of the 2028 European Green Capital and European Green Leaf awards during a ceremony in the Portuguese city of Guimarães on Thursday, amid competition among eight cities that have reached the final stage.

Five cities with populations exceeding 100,000 are competing for the European Green Capital title: Aalborg in Denmark, Bielsko-Biała in Poland, Košice in Slovakia, Porto in Portugal, and Zaragoza in Spain. The winner will receive 600,000 euros to implement sustainability projects during the year of the title.

The European Green Leaf award, reserved for cities with populations between 20,000 and 100,000, is contested by Benidorm and Chiclana de la Frontera in Spain, and Estarreja in Portugal. Each winning city will receive a prize of 200,000 euros, and one or two cities may be selected.

Among the key initiatives, Benidorm has expanded its public parks from approximately 350,000 square meters in 2012 to over 1.5 million square meters, while Zaragoza has developed a network connecting parks, riverbanks, and wetlands to enhance biodiversity and reduce flood risks.