Article categories: News
Vaasa is the winner of the European Green Leaf 2026 award!
Published: 28.11.2024
The City of Vaasa has won the prestigious European Green Leaf 2026 award. The competition, organised by the European Commission, focuses on how cities have addressed and continue to address environmental challenges such as climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. The winning city will receive a cash prize of 200,000 € and host several international events during the title year.
At the final in Valencia, Mayor Tomas Häyry, Energy and Climate Specialist Johanna Punkari and Strategy and Regional Services Manager Suvi Aho presented sustainable solutions that improve the quality of life of our residents. They also highlighted the positive impact of our energy sector, which extends far beyond our city limits.
The jury praised Vaasa for its ambitious goal to become a climate-neutral city by the end of the decade, and especially for its energy education pathway spanning from early childhood education to higher education. According to the jury, Vaasa is also an excellent example of innovative technological solutions supporting sustainable development.
The European Green Leaf 2026 title was open to cities with less than 100,000 inhabitants. In addition to Vaasa, the finalists included Águeda (Portugal), Saint-Quentin (France), and Sant Boi de Llobregat (Spain). Vaasa is only the second Finnish city to receive this recognition, after Lappeenranta.
– Winning the Green Leaf competition is a recognition of long-term work for the environment and an important indication that we have been doing things right. In addition to our world-class expertise in energy technology, we had the opportunity to showcase solutions that create healthy environments for our residents, says Tomas Häyry.
– The award will bring us increased visibility, investment opportunities, and international events. Over the next year, further work will be done to plan how to make the Green Leaf theme, along with efforts on environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation, more visible and how to move these initiatives forward together, says Johanna Punkari.
– Events and other activities for the title year will be planned in collaboration with residents, event organisers, and other stakeholders. The year 2026 will be a celebration of community and environmental action, Suvi Aho continues.
Read the European Commission’s statement on the subject
See also the video presented in the final to learn how Vaasa is tackling environmental challenges with innovative and sustainable solutions.