The Generalitat has congratulated Benidorm Town Council following its selection as one of the eight finalist cities for the 2028 European Green City Awards. Organised by the European Commission, these awards are considered among the main continental recognitions for urban sustainability.
The bid from Benidorm was chosen from a total of 27 proposals submitted by European municipalities, consolidating the international profile of the town as a benchmark for environmental policies and sustainable urban development.
Benidorm is competing in the European Green Leaf Award category, which is aimed at municipalities with a population between 20,000 and 100,000 inhabitants that are committed to sustainability and improving the urban environment. In this category, the town in Alicante shares its nomination with Chiclana de la Frontera in Cádiz and Estarreja in Portugal.
Meanwhile, the European Green Capital Award category, reserved for cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, features Zaragoza, Aalborg (Denmark), Bielsko-Biała (Poland), Košice (Slovakia) and Porto (Portugal) among its finalists this year.
The European Green City Awards distinguish those municipalities that demonstrate significant progress in areas related to environmental sustainability and quality of life. Among the criteria evaluated are efficient water management, air quality, the expansion of green spaces, responsible land use, the circular economy, waste management, pollution control and strategies against climate change.
The panel of independent experts responsible for selecting the finalist cities particularly valued the performance of Benidorm in water management and adaptation to changing climate scenarios. Furthermore, they highlighted the capacity of the town to make intense tourism activity compatible with reducing polluting emissions and promoting green infrastructure designed to minimise the heat island effect and optimise water use.
Becoming a European Green Leaf City represents an important international promotional platform for the selected municipalities. In addition to institutional recognition, winning cities gain access to a European network of benchmarks in urban sustainability, improve their foreign positioning and have new tools to attract investment linked to environmental projects. Each winning town of the Green Leaf award receives a financial endowment of 200,000 euro intended to finance environmental initiatives and reinforce their sustainable development strategies.
The final stage of the selection process will take place on the 7th and 8th of October. During those days, the finalist cities must present their environmental action plans, as well as their governance and communication strategies for the 2028 period, to the jury. The winning municipalities will be announced on 8th October in an official ceremony taking place in Guimarães, Portugal, the current European Green Capital.
Since its creation in 2010, the European Green Capital award has distinguished 18 cities for their environmental leadership, while the European Green Leaf accolade, established in 2015, has so far recognised 21 municipalities for their progress in sustainability.
