The European Commission has narrowed 27 applicant cities down to eight finalists for its European Green Capital and Green Leaf awards, which recognise excellence in urban environmental sustainability across air quality, water management, biodiversity, waste, noise, and climate mitigation and adaptation. The Green Capital finalists (cities over 100,000 residents) are Aalborg (Denmark), Bielsko-Biała (Poland), Košice (Slovakia), Porto (Portugal) and Zaragoza (Spain); the Green Leaf finalists (smaller cities) are Benidorm and Chiclana de la Frontera (Spain) and Estarreja (Portugal). Benidorm was specifically recognised for reducing emissions while managing high tourism volumes, using green infrastructure to counter urban heat and manage water resources, a direct example of a destination balancing sustainability with sustained visitor pressure.

Winners will be announced on 8 October 2026 in Guimarães, Portugal, this year's title holder. The European Green Capital winner receives €600,000 to implement its strategy, while each Green Leaf winner receives €200,000, both intended to support further sustainability transformation and typically accompanied by increased tourism and investment attention during the title year.

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