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On 22 May 2008, the European Commission launched the European
Green Capital Award to promote and reward the efforts
made by local European authorities to improve the environment.
The online application process is now open for the 2010 and
2011 awards. The deadline for submitting applications for
both the 2010 and 2011 awards is 1 October 2008.
Urban environment
The establishment of this new award is timely, as Europe is
now essentially an urban society. Four out of five Europeans
live in towns or cities. Most environmental challenges today
originate from these urban areas. However, it is also these
urban areas that bring together the commitment and innovation
necessary to solve the challenges.
The European Green Capital Award is a reward to cities
that are making efforts to improve the urban environment and
moving towards healthier and more sustainable living conditions
for their citizens. Progress is its own reward, but the satisfaction
and pride generated in winning a prestigious European award
will spur cities to invest in further efforts and will boost
awareness in other cities. The award will enable cities to
inspire each other and share best practice through friendly
competition.
Award criteria
The award will be given to a city that -
- has a consistent record in achieving high environmental
objectives
- is committed to ongoing and ambitious goals for further
environmental improvement and sustainable development -
and
- will act as a role model - promoting best practice and
inspiring other cities.
Disseminating best practice
In their applications, cities must present a programme for
disseminating best practice and show how they intend to act
as role models for other European cities.
The programme may, for instance, include -
- Creating a website
- Organising an opening conference (showing why the city
was selected and sharing best practice)
- Organising workshops, events and conferences
- Organising a closing ceremony
- Organising exhibitions in order to share best practice
and experience
- Creating publications
- Writing articles for international magazines
- Disseminating guidelines
- Making films
- Conducting guided tours of the city showing innovative
solutions - and
- Promoting co-operation and partnership between authorities,
citizens, the business community, environment groups and
other stakeholders.
For more information - Click
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