Prüfung einer Bewerbung der Stadt Leipzig als European Green Capital für das Jahr 2023
Stadt: leipzig
Drucksache: VII-P-01757-VSP-01
Datum: 2021-12-15
Vorlagenart: Verwaltungsstandpunkt zur Petition

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Ratsversammlung
Verwaltungsstandpunkt zur Petition-Nr. VII-P-01757-VSP-
01
Status: öffentlich
Eingereicht von:
Dezernat Umwelt, Klima, Ordnung und Sport
Betreff:
Prüfung einer Bewerbung der Stadt Leipzig als European Green Capital 
für das Jahr 2023
Beratungsfolge (Änderungen vorbehalten):
Gremium
Voraussichtlicher 
Sitzungstermin
Zuständigkeit
Dienstberatung des Oberbürgermeisters Bestätigung
Petitionsausschuss Vorberatung
Ratsversammlung Beschlussfassung
Beschlussvorschlag
☐ Zustimmung und Abhilfe x Alternativvorschlag
☐ Berücksichtigung ☐ Erledigt
☐ Ablehnung
Alternativvorschlag:
Eine Bewerbung der Stadt Leipzig als "Grüne Hauptstadt Europas"/"European Green 
Capital" wird grundsätzlich geprüft.
Räumlicher Bezug:
Stadtgebiet
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Zusammenfassung:
Anlass der Vorlage: 
 Rechtliche Vorschriften    Stadtratsbeschluss    Verwaltungshandeln
 Sonstiges: Petition VII-P-01757
Sachverhalt
Beschreibung des Abwägungsprozesses: 
Der Antragsteller möchte die Prüfung der Bewerbung der Stadt Leipzig als „Grüne 
Hauptstadt Europas“ für das Jahr 2023 geprüft wissen. Aufgrund der erforderlichen 
umfangreichen Antragstellung, die innerhalb der Stadtverwaltung verschiedene Ressorts 
betrifft, wird eine Bewerbung grundsätzlich geprüft. 
I. Eilbedürftigkeitsbegründung
entfällt
II. Begründung Nichtöffentlichkeit 
entfällt
III. Strategische Ziele
Eine Bewerbung der Stadt Leipzig als "Grüne Hauptstadt Europas"/"European Green 
Capital“ unterstreicht die strategischen Ziele der Stadt Leipzig und stellt dar, welche Schritte 
die Stadt Leipzig bezogen auf den Erhalt und die Verbesserung der Umweltqualität bisher 
unternommen hat und welche Ziele sie zukünftig dahingehend verfolgt. 
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IV. Sachverhalt
Die Petition möchte eine Bewerbung der Stadt Leipzig als "Grüne Hauptstadt 
Europas"/"European Green Capital" für das Jahr 2023 geprüft wissen. Aufgrund der 
Bewerbungsfristen ist eine Bewerbung frühestens ab 2022 für das Jahr 2025 möglich. 
Der jährlich vergebene Preis der Europäischen Kommission wird an eine Stadt in Europa 
vergeben, die konsistent hohe Umweltstandards erreicht hat und sich zu weitergehenden 
ehrgeizigen Zielen zur Umweltverbesserung und zu nachhaltiger Entwicklung verpflichtet hat.
Der European Green Capital Award steht für Innovation, Lebensqualität und ökologisches 
Bewusstsein. Die Auszeichnung soll zugleich eine Vorbildwirkung für andere europäische 
Städte erreichen. Stockholm trägt als erste Stadt im Jahr 2010 den Titel. 2011 wurde der 
Titel nach Hamburg und 2017 nach Essen vergeben.
Der European Green Capital Award ist mit einem Preisgeld in Höhe von 600.000 Euro 
ausgestattet und wird ausgelobt für Städte in einem europäischen Mitgliedsland mit mehr als 
100.000 Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner. 
Für die Bewerbung sind in zwölf vorgegebenen Handlungsfeldern anhand von 
Umweltindikatoren Aussagen zu/m 
- Umweltzustand
- Umwelttrend der letzten 5 bis 10 Jahren und 
- zukünftige Zielen 
an Praxisbeispielen (good practices) zu treffen (vgl. European Green Capital Award 2023 
Guidance Note).
Die Beurteilung erfolgt auf Grundlage folgender Indikatoren: 
Indikator 1: Luftqualität
Indikator 2: Lärm
Indikator 3: Abfall
Indikator 4: Wasser
Indikator 5: Natur und Biodiversität
Indikator 6: Nachhaltige Land- und Bodennutzung
Indikator 7: Nachhaltige Beschäftigung und Öko-Innovation
Indikator 8: Klimawandel: Vermeidung
Indikator 9: Klimawandel: Anpassung
Indikator 10: Nachhaltige Mobilität 
Indikator 11: Energieeffizienz
Indikator 12: Governance (Umweltmanagement der lokalen Behörden)
Das Integrierte Stadtentwicklungskonzept Leipzig 2030 (INSEK) wurde am 31. Mai 2018 im 
Stadtrat beschlossen und befindet sich seither im inhaltlichen Umsetzungsprozess. Die 
Fachkonzepte des INSEK führen ressortspezifische Fachplanungen zusammen und bilden 
die Handlungsfelder strategisch ab.
Die Ratsversammlung hat am 30. Oktober 2019 den Klimanotstand für Leipzig ausgerufen. 
Mit einem umfassenden Sofortprogramm (VI-A-07961-DS-10) setzt die Stadt Leipzig erste 
wichtige Schritte zum Klimaschutz auf lokaler Ebene um. Das Sofortmaßnahmenprogramm 
greift die für die kommunale Klimaschutzarbeit sechs wichtigsten Handlungsfelder auf. Die 
24 Maßnahmen verteilen sich damit auf die klassischen Aufgaben kommunaler 
Klimaschutzaktivitäten wie Stadtentwicklung, Strom- und Wärmeversorgung, Mobilität, 
Kommunikation, Ernährung und Konsum sowie interne Organisation der Stadtverwaltung. In 
diesen Bereichen wiederum bilden Maßnahmen zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel eine 
Querschnittsaufgabe.
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Für alle oben genannten Handlungsfelder liegen Umweltindikatoren in der Stadt Leipzig vor 
bzw. können Indikatoren generiert werden. Entsprechende Umweltqualitätsziele finden sich 
zum Teil in den jeweiligen Fachplanungen bzw. gegenwärtig werden Ziele im Rahmen eines 
Umweltqualitätszielkonzeptes (VI-A-02848) fortgeschrieben. Auch der Masterplan Grün 
Leipzig 2030 (VI-DS-02442 und VI-DS-02442-ÄA-03) als gesamträumliches 
Entwicklungskonzept zur Sicherung, Qualifizierung und Ergänzung der grün-blauen 
Infrastruktur liefert mit Fokus auf die fünf Leitthemen Biodiversität, Klimaanpassung, 
Gesundheit, Umweltgerechtigkeit und umweltgerechte Mobilität ab 2021 neben einer 
anwendungsorientierten Methodik zur Beurteilung der Leistungs- und Funktionsfähigkeit von 
Flächen des Freiraumsystems, valide Aussagen zu den genannten Indikatoren.
Auf Grundlage der Ergebnisse der genannten Programme, Konzeptionen und 
Maßnahmenplanungen wird in Abstimmung innerhalb der Stadtverwaltung eine Bewerbung 
für 2025 ff. geprüft. 
Anlage/n
1 Anlage_EGCA_2023_Guidance_Note (öffentlich)
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European Green Capital Award 
2023 
Guidance Note 
 
May 2020 
www.ec.europa.eu/europeangreencapital
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TABLE OF CONTENTS  
 
1 INTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 1 
1.1 EXPLANATORY NOTE ON INDICATORS ................................................................................................. 1 
1.2 FORMAT OF THE APPLICATION .......................................................................................................... 3 
1.2.1 Word Count and Limitations ............................................................................................. 4 
1.2.2 Captioning and Aligning Graphics/Images/Tables ............................................................ 8 
1.3 SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION......................................................................................................... 10 
1.4 TRANSLATION .............................................................................................................................. 11 
2 APPLICATION FORM AND INDICATORS ................................ ................................ ........... 12 
CITY INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT ......................................................................................................... 14 
2.1 AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................................................ 15 
2.2 NOISE  ......................................................................................................................................... 17 
2.3 WASTE ....................................................................................................................................... 20 
2.4 WATER ....................................................................................................................................... 24 
2.5 NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY ............................................................................................................ 26 
2.6 SUSTAINABLE LAND USE & SOIL ...................................................................................................... 28 
2.7 GREEN GROWTH AND ECO-INNOVATION .......................................................................................... 31 
2.8 CLIMATE CHANGE: MITIGATION ...................................................................................................... 33 
2.9 CLIMATE CHANGE: ADAPTATION ..................................................................................................... 36 
2.10 SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY ...................................................................................................... 38 
2.11 ENERGY PERFORMANCE ................................................................................................................. 41 
2.12 GOVERNANCE .............................................................................................................................. 45 
GOOD PRACTICES ................................................................................................................................. 48 
 
 
 
 
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LIST OF FIGURES  
 
Figure 1.1 - Example 1 - Graphic/Image where there is no addition to Word Count (Lahti 2021) ......... 6 
Figure 1.2 - Example 2 - Graphic/Image where there is no addition to Word Count (Lahti 2021) ......... 6 
Figure 1.3 - Example 3 – A text based infographic where there is no addition to Word Count. (Lahti 
2021) ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 
Figure 1.4 - Example 4 – A text ba sed infographic where there is no addition to Word Count (Lahti 
2021) ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 
Figure 1.5 - Grouped Images on a Theme that may be counted as a single image ................................ 8 
Figure 1.6 - Caption Drop-down Menu ................................................................................................... 8 
Figure 1.7 - Caption Description Pop-up Menu ...................................................................................... 9 
Figure 1.8 - Example of Incorrect Image Placement - Overlapping Text ................................................ 9 
Figure 1.9 - Example of Correct Text Wrapping .................................................................................... 10 
Figure 2.1 - Example Chart Format for Presenting Air Quality Trends ................................................. 16 
Figure 2.2 - The Waste Hierarchy .......................................................................................................... 20 
Figure 2.3 - Municipal Green Influence on Economic Activities ........................................................... 31 
Figure 2.4 - The European Green Deal .................................................................................................. 41 
 
LIST OF TABLES  
Table 1.1 - Sample of Table Format to be used in the EGCA Application Form ..................................... 4 
Table 1.2 - Sample of acceptable Table where there would be no addition to the Word Count ........... 5 
Table 1.3 - Sample of Table with Excessive Text ..................................................................................... 5 
Table 2.1 - Recycling Targets for Municipal Waste ............................................................................... 21 
Table 2.2 - New Recycling Targets for Packaging Waste ...................................................................... 21 
 
 
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1 INTRODUCTION 
This Guidance Note should be read in conjunction with the Application Form for the European Green 
Capital Award 2023. The Application Form can be downloaded in English from the application portal. 
The full application shall be written in one of the official languages of the European Union. However, 
submission of the Application Form in English is encouraged for the smooth and timely running of the 
assessment of the applications.  
The Mayoral Declaration (Annex 5 to the Rules of Contest governing the European Green Capital  
Award 2023 competition) is available in En glish and must be completed, dated , signed, stamped, 
scanned and submitted in English . The s ignatory should be authorised by national law to legally 
represent the city. 
The Declaration on Honour (Annex 10 to the Rules of Contest governing the European Green Capital 
Award 2023 competition) is available in English and must be completed, dated, signed, scanned and 
submitted in English. 
1.1 EXPLANATORY NOTE ON INDICATORS 
This note provides information on how to interpret the indicators and types of information cities must 
provide when applying. Applications must comply with the formal requirements set out in the Rules 
of Contest governing the European Green Capital 2023 Award competition. Applicants will only be 
assessed on the content of the application form. Incomplete application forms will not be assessed 
i.e. applications with missing indicators or missing sections within an indicator which are not justified 
by the applicant. 
The 2023 Award Application Form has four sections per indicator (please note that these sections 
differ for Indicator 12: Governance as outlined in Section 2.12 of this document): 
A. Present Situation  - focus on describing the present situation (include data, numerical 
information, figures, graphics etc.), including relevant infrastructure and systems, the state 
of play with respect to environmental performance and information on governance 
arrangements and responsibilities; 
B. Past Performance - focus on the measures implemented and associated trends for the last 
five to ten years; 
C. Future Plans - focus on realistic and achievable plans, the objectives that these contain and 
the measures that will be used to achieve these; 
D. References - for clarification purposes only. 
For further guidance on these four sections please refer to Section 2. 
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Each section of the application form must be completed  and shall adhere to the stated word limit 
given at the end of each individual section. Any words above the specified limit will not be taken into 
account and may leave application responses incomplete. 
Each section can include graphs, tables, diagrams and photographs. Please see guidelines with regards 
word count and limitations in Section 1.2.1. 
References should be included in the refe rences section. Footnotes shall only be used where a city 
wants to make reference to other sections of its application form. 
Sections A, B, and C are considered on an equal basis (i.e. are equally weighted) as part of the technical 
assessment and ranking will be based on the information provided in these  sections. Section D - 
References; will be used solely for clarification/verification of data purposes. Experts are not required 
to read additional information. 
Good Practices will be solely used for information purposes and will not be considered as part of the 
technical ranking but must be completed. Good practices submitted may be used by the Secretariat 
to produce Good Practices Factsheets  for use on the European Green Capital  website and/or the  
European Commission ‘Green Cities Tool’. 
The ‘City Introduction and Context’ section is for information purposes only. 
Information to be included: 
Include clear plans and objectives in the co ntext of European legislation. Detail, where possible, the 
city’s compliance/non-compliance with EU Directives and legislation. 
It should be clearly noted if figures provided are for the city itself or incorporate a larger area/region. 
Applicants should highlight integrated approaches to environmental management. The experts who 
will evaluate the application are only required to assess their primary and peer-review indicators. 
Where cross linkages between indicators/initiatives exist, they should be referred to in the different 
relevant indicator sections in the application form or by way of footnotes. 
Where possible, please identify active community groups/stakeholders within the city in the relevant 
indicator and also highlight how the city has engaged with these groups in the course of its policy 
development. 
Further Guidance 
In advance of preparing an application, it is recommended that applicants look at the following: 
Past EGCA winning city applications, highlighting what made a high-ranking technical application. 
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▪ Past EGCA Winning City Applications 
Historical Technical Assessment Report’s will allow applicants to see what reoccurring themes are 
mentioned by experts in their feedback and allow the applicant to address these particular concerns. 
▪ Historical Technical Assessment Reports 
Past Applicant Workshop materials are available online for review, which should answer most of the 
questions that applicants may have and provide even further guidance as to what is expected from a 
winning city application. 
▪ Past Applicant Workshop Materials 
If there are any queries on the application form, please do not hesitate to contact the European Green 
Capital Award Secretariat who can field procedural questions or refer technical questions to the expert 
panel on behalf of a city.  
Please note that cities cannot liaise directly with the expert panel. 
The Secretariat can be contacted via email at [E-MAIL ENTFERNT] or by telephone at +353 
87 361 90 39 for any queries. 
1.2 FORMAT OF THE APPLICATION 
Applicants are required to submit their response within the application form in the areas indicated by 
grey text in square brackets [EXAMPLE]. Original text in the application form should not be deleted. 
The format of the template of the application form must be adhered to. 
All documents must be submitted in a word document format and uploaded through the application 
portal.  
The Rules of Contest governing the European Green Capital Award 2023 competition, and in particular 
Section 3 therein, stipulate that all candidates shall complete the common application form for each 
of the 12 environmental indicators. Applications that do not follow the requirements set out in 
Section 3 at pre -selection stage shall be eliminated from the competition and will not be examined 
further. 
Applicants are required to fill out all sections of the application form. Applications which are not fully 
answered shall not be examined further. In the event that a question cannot be a nswered, reasons 
must be given in the corresponding section of the application form. 
The experts' assessment will include qualitative evaluations, and a peer review of each application . 
Applicant cities compete against each other for the title of European Green Capital 2023. Therefore, 
it is strongly advised that applicants submit high quality content. 
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1.2.1 Word Count and Limitations 
The original text of the application form and text within ‘Table 1: Benchmarking Data’ of each indicator 
will not be included in the word count. 
All word limits must be strictly adhered to. Any words above the specified limit will not be taken into 
account and may leave applicant’s responses incomplete. Applicants must complete the ‘Word Count 
Check’ provided at the end of each indicator to verify that their word count is within the acceptable 
limits. This word count includes a check of: 
▪ Words in graphics/images/tables; 
▪ Words in the body of text;  
▪ Total number of words (words in graphics/images/tables and words in the body of text). 
Graphics/Images/Tables Word Limits: 
Text within the body of graphics/images/tables must be submitted in an editable format (for purposes 
of the word count and translation, where applicable). 
Text included in the captions and heading (titles) of graphics/images/tables will not be included in the 
word count. These shall not exceed more than 20 words. 
Screenshots of websites/leaflets/posters which illustrate an item but are not intended to be read will 
not be counted  towards the indicator wordcount, but will be included  in the count of permitted 
graphics/images/tables per indicator area.  
Information essential to understanding a graphic/ image/table (i.e. head ings/titles/legends/text in 
columns/place names/numbers) will not be included in the word count, as these are relevant and 
essential to understand the information within. All other text included in graphics/images/tables will 
be included in the word count.  
Please see below for sample tables (Tables 1.1 - 1.3) and sample graphics (Figures 1.1 - 1.4). 
Table 1.1 - Sample of Table Format to be used in the EGCA Application Form 
 
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Table 1.2 - Sample of acceptable Table where there would be no addition to the Word Count 
 
All information provided in this table is essential in order to understand the information featured in 
the table, and would not be included in the wordcount (Lahti Application EGCA 2021). 
Table 1.3 - Sample of Table with Excessive Text 
 
This is an example of a table which would be considered to have a high word count, and this text 
would all be counted in the Indicator Word count (Oslo Application EGCA 2019). 
 
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A picture is worth a thousand words! It is highly recommended to make efficient use of the 
graphic/image/table allowance  in order to optimise the application. The clever use of  
graphics/images/tables including infographics can reduce the amount of text required to describe a 
particular aspect of the application.  
Using before and after pictures to illustrate the implementation or effect of specific projects can be 
very useful and a good way to visually highlight the change resulting from a project. 
 
Figure 1.1 - Example 1 - Graphic/Image where there is no addition to Word Count (Lahti 2021) 
 
Figure 1.2 - Example 2 - Graphic/Image where there is no addition to Word Count (Lahti 2021) 
Figures 1.1 & 1.2 illustrate two sample ‘Graphics/Images’ where all text is necessary to understand 
the information within . The labels of each ' place' and 'process' are necessary to understand the 
diagram. 
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Figure 1.3 - Example 3 – A text based infographic where there is no addition to Word Count. (Lahti 
2021) 
 
Figure 1.4 - Example 4 – A text based infographic where there is no addition to Word Count (Lahti 
2021) 
Figures 1.3 & 1.4 illustrate text based ‘Graphics/Images’ where the information consists of concise 
descriptions of projects, titles or relationships where all text is necessary to understand the 
information within, and would not be included in the wordcount.  
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There is a limit of fifteen graphics/images/tables per indicator. However, Indicator 1: Air Quality 
requests five additional charts and Indicator 6: Sustainable Land Use & Soil requests three additional 
maps. These additional maps/charts are not included in the word count. A maximum of t hree 
graphics/images/tables per Good Practice are allowed in the Good Practice section. 
All limits for numbers of graphics/images/tables must be adhered to. Images which consist of multiple 
jpegs combining to form one image/subject may be accepted if they are addressing a common theme. 
If the group ed images are not deemed to address a common theme, these  will be considered as 
separate individual images which may result in exceedances of the limit. Please see Figure 1.5 below 
of an instance in which multiple jpegs are accepted as one image (taken from the City of Lisbon’s 
winning application for the 2020 Award). 
 
Figure 1.5 - Grouped Images on a Theme that may be counted as a single image 
1.2.2 Captioning and Aligning Graphics/Images/Tables 
In order to ensure that the application is transmitted in a legible format, graphics /images/tables 
should be inserted using the wrap text functions ‘In Line with Text’, ‘Square’ or ‘Top and Bottom’ and 
captioned using the caption function. Using other func tions may cause graphics/images/tables to 
interfere with the format of the application form and not appear on the template, leaving submissions 
incomplete. Applicants are advised to test that the format of their application is retained after upload 
to the application portal.  
How to Caption Graphics/Images/Tables: 
1. After inserting a graphic/image/table, right click on the inserted item to show the pop-up menu 
displayed below: 
 
Figure 1.6 - Caption Drop-down Menu 
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2. Clicking on the ‘Insert Caption’ button will bring up the pop-up box below: 
 
Figure 1.7 - Caption Description Pop-up Menu 
3. In this window, the ‘Caption’ can be filled in appropriately and the caption (figure or table) number 
assigned. 
Correct Image/Graphic/Table Alignment: 
1. To prevent inserted items from moving around or blocking text  (as below) please use the wrap 
text function: 
 
Figure 1.8 - Example of Incorrect Image Placement - Overlapping Text 
2. To ensure correct placement of an image, select an option within the ‘Wrap text’ menu in the 
Format toolbar (as below). Do not use any options from the ‘Position’ menu as the images are not 
held in place and may move after submission: 
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Figure 1.9 - Example of Correct Text Wrapping 
1.3 SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION 
In order to submit a complete application form, the following must be adhered to: 
The Mayoral Declaration (Annex 5 of the Rules of Contest) must be signed by the Mayor or highest 
ranking City Representative 1 and stamped with the official city seal , scanned and uploaded to  the 
portal. Please ensure the Mayoral Declaration document is labelled correctly e.g. City Name_Mayoral 
Declaration_EGCA 2023. 
The Declaration on Honour  on exclusion criteria and selection c riteria (Annex 10 of the Rules of 
Contest) must also be completed, dated, signed, scanned , submitted in English, and uploaded to the 
portal. Please ensure the Declaration on Honour document is labelled correctly e.g. City 
Name_Declaration on Honour_EGCA 2023. 
Both Declarations must be submitted with the fully completed application form. It is not necessary 
to send the original documents by post.  
An application form will be considered invalid if it is  not accompanied by a completed, signed and 
stamped Mayoral Declaration, and completed and signed Declaration on Honour. 
In addition to the Mayoral Declaration , and Declaration on Honour  as set out above, f ourteen (14) 
individual files will be uploaded in total: one (1) City Introduction and Context, twelve (12) Indicators 
 
1 Signatory must be authorised by national law to legally represent the city 
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and one (1) Good Practices. The completed official EGCA application form must be submitted in 
fourteen individual files, one file for each indicator, one for the City Introduction and Context, and one 
for the Good Practices. Each file must be a word document and labelled correctly e.g. City Introduction 
and Context_Lahti, Indicator 1_Lahti, Indicator 2_Lahti, … etc. and Good Practices_Lahti. 
Please follow the instructions as detailed on the website: 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/applying-for-the-award/ 
All queries should be directed to the Secretariat: [E-MAIL ENTFERNT] 
The deadline for receipt of applications is at 23:59 CET (GMT +1) on 28 October 2020.  
Please note, that no technical support will be available past 18:00 CET (GMT +1) on the closing date. 
Please make sure that the application form is complete (as detailed above) by the time of 
submission. 
1.4 TRANSLATION 
The technical assessment process is conducted in English. The full application shall be written in one 
of the official languages of the Europe an Union. However, submission of the application form in 
English is encouraged for the smooth and timely running of the assessment of the applications. 
If an application is submitted in a city’s native language, the word count will be examined based on 
the original application, i.e. before it is translated into English. The word count shall be strictly adhered 
to regardless of the language in which the application is submitted. 
It should be noted that the European Green Capital Award is conducted in the English language. It is 
advised that a native English speaker is consulted during the application process and/or before the 
application is submitted. 
It shall be noted that the jury meetings are held in English. C ities selected as finalists for the award 
and invited to the jury meeting shall present in English. 
The winning city shall accept its award in English . Communication with the winning city shall be 
conducted in English.  
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2 APPLICATION FORM AND INDICATORS 
The EGCA 2023 Application Form contains 14 separate sections: 
▪ City Introduction and Context; 
▪ Indicator 1: Air Quality; 
▪ Indicator 2: Noise; 
▪ Indicator 3: Waste; 
▪ Indicator 4: Water; 
▪ Indicator 5: Nature and Biodiversity; 
▪ Indicator 6: Sustainable Land Use & Soil; 
▪ Indicator 7: Green Growth and Eco-innovation; 
▪ Indicator 8: Climate Change: Mitigation; 
▪ Indicator 9: Climate Change: Adaptation; 
▪ Indicator 10: Sustainable Urban Mobility; 
▪ Indicator 11: Energy Performance; 
▪ Indicator 12: Governance; 
▪ Good Practices. 
Each indicator must be completed under the following sections as set out in the application form  
(please note that the content of Section A, B and C of Indicator 12: Governance differs from this format 
as outlined in Section 2.12 of this document): 
A. Present situation. Describe the present situation, e.g. the relevant infrastructure and systems 
that are in place and the relevant state of play with respect to environmental performance. 
This section should also cover governance arrangements and responsibilities. Also, includ e 
information on any relevant disadvantages or constraints resulting from historical, 
geographical and/or socio -economic factors which may have influenced this indicator. 
Quantitative information/data should be provided to support the description, including at the 
minimum, the specific data requested for each indicator; 
B. Past performance. The aim of this section is to make clear how the present situation described 
in Section A has been achieved. This should describe the strategies, plans and measures that 
have been implemented over the last five to ten years. Comment on which measures have 
been most effective. Where available, quantitative information/data should be provided from 
previous (5-10) years in order to show recent trends; 
C. Future plans. Describe the future short and long-term objectives and the proposed approach 
to achieve these, including any additional strategies and plans. Include the measures adopted, 
but not yet implemented, and details for future measures already adopted. Emphasise to what 
extent plans are supported by political commitments, budget allocations, and monitoring and 
performance evaluation schemes; 
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D. References. List supporting documentation, adding links where possible. Further detail may 
be requested during the pre-selection phase. Documentation should not be forwarded at this 
stage. 
The City Introduction and Context and Good Practices sections are provided for information purposes 
and do not form part of the overall assessment or ranking. 
Detailed guidance on each of the sections of the application form is provided herein. 
  
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CITY INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT 
Use this section to provide an overview of the city and context for the twelve indicators. It will act as 
background information for the experts and will set the scene for the application as a whole in the 
context of historical, geographic, socio -economic and political constraints, contentious 
infrastructure/environmental projects and initiatives . This provides the Expert Panel with a clear 
insight into the factors influencing t he city’s development and environmental quality . Applicants 
should i nclude any major local constraints, contentious infrastructure/environmental projects and 
initiatives. 
Although it does not form part of the twelve indicators and will not contribute towards ranking, this 
section must be completed to present a full application for assessment. 
The Secretariat will carry out a detailed background check on applicants ’ compliance with European 
legislation and governance. 
If the city is involved in a legal proce dure under any European directive, or has been cited by the  
European Court of Justice, information on progress towards compliance should be provided. 
It is important to use this section fully as, although it is not included in the assessment and ranking of 
the application , it can help to elucidate any issues in the city which may impact on a particular 
environmental indicator. This will help the Expert to understand the reasons why certain decisions 
have been made in the city and will support the evaluation of the application. 
It is beneficial to cross-reference to points made in the City Introduction and Context section where 
relevant to a particular Indicator section as this may help to make more effective use of the word 
limits. 
Please include five graphics, images or tables to support the response to this section. An additional 
two maps are requested: 
▪ Map 1 should show the layout of urban areas, geographical and other features across the city; 
▪ Map 2 should show the city in the context of the wider surrounding area. 
  
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2.1 AIR QUALITY 
The selected indicators are described in Directive 2008/50/EC of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality 
and cleaner air for Europe. 
The target and limit values in this directive are set to protect  human health and the environment . 
Member States and their competent authorities should take action in order to comply with the limit  
and target values. These include the following:  
▪ The limit value for the annual mean of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) is 40 µg/m3; 
▪ The limit value for  particulate matter  PM10 (daily mean) is 50  µg/m3 and should not be 
exceeded more than 35 times during a year; 
▪ The limit value for the annual mean of PM10 is 40 µg/m3; 
▪ The limit value2 for particulate matter PM2.5 is 25 µg/m3; and 
▪ The hourly limit value for NO2 is 200 µg/m3 and should not be exceeded more than 18 times 
during a year. 
For presented air quality data specify the type of sampling point  (e.g. traffic, urban background, 
regional background). 
For the annual concentrations of NO2, PM 2.5 and PM 10 provide a quantitative assessment of the 
contribution from local sources and from long -range transport for these pollutants as a percentage. 
For example, of the annual mean of NO 2 at traffic measurement stations about 75% originates from 
local sources and 25% from long-range transport. The contribution from long-range transport should 
ideally be determined as originating from outside  the administrative boundaries of the city. The 
purpose of this assessment is to estimate how much of observed concentrations can be managed by 
the city government. 
For the following data, please use charts to illustrate where possible (see Figure 2.1 below for 
example): 
1. Trend (10 years at least) of annual average NO2 for each monitoring site; 
2. Trend (10 years at least) of annual average PM10 for each monitoring site; 
3. Trend (10 years at least) of annual average PM2.5, for each monitoring site; 
4. Trend (10 years at least) of number of daily limit exceedances of PM10 per year; and 
5. Trend (10 years at least) of number of hourly limit exceedances of NO2 per year. 
 
2 Target value to be met as of 01.01.2010; limit value to be met as of 01.01.2015  
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Figure 2.1 - Example Chart Format for Presenting Air Quality Trends 
If available, provide information on the spatial variation in air pollutant concentrations (maps) during 
the past five to ten years. 
Provide information on air quality plans and measures implemented over the last five to ten years to 
improve the urban air quality and to increase awareness of air pollution. 
▪ Comment on  the effectiveness of implemented measures in t erms of pollutants emission 
abatement; 
▪ Explain how the implemented measures have influenced the present situation; and 
▪ Refer to stakeholder involvement and communication with the population, including whether 
and how citizen science initiatives were deployed or taken up. 
Describe whether air quality objectives and measures taken go beyond what is required by the 
Ambient Air Quality Directives, and how this is achieved. 
Describe whether and how air quality planning and measures are integrated with other plan s and 
measures in the city, such as Sustainable Energy and Climate Plans (SECAPs) under the Covenant of 
Mayors and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), and whether and how synergies have been 
achieved between objectives and measures on air quality and those in other areas.  
Describe the short and long -term objectives  for air quality and the proposed approach for their 
achievement. Emphasise to what extent plans are consolidated by commitments, budget allocations, 
monitoring and describe their expected impact in terms of future pollutant concentrations in ambient 
air.  
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2.2 NOISE 
The quality of the acoustic environment is an important element of the urban environment and a 
challenging issue that city administrations have to manage. It impacts on the quality o f life of the 
population of a city. Ambient sound levels that are beyond comfort levels are referred to as 
environmental noise pollution. This can be caused by many different sources, such as traffic, 
construction works and industry as well as some recreational activities and night life. Excess levels of 
noise can cause damage to hearing, annoyance, increased stress levels and blood pressure, and 
unnatural sleeping patterns. 
Noise is an environmental stressor affecting public health, recognised by the World Health 
Organisation (WHO) among the top environmental risks to health. According to the WHO research, it 
is estimated that a significant number of  Europeans are regularly e xposed to noise levels exceeding 
55 decibels (dB(A)) at night. In addition, the European Environmental Agency ( EEA) report 
‘Environmental noise in Europe – 2020’3 underlines that an estimated 113 million people are affected 
by long-term day-evening-night traffic noise levels of at least 55 dB(A). In most European countries, 
more than 50% of inhabitants within urban areas are exposed to road noise levels of 55 dB or higher 
during the day -evening-night period . Based on the EEA report, noise exposure causes 12 ,000 
premature deaths and contributes to 48,000 new cases of ischemic heart disease (caused by a 
narrowing of heart arteries) per year across Europe. It is also estimated that 22 million people suffer 
chronic high annoyance and 6.5 million people suffer chronic high sleep disturbance. 
Road traffic is the source of noise  with the greatest population exposure in Europe, according to the 
report, followed by railways, airports and industry. Larger cities are noisier. Cities housing more than 
250,000 people generally have a larger share of the population exposed to levels above the legal 
guidelines. 
The report also says that noise considerations should be incorporated into planning and building new 
infrastructure and that, moreover, quiet areas should be protected. Finally, the document also states 
that wildlife may also be seriously affected by noise, according to a mounting body of evidence. 
The Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/EC) is one of the main instruments to identify noise 
pollution levels and to trigger the necessary action both at Member State and at EU level. It relates to 
the assessment and management of environmental noise. Its principle aim is to ‘define a common 
approach’ intended to avoid, prevent or reduce, on a prioritised basis,  the harmful effects, including 
annoyance, due to the exposure to environmental noise. The Directive refers to noise that people are 
exposed to continuously and not to noise created by persons themselves, their neighbours, their 
workplaces or while in transit. Its aim is to provide a basis for developing EU measures to reduce noise 
emitted by major sources, in particular , road and rail vehicles and infrastructures, aircraft, outdoor 
and industrial equipment and mobile machinery. The underlying principles of the Directive include: 
 
3 https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/environmental-noise-in-europe/ 
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▪ Periodic m onitoring environmental noise pollut ion through the development of ‘strategic 
noise maps’ for major roads, railways, airports and agglomerations, using harmonised noise 
indicators Lden and Ln; 
▪ Informing and consulting the public about noise exposure, its effects, and the measures 
considered to address, manage and reduce noise; 
▪ Addressing local noise issues by developing action plans to reduce noise  and mitigate its 
effects where necessary and maintain, and improve, environm ental acoustic quality in areas 
where it is good; and 
▪ Developing a long-term EU strategy; this includes providing objectives to reduce the number 
of people affected by noise in the longer term, and providing  a framework for developing 
existing community policy on noise reduction from sources. 
EU regulations on noise management have been based on internal market objectives such as setting 
harmonised noise limits for motor vehicles, household appliances and oth er noise -generating 
products. These laws have encouraged the development of innovations that can help limit noise 
pollution, such as low noise tyres and more silent road surfaces, as well as noise barriers and 
soundproofing. 
The city must provide clear evidence of its commitment and involvement in the improvement of its 
acoustic quality. This includes actions undertaken or planned, and information on the municipal 
policies regarding the reduction of noise and the improvement of the acoustic environment as well as 
the management of areas with good acoustic quality  in the municipal territory  in its application . 
Details must be given on urban noise data, on noise abatement actions both already adopted and 
envisaged for the future,  and on urban soundscape manage ment considering the protection  of 
existing zones with good acoustic quality and the definition, delimitation and preservation of quiet or 
sound improved areas. 
The application must d etail the municipal strategies for the management of the acoustical 
environment, the involvement of stakeholders and of the local population  and report on 
informational, educational and awareness raising campaigns performed and planned regarding sound 
and noise issues. Information on the costs undertaken and on the budgets for future measures  shall 
be provided . Information addressing the measures adopted to guarantee and monitor the 
implementation of action plans is also very valuable. 
Regarding the present situation, noise data should be provided, at lea st on the share of population 
exposed to total noise values of Lden (day-evening-night indicator) above 55 dB(A) and above 65 dB(A) 
and to total noise values of L n (night indicator) above 45 dB(A) and 55 dB(A). In addition, figures for 
noise exposure to individual noise sources (e.g. road, rail, air, industry, and leisure/entertainment) can 
also be provided for a better picture of the present situation. 
Where available, information/data for the previous (5 -10) years should be included to show trends. 
Information on existing or planned quiet areas, or sound improved areas, should also be included. 
Recommendations and advice concerning quiet areas shall be found in the ‘ Good practice guide on 
quiet areas’ - EEA Technical Report No 4/2014. 
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The description of th e measures implemented over the last five to ten years to improve the urban 
sound quality and to increase awareness to noise should highlight whether these measures are part 
of an overall and long-term noise action plan. The applicant should: 
▪ Report on noise maps, acoustic zoning and on action plans; 
▪ Comment on which measures have been most effective; 
▪ Explain how the implemented measures have influenced the present situation; and 
▪ Refer to stakeholder involvement, specifically in the adoption of the plans, participation and 
communication with the population, and plans to preserve areas where the acoustic 
environment is good. 
The short and long -term objectives for the quality of the acoustic environment and the propo sed 
approach for their achievement must be described in detail together with assigned budgets. The 
applicant should: 
▪ Emphasise to what extent plans are adopted, consolidated by commitments, budget 
allocations, and monitoring and performance evaluation schemes; 
▪ Indicate the target foreseen reduction in the share of population exposed to noise values of 
Lden above 55 dB(A) and above 65 dB(A) and in the share of population exposed to noise values 
of Ln above 45 dB(A) and 55 dB(A), mention other targets; and 
▪ Refer to stakeholder involvement, consultations, and actions to manage and preserve urban 
and open country quiet  areas, and actions concerning sound improved areas 
(holistic/qualitative approaches to the acoustic environment, e.g. by soundscape design 
approaches). 
  
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2.3 WASTE 
The Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) (WFD) as amended in May 20184 sets out the regulatory 
structure to protect the environment and human health by preventing or reducing the generation of 
waste, by reducing overall impacts of resource use and improving the efficiency of such use. The WFD 
is a key policy tool in support of the transition to a c ircular economy . The Directive includes key  
definitions such as waste, municipal waste, recycling, recovery etc. In responding to the questions on 
this indicator applicants are required to use the relevant definitions as set out in the Directive when 
describing their waste system. 
 
Figure 2.2 - The Waste Hierarchy 
The Directive describes basic waste management principles such as the waste hierarchy, separate 
collection of waste to ensure high quality recycling, extended producer responsibility and the polluter 
pays principle . It also includes recycling & preparation for reuse targets for municipal waste: the 
recycling targets for municipal waste will gradually move up from 50% in 2020 to 65% in 2035.  
At the same time, Member States will have to reduce the landfilling of municipal waste to a maximum 
of 10% in 2035. Moreover, the revised WFD introduces a ban on the landfilling and incineration of all 
waste that has been collected separately for recycling purposes. 
The Directive requires that Member States adopt waste management plans and waste prevention 
programmes and there is thus an opportunity for an applicant city to describe the waste management 
plans and prevention programmes in place. 
Member States must transpose these provisions into their national legislation and policies by 05 July 
2020 as well as review and adapt their waste management and waste prevention programmes by the 
same date. Key elements of the revised waste legislation include: 
 
4 Available at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/framework/framework_directive.htm   
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Table 2.1 - Recycling Targets for Municipal Waste5 
By 2020 By 2025  By 2030 By 2035 
50% 55% 60% 65% 
 
Stricter rules for calculating recycling rates will help to better monitor real progress towards the 
circular economy. 
As part of the 2015 Circular Economy Package, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive was also 
revised, and new recycling targets were set: 
Table 2.2 - New Recycling Targets for Packaging Waste 
Waste Type By 2025 By 2030 
All packaging 65% 70% 
Plastic 50% 55% 
Wood 25% 30% 
Ferrous metals 70% 80% 
Aluminium 50% 60% 
Glass 70% 75% 
Paper and cardboard 75% 85% 
Separate collection  
In addition to the separate collection obligation which already existed for paper and cardboard, glass, 
metals and plastic, new provisions now mandate  separate collection  for biowaste, hazardous 
household waste and textiles and should boost the quality of the secondary raw materials and their 
uptake. Hazardous household waste will have to be collected separately by 2022, biowaste by 2023 
and textiles by 2025. 
Incentives  
The new legislation foresees more use of effective economic instruments and other measures in 
support of the waste hierarchy. The use of economic instruments like Pay -as-you-throw systems, 
 
5 Please note that - as opposed to the existing 2020 targets referred to above – the new targets covered all 
municipal waste as defined in Article 3 of the revised Directive. When providing figures on the performance of 
waste management in the city please make sure to provide details in terms of municipal waste. 
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landfill and incineration taxes and Extended Producer Responsibilit y6 (EPR) has proved a necessary 
condition and an efficient way to promote waste prevention and increase recycling. They give the right 
economic incentive to the economic actors (producers, consumers, citizens, waste management 
operators) in line with the P olluter Pays Principle and it provides financial means for the set -up of 
efficient and convenient waste collection and treatment operations. 
Prevention 
The new legislation 7 will place a particular focus on waste prevention and introduce important 
objectives such as reducing by 50% food waste in the EU and halting marine litter with the aim to 
achieve the UN sustainable development goals 8 in these areas. On 11 March 202 0, the Commission 
published its proposal for a new Circular Economy Action Plan 9 under the European Green Deal. 
Measures will be introduced for waste prevention and reduction, increasing recycled content, 
minimising waste exports outside the EU. An EU model  for separate collection and labelling of 
products will be launched. 
The information provided should include references to how waste management is considered and 
managed in the wider context of the circular economy (particularly in responding to Section 3C). 
3A. Present Situation 
In response to this section the applicant should aim to provide comprehensive details on the current 
waste management practices in the city tackling each of the bulleted items. Food and plastic wastes 
are specifically referenced in  the question and should be addressed in the response. It is 
recommended that data tables and charts are used to complement the answer. 
Cities are encouraged to use waste data in the form of tables and charts to support the responses. 
Any data submitted should be clear and complement the qualitative response. 
3B. Past Performance  
In response to this section the applicant should focus on describing how the programme of waste 
management, its implementation and development of infrastructure (collection and treatment) has 
progressed in the city over the past five to ten years. Each bulleted item is to be addressed and it is 
recommended that data tables and charts are used to complement the response. 
3C. Future Plans 
 
6 Meaning a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life 
cycle 
7 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2008/98/2018-07-05 
8 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300 
9 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/fs_20_437  
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In response to this section the applicant should focus on describing the future plans, objectives and 
targets the city is aiming to achieve whilst emphasising the commitment to and continual assessment 
of the delivery programme. 
In responding the applicant should also make reference to the circular economy and the steps the city 
intends to take in the move away from linear economic models. Each bulleted item is to be addressed 
and it is recommended that data tables and charts are used to complement the response. The new EU 
Circular Economy Action Plan10, EU Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy and EU Monitoring 
Framework for the Circular Economy are key reference documents for responding to this question. 
General Notes: 
▪ Answer all parts of the indicator questions. If city data is not available, please provide a brief 
explanation and use regional or national data, where available. If no data is available, please 
state this and indicate the reason why; 
▪ Waste data should be provided using the definitions set out in Article 3 of the revised Waste 
Framework Directive. In particular, please ensure to provide data for all municipal waste (and 
not just household waste) and all packaging waste. Where such data is not available for the 
city please explain why not and provide the most relevant data that is available.  
▪ Reference to ‘measures’ must include compliance with the EU Waste Framework Directive in 
terms of the preparation and implementati on of ‘waste manageme nt plans ’ and waste 
prevention programmes on either a municipal or regional basis  as well as the specific use of 
economic instruments. Where specific packaging waste data is not available for the city or 
only available at a national le vel then measures to promote the prevention, reuse and 
recycling of packaging waste should be outlined; 
▪ When providing details of separately collected wastes, include the types of waste collected 
and types of collection systems (e.g. drop off points, civic amenity, kerbside, other initiatives); 
▪ The meaning of the ‘polluter pays’ principle is as described in Article 14 of the WFD; 
▪ Refer Article 8 and 8a for information Extended Producer Responsibility; and 
▪ When describing measures for treatment of residual w aste, information should be provided 
on any energy recovery measures such as Waste to Energy facilities and, where applicable, 
the relative efficiency of the recovery measures (e.g. combined heat & power). 
  
 
10 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1583933814386&uri=COM:2020:98:FIN  
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2.4 WATER 
The Fitness Check of EU water law 11 established that the legislation is still largely fit for purpose. 
However, implementation efforts of Member States, investment in water and integrating water policy 
objectives in other policies (agriculture, transport, industry, and also spatial planning ) should be 
improved. All actors should do their part: the European Commission, Member States, water industry, 
agriculture, regional governments and also cities. As regards cities, relevant indicators include: 
▪ The status of water bodies identified under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and which 
are relevant at city level; 
▪ For households, units should be litres/capita/day; 
▪ For industry, agriculture, small business and tourism, water demand values should be 
reported for each sector both as total amount of used water (in cubic meter/year) and as 
share of total water consumption in the city (%); 
▪ For the industry sector, please include water demand for cooling in energy production; 
▪ If the city is a tourist destination, detail the variation in water d emand during the tourist 
season; 
▪ Provide trends of water demand per sector during the last 5-10 years; 
▪ Explain what sector -specific technical measures have been put in place to improve water 
efficiency (e.g. water saving devices, network rehabilitation, wa ter recycling/reuse), what 
incentives have been chosen (e.g. pricing, taxes, subsidies, metering, product eco -labelling, 
building rating), and what institutional and regulatory changes accompanied the 
implementation of measures (e.g. were they mandatory or  voluntary) to reach the current  
situation; 
▪ Give details of technical, nature -based, economic and institutional measures planned to 
improve water management (from both demand and supply side) for each sector, including 
possible use of alternative water sources; and 
▪ Give details of measures aimed at preventing/reducing impacts of floods and droughts and at 
improving the status of water bodies within the city, e.g. restrictions implemented. 
Applicants should provide relevant information in the context of current EU Water legislation, mainly 
the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and related legislation (Groundwater, Environmental Quality 
Standards),the Floods Directive, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD), the Drinking 
Water Directive (DWD) , the Bat hing Water Directive (BWD)  and requirements that result from this 
legislation. 
▪ Population equivalent (PE),  collecting systems, primary , secondary and more stringent  
treatments are defined in the UWWTD;  
▪ For the purposes of the application form, the following minimum treatment efficiencies define 
a tertiary treatment: organic pollution removal of at least 70 -90% for Biochemical Oxygen 
 
11 Available at: 
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/fitness_check_of_the_eu_water_legislation/index_en.htm  
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Demand ( BOD5) and 75% for Chemical Oxygen Demand ( COD), and at least one  of the 
following:  
▪ Nitrogen removal of at least 70-80%; 
▪ Phosphorus removal of at least 80%;  
▪ Further treatment necessary to fulfil other Council Directives, e.g. microbiological removal, 
according to needs. The nature of the discharge area, if considered as ‘sensitive’, will 
determine the needs and requirements for compliance with the Directive; 
▪ The population not connected to waste water collecting systems might be served by individual 
and other appropriate systems. Examples: on -site systems (e.g. septic tanks, constructed 
wetlands), which achieve different treatment levels. Another option is that the waste water is 
stored in water -tight cesspools and transported to an urban waste water treatment plant 
(UWWTP) by truck. In the case of on-site systems, estimate the treatment level achieved (i.e. 
primary, secondary, and more stringent  treatment level s). In the case of transport to 
UWWTPs, please provide information on the treatment performance of the plants; 
▪ UWWTPs: if data on incoming and discharged loads is not measured, please say why; 
▪ Provide a short explanation in the case of missing information for specific indicators (1 -6) in 
4A; and 
▪ Describe innovative actions and emphasise initiatives that go beyond the legal requirements. 
  
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2.5 NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY 
The technical assessment for Indicator 5 is designed to explore how much information each city holds 
for its natural spaces and biodiversity, how well it monitors and manages these assets and how it 
engages its citizens and stakeholders in improving their local biodiversity. A good application will 
include maps of habitats and sites, examples of habitat and species monitoring programmes, details 
of strategies, plans and projects for the management of ecological networks and key sites and priority 
species. It will show how the city collects its biodiversity data, protects habitats and species and 
involves its people in biodiversity education, decision making and practical actions.  The city should 
describe what it is currently doing, has done in the past and what plans it has for the future. 
Applicant cities will be aware of the EU 2020 and 2030 Biodiversity Strategy12 that specifically 
mentions the European Green Capital and Green Leaf initiatives, and especially the targets on 
improving the status of all species and habitats protected under EU nature legislation , and the idea 
that ‘ecosystems and their services are maintained and enhanced by establishing green infrastructure 
and restoring at least 15% of degraded ecosystems’. The links between biodiversity action and climate 
change mitigation and adaptation should also be clearly recognised and understood by the city. 
To demonstrate that nature and biodiversity are protected there should be a description of the status 
of species (including their trends) and the status of protected habitats and other open spaces, both 
green and blue, which are used by wild species. A summary of city policies and the range of measures 
taken to protect, enhance and buffer biodiversity in the city should be given. The natural and semi -
natural spaces may include nature areas, parks, school grounds, other grassed areas, woodlands, 
street trees, river corridors, water bodies and green roofs and walls. 
It is expected that the city will have an action plan to promote local biodiversity which will contain 
these details. This plan will include objectives, measures taken and planned, and an explanati on of 
how actions will be funded to achieve the city’s aims. 
Enhancing biodiversity may take the form of protection from harm and disturbance, increasing the 
size of natural areas or improving management. Conservation actions taken in compliance with the 
EU Nature Directives for the Natura 2000 sites  and their protected habitats and species  should be 
noted, and it should be mentioned  whether they are part of comprehensive  management plans. 
Policies and plans for other nature conservation sites, and the cond ition of those sites, should be 
included; these may include sites of national or local city level importance.  Those degraded eco -
systems in and around the city (not necessarily protected areas) that have potential for restoration, 
should also be highlighte d in accordance with the Nature Restoration Plan of the 2030 Biodiversity 
Strategy. 
Other measures may include improving the connectivity between nature sites to permit migration, 
foraging and breeding. Special actions may be taken to favour particular spe cies and habitats . 
 
12 https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-annex-eu-biodiversity-strategy-2030_en.pdf 
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Management of both green and blue spaces that employs ecological methods and safeguards species 
from ecotoxicological products should be noted. 
Particular attention should be paid to any action plans, projects or activities that support the 
conservation of wild pollinating insects, contributing to the EU Pollinators initiative. These can include 
actions addressing key threats to pollinators (loss of habitats, chemical and light pollution, invasive 
alien species) monitoring of pollinator species, citizens initiatives (including citizen science), and other 
awareness raising and educational activities. 
Article 12 of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive 128/2009 and other legislation concerning  
water quality is also relevant. Appropriate action on invasive species should also be in line with EC 
Regulation 1143/2014 on invasive non-native species. Measures taken to protect native biodiversity 
and ecosystem services from these species, as well as to minimise and mitigate the human health or 
economic impacts that they can have should be discussed. 
Please outline activities which educate people about the values of nature and raise public awareness 
of the city’s biodiversity including reference to the Natura 2000 network of sites, and any other locally 
and nationally protected areas . Also, describe opportunities provided for citizens to make decisions 
about and engage with natural spaces. Research into local issues including climate change impacts 
may be another contributing factor to the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity. 
The assessment of applications will take into account the context of the city and the pressures it faces, 
the current status of biodiversity and the achievements of past protection and conservation work, the 
monitoring of wildlife and its management , as well as what use is made of monitoring information. 
Applicant cities should provide evidence of commitment to agreed plans and funding from a range of 
sources to back the city’s aspirations for its nature and biodiversity. It is important that good maps are 
included to show locations of sites, their context and connectivity. 
  
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2.6 SUSTAINABLE LAND USE & SOIL 
The technical assessment of this indicator has three focal points: 
A. Improving the living environment using green infrastructure and green urban areas; 
B. Limiting, mitigating or compensating the effects of urban sprawl. This includes, but is not 
solely defined as, soil sealing. Mitigating options may preferably be nature based solutions; 
C. Enhancing urban gardening, with a strong focus on urban food production. 
Green urban areas and green infrastructure13 (Communication on Green Infrastructure (COM (2013) 
249)) can be more beneficial to society than merely serving aesthetics and recreation. Green 
infrastructure can be defined as a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with 
other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of benefits to citizens in 
the urban environment. It incorporates green spaces, such as parks, sports facilities and gardens, and 
also considers green rooftops, vertical gardens, areas allocated for urban farming, high-quality 
business parks and public spaces, biodiversity -rich communal gardens, green belts and metropolitan 
park systems and sustainable urban drainage systems. 
Public green areas (as per the table in Section 6A) are defined as: 
▪ Public parks or gardens/forests, for the exclusive use of pedestrians and cyclists, except green 
traffic islands or dividers, graveyards (unless the local authority recognises their recreational 
function or natural, historical or cultural importance); 
▪ Green open-air sports facilities accessible to the public free of charge; private green areas 
(agricultural areas, private parks, forests) accessible to the public free of charge. 
The benefits of green urban areas or green infrastructure are very diverse , such as: i mproving the 
living environment by providing adaptation to the effects of extreme weather (heat, storm water), 
purification of air and water or noise reduction. In addition , green areas provide benefits for public 
health by offering space for physical activity, peaceful places or stress reduction or social interaction. 
The design of green urban areas depends on what needs the areas are required to meet.  
Green areas play an important role in creating  a healthy and sustainable living environment for 
citizens. The distribution of green urban areas across the city and the accessibility of green to all groups 
in the cit y is therefor e essential. The level of participation in planning processes dealing with the 
design, construction and maintenance is also of importance, since it is closely related to the way the 
green areas are used and valued by the residents. 
A good application on this indicator describes what benefits of green areas are adding to the liveability 
of the city and makes clear that the green urban areas really meet the needs of the citizens. The quality 
of green and blue areas can be indicated in many ways (ranging from e.g. satisfaction of users, 
 
13 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/ecosystems/docs/green_infrastructure_broc.pdf  
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maintenance status, to accessibility or nature/recreation index). The indicator used for measuring and 
monitoring the quality of green and blue areas should be described. 
In the context of Sustainable Land Use & Soil, urban sprawl and the spread of low-density settlements 
are the main threats to sustainable territorial development. Urban sprawl causes an ongoing process 
of soil sealing, thus reducing the soils ability to control water surplus or shortage and playing a role in 
food production. Soil sealing is the permanent covering of an area of land and its soil by impermeable 
artificial material (e.g. asphalt and concrete), for example through buildings and roads. Green sites, 
including those parts of settlement areas not covered by an impervious surface, like gardens or sites 
covered by permeable surfaces should be excluded from the sealed surface area. If this information is 
not available, please estimate what part of the residential areas are sealed and what part are 
permeable surfaces, and use this factor in the calculations. 
By 2020, 80% of Europe's population is likely to live in urban and peri -urban areas. Urban design 
inspired by a sustainable land use concept is contributing to good living conditions for city dwellers 
and at  the same time reducing the environmental impact of the urban fabric. This is usually best 
achieved through strategic urban planning following a more integrated approach to land 
management. Measures like short distances to services and facilities reduce th e transport demand 
and promote walking and cycling; multi -apartment houses save energy for heating, cooling, reduce 
infrastructural needs and investments in green infrastructure meet the demand for spaces for 
recreational activities. 
Information should be provided on new developments and where they are located. It is important to 
provide the relative proportion of green fields, natural and semi -natural areas, and brownfield sites, 
where the construction of new buildings and/or commercial and industrial area s have taken place. 
The applicant should detail what these new developments mean to the densification in the inner-city 
or urban cores. 
When defining ‘Inner City’ and ‘Overall City’ for the EGCA application, cities should follow the 
guidelines laid out by the European Commission (Cities in Europe; The new OECD -EC definition – RF 
01/2012)14 whereby the inner city is equivalent to ‘high density clusters’. 
The 7 th European Environment Action Programme (Decision No 1386/2013/EU of the European 
Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013) is promoting integrated approaches to planning, 
building and managing cities and urban settlements in a sustainable way, in which long -term 
environmental considerations are fully taken into account alongside economic, socia l and territorial 
challenges. The Programme underlines that environmental considerations including water protection 
and biodiversity conservation should be integrated into planning decisions relating to land use so that 
they are made more sustainable, with a view to making progress towards the objective of ‘no net land 
take’ by 2050. 
 
14 http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index.cfm/en/information/publications/regional -focus/2012/cities-in-
europe-the-new-oecd-ec-definition  
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The Soil Sealing Guidelines on best practice to limit, mitigate or compensate soil sealing15 (SWD (2012) 
101 final/2) contains examples of policies, legislation, funding schemes , local planning tools, 
information campaigns and many other best practices implemented throughout the EU. Additionally, 
the EU brochure on soil sealing, ‘Hard Surfaces, Hidden Costs’ (2013), is a useful reference. 
Reusing brownfields may be a sensible way to avoid or slow down the urban sprawl. Brownfield sites 
are derelict and underused or even abandoned former industrial or commercial sites, which may have 
real or perceived (soil) contamination problems. Bringing them to beneficial use, thus saving precious 
green field sites, normally requires co-ordinated intervention on the part of owners, local authorities 
and citizens living in the neighbourhood. 
The interest in urban farming is becoming increasingly important and many cities or groups of cities 
already made a coupling of urban farming to an urban food policy. Although this indicator is not 
focusing on the urban food policies, some references to inspirational documents are presented in the 
footnote16. It is to be advised that - if cities have an urban f ood policy coupled to urban agriculture 
that this is mentioned in the application form. 
A good application contains information about the extent of urban farming and/or gardening, the 
organisation of urban farming and the impact on both environmental and s ocial aspects of urban 
farms of any scale. Where urban farming or urban gardening is closely linked to nature and biodiversity 
activities, for example through Green Infrastructure, cities should describe this relationship in terms 
of planned or achieved synergies (e.g. conservation of pollinators) and stakeholder involvement.  
  
 
15 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/pdf/soil_sealing_guidelines_en.pdf  
16 For some background information and inspirational reports on urban agriculture see: 
http://www.ideabooks.it/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Urban-Agriculture-Europe.pdf;  
more information about urban food policy can be found on (e.g.): http://urbact.eu/food 
(http://urbact.eu/file/15229/download?token=i4Va6LY2) 
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2.7 GREEN GROWTH AND ECO-INNOVATION 
Green growth is economic growth that uses natural resources in a sustainable manner. It is used 
globally to provide an alternative concept to typical  industrial economic growth. Green growth 
strategies should focus on ensuring that natural assets can deliver their full economic potential on a 
sustainable basis. The EU has the ambition to be more resource efficient by 2020 and is investing in 
developing a circular economy. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 
has placed the environment at the heart of its economic policymaking through its green growth 
strategy. At the global level, all countries have committed themselves to t he United Nations (UN) 17 
Sustainable Development Goals adopted in September 2015. Some of these goals are linked directly 
to green growth. The green growth strategy and the ambition of a resource efficient Europe can 
therefore be perceived as ways to implement these aspects of  sustainable de velopment. The 
municipality can  build awareness and stimulate, demand or require measures in the field of all 
economic activities. 
 
Figure 2.3 - Municipal Green Influence on Economic Activities 
The numbers in Figure 2.3 refer to the references in Section 7A of the application form . A detailed 
description of the numbers is below. 
1. Reuse, reduce; 
2. Awareness raising, industrial symbiosis, Research & Development (R&D), eco-innovation; 
3. Green skills, green jobs; 
4. Develop policy measures; 
5. Implement policy measures; 
6. Develop urban tissue/infrastructure; 
7. Share system, cradle to cradle, reuse; and 
8. Increase quality, eco-innovation. 
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Applicants should discuss plans, programmes and policies in the context of promoting green growth 
and eco-innovation in the city. The focus should highlight innovative approaches of how technological 
and non-technological eco-innovations are supported or directly implemented by the applicant  city. 
Applicants should also consider policies aiming to create jobs in green and circular economy sectors.  
Jobs in ‘green and circular economy sectors’, such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste 
recycling and end market development, green chemistry, organic farming and green construction etc., 
should be included when discussing issues associated with sustainable  employment. This should 
include activities and jobs in the municipality that are legally obliged and that go beyond the standards 
set by environmental legislation. 
Include data and information on how ‘green growth and sustainable eco -innovation has developed 
over time. For example, show how the share of the city budget dedicated to support environmental 
R&D developed during the last five to ten years (also as a percentage of total budget), how the number 
of jobs in green and circular economy sectors changed over time and how the city is implementing the 
public procurement of innovation. 
Provide information about the timelines of future plans ( Section 7C). Discuss whether the city takes 
active steps in promoting the application and diffusion of eco -innovation by the different city 
departments and also by industries within the city boundary. 
Include information on budgets for future plans and strategies, note if these are secured or 
prospective. 
Useful References: 
Glossary of Key Green Growth, Eco -innovation and Green Procurement Management Terms in 
keeping with European Commission Definitions: 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/europes-environment-aoa/chapter3.xhtml 
Circular Economy: 
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/ 
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy 
Green Procurement: 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/index_en.htm 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/toolkit_en.htm 
Eco-innovation: 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap/index_en.htm 
  
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2.8 CLIMATE CHANGE: MITIGATION 
The EU has set targets for reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions progressively up to 2050, set 
out in the 2020 climate and energy package , the 2030 climate and energy framework , the European 
Green Deal, and the 2050 long-term Strategy. These targets are defined to put the EU on the way to 
achieve the transformation towards a low -carbon economy as detailed in the 2050 low -carbon 
roadmap and the long-term strategy for a climate resilient, low-carbon strategy as detailed in the EU 
Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change, 2050 low-carbon roadmap and the long-term strategy for 
a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral economy by 205017. 
The targets for 2020 include the reduction in GHG emissions of at least 20% below 1990 levels, 20% 
of EU energy consumption to come from renewable resources, and 20% reduction in primary energy 
use, to be achieved principally by improving energy efficiency.  With the key objective of limiting the 
rise in global temperature to well below 2°C, the targets for 2030 include: a 40% cut in GHG emissions 
compared to 1990 levels, at least 32.5% energy savings compared with a business -as-usual scenario 
and at least a 32% share of renewable energy consumption. Legally binding targets have been set for 
each Member State. 
Please consider the following as part of Section 8: 
A - The Present Situation - level of quality and quantitative data and numerical analysis, baseline 
inventory (CO2, GHG) methodological approach, relevant infrastructure and systems, state of play 
with environmental performance, integrated approaches to environmental management, and 
governance arrangements. 
B - The Past Performance - strategies, plans, measures, and trends implemented over the last five to 
ten years (justifying decisions on actions), quantitative data, innovation and mechanisms used, private 
sector engagement, and monitoring arrangements. 
C - Future Plans - realistic and achievable plans with clear objectives (short and long -term), 
highlighting clear measures in place (not implemented) and those already adopted, clear budget 
allocations and performance indicators identified. 
Whether or not national governments have established legal requirements or targets for local 
authorities on climate change, applicant cities will be expected to show that they are able to establish 
a CO2 (and possibly other GHGs) emissions baseline inventory (which is considered a basic requirement 
for this indicator) for a specific year using an EU18 or internationally recognised methodology 
 
17 https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-strategy-and-energy-union/2050-long-term-strategy 
18 Such as the Joint Research Centre (European Commission)’s Guidebook ‘How to develop a Sustainable 
Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP)’ - Part 2: Baseline Emission Inventory (BEI) and Risk and Vulnerability 
Assessment (RVA), http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC112986/jrc112986_kj -nb-
29412-en-n.pdf. Part 1 focuses on ‘The SECAP process, step-by-step towards low-carbon and climate-resilient 
cities by 2030’, http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC112986/jrc1129 86_kj-na-29412-
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(providing sp ecific references), identify the main sources of emissions, set achievable territorial 
targets aligned with EU objectives, take action to reduce emissions (justifying the decisions on the 
implemented policies and measures), and continuously measure and monitor their progress towards 
agreed targets year by year. 
When reporting on the specific indicators in Section 8A: 
▪ Note that explanatory leaflets on their preparation are available within the Reference Framework 
for Sustainable European Cities19; 
▪ The methodological approach used should be explained. Make clear whether or not it addresses 
both direct emissions (from sources within the city boundary) and indirect emissions (from goods 
and services provided outside the city but consumed inside the city). Mention  the main sources 
of data and the sectors covered by each indicator, distinguishing between national and local 
information sources; 
▪ The measure for carbon content in electricity (tonnes CO 2 per MWh) should be based on 
consumption and should not include pro duction. All the efforts of the city to reduce this 
parameter should be explained; and 
▪ Where possible, applicants should use 2005 (or as close as possible) as the baseline year for 
reporting on progress. 
Cities have a key role in the mitigation of climate change. If the city has an integrated approach to 
mitigation of climate change, this section can be used to highlight, in particular, any smart (‘win-win’) 
measures undertaken or planned which help both to reduce emissions and improve  resilience. The 
Clean Energy for All Europeans legislative package opens up new rights for cities, companies and 
citizens collectively or individually to generate, consume, store, sell and share energy in ways that 
were not possible in several jurisdictions. Frontrunner cities  should be at the forefront in exploiting 
these new options particularly in the retail energy market (self -consumption, demand response, 
citizens’ energy communities, aggregation, smart technologies, energy efficiency measures etc .) as 
part of the green and digital transformation.  
The role of cities has been reinforced also in the preparation of the EU’s long-term strategy to meet 
its Paris Agreement goals by (the Member States) setting up national multilevel dialogues and 
involving the Covenant of Mayors in national energy and climate planning. Green Infrastructure (GI) 
solutions such as nature based solutions can form part of an overall climate strategy to help cities 
mitigate the adverse effects of climate change ( For example see the EU Strategy on Adaptation to 
Climate Change or the EU Strategy on Green Infrastructure). 
GI will also be a necessary adjunct to reducing the carbon footprint of transport and energy provision, 
mitigating the negative effects of land uptake and fragmentation, disaster risk mitigation and boosting 
 
en-n.pdf. Part 3 focuses on ‘Policies, key actions, good practices for mitigation and adaptation to climate 
change and Financing SECAP(s)’, 
http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC112986/jrc112986_kj -nc-29412-en-n.pdf.  
19 http://www.rfsc.eu/ 
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opportunities to better integrate land use, ecosystem and biodiversity concerns into policy and 
planning. 
  
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2.9 CLIMATE CHANGE: ADAPTATION 
European cities provide vital services for their inhabitants and people living beyond the city boundary, 
however they face serious climate change challenges that threaten the delivery of these services. 
Although climate change mitigation action can limit climate change impacts, it cannot completely 
avoid them. Temperature, sea le vel and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like 
heat waves, floods, torrential rain, storms and droughts are becoming more common and having 
greater impacts across Europe . The dense urban fabric, high building mass and soil sealing provo ke 
specific urban climate effects such as the urban heat island effect and urban drainage floods (pluvial 
floods) that can worsen existing climate impacts like heatwaves and extreme rainfall events. 
Therefore, cities need both climate change mitigation and adaptation action. 
Given the important role of cities, the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change includes specific 
urban actions such as the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy . The Paris climate conference 
(COP21) also  defined an action plan in December 2015. These and  the new UN Sustainable 
Development Goals highlight the need for cities to take action.  
Climate change impacts can differ from city to city and require an adaptation approach with measures 
tailored to the local and regional  circumstances. As a systemic challenge, climate change impacts  
interact strongly with socio-economic factors such as demographic factors or urban design, which can 
lessen or worsen impacts. Therefore, adaptation requires a comprehensive and integrated approach. 
Evaluators will, in particular, look at the level of awareness among decision-makers, citizens and other 
stakeholders and commitment for action. A comprehensive approach covering all possible climate 
impacts and interrelated socio-economic factors is seen as key to effective adaptation. Cities should, 
depending on their state in the adaptation process, present: 
▪ The level of awareness among its stakeholders, the commitment to take action at local level 
and engagement in European/international initiatives such as the Covenant of Mayors for 
Climate and Energy, Urban Agenda for the EU, URBACT etc.; 
▪ Their approach to assess climate change vulnerability and risk; 
▪ Their vision, main objectives and strategy to adapt to climate change; 
▪ The selection, prioritisation, planning and implementation of measures; 
▪ The role of green and blue infrastructure measures; 
▪ The approach to mainstream and interlinked measures with other policy areas such as climate 
change mitigation, disaster risk reduction, water management, biodiversity, health etc. and 
the use of win-win solutions; 
▪ Governance of adaptation including participatory approaches;  
▪ The monitoring approach to evaluate progress in implementation of adaptation measures and 
the effectiveness in terms of reduced risks and vulnerabilities. 
As climate change adaptation is a relatively new policy area most action in cities is often at an early 
stage and is in the process of being built up. In this regard, it is important to describe the past starting 
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conditions, the evolvement of action since this starting point and achievements to date. Additionally, 
describe the short and long -term future plans to become more climate -resilient and show how the 
need for adaptation can be used as an opportunity to make cities even more attractive and liveable. 
Include time scales, level of commitments, budget and staff allocations. 
Useful References: 
EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change: 
https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/adaptation/what_en  
Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy: 
http://www.covenantofmayors.eu/en/  
Urban Adaptation Support Tool:  
https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/knowledge/tools/urban-ast/step-0-0  
Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy reporting guidelines: 
https://www.eumayors.eu/index.php?option=com_attachments&task=download&id=815 
Joint Research Centre (European Commission)’s Guidebook ‘How to develop a Sustainable Energy and 
Climate Action Plan (SECAP)’ - Parts 1-3: 
https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/338a9918-f132-11e8-9982-
01aa75ed71a1/language-en (and ‘Related publications’ link) 
Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe 2016 - Transforming cities in a changing climate . EEA 
report 12/2016: 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/urban-adaptation-2016 
Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe - Challenges and opportunities for cities together with 
supportive national and European policies, EEA report 2/2012: 
https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/urban-adaptation-to-climate-change   
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2.10 SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY 
The responsibility for urban mobility policies is s hared with loc al, regional and national authorities. 
There are key European strategies that should be taken into account by applicant cities. These include 
the European Commission’s Transport White Paper, ‘Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area’ 
(2011), which emphasises the need for clean urban transport and commuting, and sets goals to halve 
the use of ‘conventionally-fuelled’ cars in urban transport by 2030; phase them out in cities by 2050; 
and to achieve essentially CO 2 free city logistics in major urban centres  by 203020. The Commission’s 
2013 Communication ‘Together towards competitive and resource -efficient urban mobility’ 
emphasises the importance of the adoption of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs),  as well as 
for more action on urban logistics, for sm arter urban access requirements and for the co -ordinated 
deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)21. 
In the section on the Present Situation ( 10A), cities are encouraged to provide information (for both 
local passenger transport and urban freight transport) on: 
▪ Transport infrastructure, i.e. that in place for public transport (e.g. rail, trams, trolley  buses, 
buses and any water -based transport), cyclists (e.g. cycle lanes, bicycle parks, etc .) and 
pedestrians (i.e. the extent of pedestrianisation); 
▪ Vehicle numbers, i.e. for different public transport types; 
▪ Mobility flows, for all modes, both within the city and to and from the surrounding region; 
▪ Infrastructure management tools , including, for example, the use of ITS to optimise 
infrastructure use and to prioritise public transport, cycling and walking; 
▪ Existing modal shares in the city for both local passenger and urban freight transport; 
▪ Shared mobility schemes, including public bicycle sharing schemes, car clubs, carpooling; 
▪ Use of alternative -fuel vehicles , both in the city generally, and by the city authorities 
(including public transport operators) in particular. Information on the number of vehicles and 
the relevant infrastructure should be provided for gas (if the city has plans or programmes for 
biogas please make reference to these ), biofuels, electricity and hydrogen, including the 
extent to which these fuels are renewable and sustainable; 
▪ Any relevant disadvantages or constraints of relevance to transport , including thos e 
resulting from historical, geographical and/or socio-economic factors; 
▪ Governance arrangements and responsibilities, including how the city works with any private 
(bus, rail and freight) transport operators. If a city has no responsibility over an area, it will be 
important to demonstrate engagement and co-operation with those organisations that have 
the responsibility;  
▪ Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP) - confirm if there is one in place (or under revision) 
for the city;  
▪ Urban vehicle access regulations (UVAR) are there schemes such as low -emission zones or 
congestion charging in place; 
 
20 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0144:FIN:EN:PDF   
21 https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/themes/urban/doc/ump/com%282013%29913_en.pdf 
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▪ Involvement of stakeholders, in development of strategies, plans and measures. 
In Section 10A three indicators must be provided: 
A. ‘Proportion (%) of population living within 300 metres of an hourly (or more frequent) public 
transport service ’. If the indicator cannot be provided from existing GIS or other data, please 
provide a best estimate. The data and calculation method for all figures should be described; 
B. For all journeys under 5 km, proportion of these journeys undertaken by: i) car (private car and/or 
shared car) , ii) public transport, iii) bicycle  (private bike and/or shared bike) , iv) by foot , v) 
Multimodal (active/shared mobility + public transport), vi) (E)-scooters and similar personal 
mobility devices, and vii) other. Provide the modal split (%) of all journeys of under 5 km that start 
and/or end in the city: 
▪ Journeys made by car should include those journeys made as a passenger, as well as a driver; 
▪ For public transport, please include journeys by any type of public transport present in the city 
(e.g. buses, trams, trolleybuses, light rail and other rail services) even if these are  privately-
operated; 
▪ If ‘other’ forms of transport are used, please state what is covered by the figure presented for 
‘other’; 
If it is not possible to supply the modal split for journeys of less than 5  km, please provide the 
‘Modal split (%s) of all journeys that start and/or end in the city’; 
C. ‘Proportion of buses operating in the city that are low emission (at least Euro V I) and/or 
alternatively fuelled (electric, hydrogen, LNG, etc.)’;  provide (or estimate) the share of buses in 
the urban transport fleet (owned by the city or region, or by private operators operating in the 
city or region) that have certified low emissions that meet at least the EURO V I emissions 
standards (or equivalent), including buses with zero tailpipe emissions. 
Section 10B (Past Performance) should focus on the plans , strategies and measures that have been 
put in place to deliver the current situation. It should describe the strategies and plans that have been 
implemented over the last five to ten years (including any SUMP or equi valent) to ensure that the 
development of transport in the city has been undertaken in an integrated manner. Be explicit about 
the main principles underlying the development of the plan to demonstrate that it is consistent with 
a SUMP. Refer to the way in which the city authorities involved stakeholders in the development of 
these plans, and in the development and implementation of relevant measures. Include any available 
results from the implementation of the SUMP (or equivalent). 
All modes of transport - for both passenger and freight - should be covered. The description should 
include both the integration between the different modes of transport and also the integration of 
transport and land use planning in order to avoid unnecessary travel, to limit urba n sprawl and to 
stimulate the use of public transport, cycling and walking. It will be important to demonstrate that 
attention is being paid to the needs of public transport users, cyclists and pedestrians throughout the 
whole city, not just in in city centre. 
The section on ‘Past Performance’ should also include an overview of relevant measures that have 
been implemented, both to support the increased use of public transport, cycling and walking, and to 
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discourage the use of the car and to make the remaini ng car use more efficient. It will also be 
important to set out the measures that have been implemented to improve the environmental 
performance of freight within the city, including diverting trucks from the city centre and distributing 
goods (including food) within the city in a more efficient manner and using alternatively-fuelled vehicle 
or cargo bicycles. Measures to promote the use of alternatively-fuelled vehicles using sustainable fuels 
and energy sources should also be mentioned, as should the introduction and promotion of alternative 
mobility schemes, such as car sharing, car pooling and bicycle rental schemes. Any Urban vehicle 
access regulation (UVAR) schemes should be mentioned, as should any measures that promote shared 
mobility. If there are any spatial planning approaches which have led to more environmentally friendly 
transport models, these should be outlined here.  
Section 10C (Future Plans) should focus on the city ’s future plans, including relevant objectives,  and 
the measures that are being, or will be, put in place to deliver these. Objectives should demonstrate 
the city’s ambition in terms of delivering sustainable transport. Section 10C should cover similar issues 
to Section 10B (Past Performance), and demonstrate the city’s continued commitment to 
implementing measures to develop its transport system in a sustainable direction with the full 
engagement of citizens and other stakeholders. 
  
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2.11 ENERGY PERFORMANCE 
The EU has recently updated its energy policy framework in a way that will facilitate the clean energy 
transition and make it fit for the 21 st century. The European Green Deal, adopted in December 2019, 
is a new growth strategy  that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a 
modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse 
gases (GHG) in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. 
The European Green Deal is an integral part of th e Commission’s strategy to implement th e United 
Nation’s 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals 22, including the sustainable energy 
development goal through supplying clean, affordable and secure energy. 
 
Figure 2.4 - The European Green Deal 
The new policy framework brings regulatory certainty, in particular , through the introduction of the 
first national energy and climate plans and will encourage essential investments to take place in  this 
important sector. 
It empowers European consumers to become fully active players in the energy transition through a 
range of new rights and protection related to the energy markets and fixes two new targets for the 
EU for 2030: a binding renewable ene rgy target of at least 32% and an energy efficiency target of at 
least 32.5% - with a possible upward revision in 2023. For the electricity market, it confirms the 2030 
interconnection target of 15%, following on from the 10% target for 2020. These ambitio us targets 
will stimulate Europe's industrial competitiveness, boost growth and jobs, reduce energy bills, help 
tackle energy poverty and improve air quality. 
 
22 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld  
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When these policies are fully implemented, they will lead to steeper emission reductions than 
anticipated for the whole EU - some 45% by 2030 relative to 1990 (compared to the existing target of 
a 40% reduction). 
To strive towards a long -term GHG reduction objective, the framework also sets up a robust 
governance system for the Energy Union, and each Member State is now required to draft integrated 
national energy and climate plans for 2021 to 2030 outlining how they will achieve their respective 
targets. Cities are to be involved in this process through multi -level dialogues to be set up by each 
Member State. 
The package also outlines specific measures for the building sector - the largest single energy 
consumer in Europe, with considerable potent ial for gains in energy performance.  It also sets out ‘a 
just transition ’ objectives to fight energy poverty and ensure that nobody is left behind in the 
transition. 
The Commission’s proposal for the first European Climate Law aims to write into law the goal set out 
in the European Green Deal - for Europe’s economy and society to become climate-neutral by 205023. 
With the European Climate Law, the Commission proposes a legally binding target of net zero GHG 
emissions by 2050. The Climate Law includes measure s to keep track of progress and adjust actions 
accordingly, based on existing systems such as the governance process for Member States’ National 
Energy and Climate Plans, regular reports by the European Environment Agency, and the latest 
scientific evidence on climate change and its impacts.  Progress will be reviewed every five years, in 
line with the global stocktake exercise under the Paris Agreement. 
The Climate Law also addresses the necessary steps to get to the 2050 target: 
▪ Based on a comprehensive impact assessment, the Commission will propose a new EU target 
for 2030 GHG emissions reductions; 
▪ By June 2021, the Commission will review, and where necessary propose to revise, all relevant 
policy instruments to deliver the additional emissions reductions for 2030; 
▪ The Commission proposes the adoption of a 2030-2050 EU-wide trajectory for GHG emission 
reductions, to measure progress and give predictability to public authorities, businesses and 
citizens; 
▪ By September 2023, and every five years thereafter, th e Commission will assess the 
consistency of EU and national measures with the climate-neutrality objective and the 2030-
2050 trajectory; and 
▪ The Commission will be empowered to issue Recommendations to Member States whose 
actions are inconsistent with the climate -neutrality objective, and Member States will be 
obliged to take due account of these Recommendations or to explain their reasoning if they 
fail to do so; 
 
23 https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/eu-climate-action/law_en 
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▪ Member States will also be required to develop and implement adaptation strategies to 
strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to the effects of climate change. 
These new targets also played an important part in the Commission’s preparations for its long -term 
vision for a climate neutral Europe by 205024, published on 28 November 2018. 
A further part of the package seeks to establish a modern design for the EU electricity market, adapted 
to the new realities of the market - more flexible, more market-oriented, better placed to integrate a 
greater share of renewables. 
These new rules also aim to put consumers at the heart of the transition - in terms of giving them 
more choice, strengthening their rights, and enabling everyone to participate in the transition 
themselves by producing their own renewable energy , consuming, sharing, storing or feeding it into 
the grid. Rights to dynamic energy contracts, smart metering and demand response allows consumers 
to cut their electricity bills against flexibility in their consumption habits. New rules also provide for 
the possibility fo r consumers to join forces and implement the shift towards a decentralised, clean 
and efficient energy system, by forming ‘cooperatives’ (dubbed ‘energy communities’) specialised on 
clean energy production or storage, home renovation, etc. B y allowing elec tricity to move freely to 
where it is most needed and when it is most needed via undistorted price signals, consumers will also 
benefit from cross-border competition. This will drive the investments necessary to provide security 
of supply, whilst decarbonising the European energy system. 
Furthermore, the Clean Energy for all Europeans package, introduced several important legislative 
acts in 2018 and 2019 that are relevant to this indicator: 
▪ Directive EU 2018/844 on Energy Performances in Buildings; 
▪ Directive EU 2018/2001 on Renewable Energy Sources; 
▪ Directive EU 2018/2002 on Energy Efficiency; 
▪ Regulation EU 2018/1999 on the governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action; and 
▪ Directive EU 2019/944 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending 
Directive 2012/27/EU. 
Current development or Action Plan refers to city plans or strategies, formulated and adopted over 
the last five to ten years which are now being implemented, such as Sustainable Energy Action Plans 
(SEAP) through the Covenant of Mayors  (or Sustainable Action Plan for Climate and Energy - SECAP 
through the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy). 
The energy mix refers to the share of different energy sources which help meet the energy demand 
of the city. The dynamics and details of the energy mix over time and future plans for such highlight 
the intentions of the city in terms of its renewable energy transition. If possible, demonstrate an 
 
24 https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-strategy-and-energy-union/2050-long-term-strategy 
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understanding of the economic, ecological, technical or other (aesthet ic, social, infrastructural, 
cultural) implications of different energy strategies. 
Flexible, efficient and well  co-ordinated compatible and integrated district heating and electricity 
systems can be key components in a city's energy mix. 
Increasing energy efficiency is a key strategy for achieving a carbon neutral energy system, but it is 
equally important to lower energy demand and shift it away from moments of grid congestion through 
campaigns and incentives for citizens, organisations, companies and public institutions. 
Refer to the built environment of the city in current development or action plans and the current 
status of energy performance including buildings, industry, tertiary and transport sectors . In this 
respect, and in the context of the European Green Deal, the European Commission will launch an 
initiative aimed at accelerating the uptake of home renovation in the EU: the Renovation Wave. 
For 2050 the European Commission is upgrading its long-term goals for 80-95% reduction of GHGs to 
full carbon neutrality in the context of the European Green Deal. This will require large and systematic 
investments in energy efficiency, energy substitution and new renewable energy  and just transition 
to ensure no citizen, city or region is left behind.  
For future and in particular long -term future energy plans, systems visions about transport, industry 
and food systems  may also be included. In addition to the building stock those systems represent 
three important energy sectors , in particular , for the use  of renewable energy , with potentially 
conflicting and/or supplementing uses in the overall future energy system. 
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2.12 GOVERNANCE 
The sections within Indicator 12: Governance are different to the other 11 indicators. This is to reflect 
the nature of the topic and to provide applicants with a suitable structure to describe their 
performance. The section headings are: 
A. Plan and Commitments;  
B. Governance and Management Arrangements; 
C. Partnerships and Public Involvement; 
D. References - for clarification purposes only. 
Please see the Application Form for the detail required within each section. 
The various dimensions of urban life, environmental, economic, social and cultural, are interwoven 
and successful urban management requires an integrated approach. Measures for environmental 
protection and improvement should be combined with those for physical urban renewal, education, 
economic development and social inclusion. Strong partnerships between citizens, civil society, the 
local economy and the various parts of government are a pre-requisite for effective action. 
This approach is especially important given the seriousness of the challenges that European cities 
currently face, from demographic change to job creation, social progress, and the impacts of climate 
change. Effective local responses to these challenges are critical for achieving the smart, sustainable, 
inclusive society envisaged in the Europe 2020 Strategy. 
In the response to this indicator, describe the integrated approach to the environmental management 
of the city.  
Section 12A requires details on the integrated environmental vision of the city, how this is reflected 
in the various plans and strategies of the city and how this is implemented in integrated projects. The 
key aspect is the cascade from vision into real projects and an integrated rather than sector specific 
only approach. 
Section 12B looks at how the city council organises the delivery of the vision, strategy and projects. 
Describe the organisational structure of the city council (administration) and show how the 
environmental vision/strategies are integrated into the organisation. 
Please include an organogram and indicate which department or political body is the driving force 
behind the environmental vision/strategies. 
Budget 
Is there a dedicated budget for implementing the environmental vision? If so, please describe it. 
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Management, Monitoring and Evaluation 
What management tools are used to achieve the City  environmental objectives and targets? For 
example, environmental/sustainability impact assessment of policy proposals, cross departmental 
project structures, etc. 
Describe the system of monitoring and reporting the implementation of the City’s  environmental 
strategy. What is generally reported to whom, at what frequency? For example, what indicators of the 
state of the environment are reported to the council each year? 
In delivering its environmental policy does the City use any innovative approaches, tools or 
instruments? 
Leadership by the City Council 
Is the city council (administration) leading by example in environmental behavio ur? Describe the 
activities regarding corporate environmental policy and initiatives, environmental management 
systems, green public procurement, council staff skills development etc. 
Section 12C considers  how the Municipal Administration works with other stakeholders and with 
citizens. The application should describe how the city works in partnership with other stakeholders 
(for example other government bodies, 3rd level institutions, businesses and other non-governmental 
organisations) to develop and deliver the vision, strategy and projects.  
The application should also describe how the Municipal Administration involves citizens. It should 
describe the activities and engagement with the different communities within the city that contribute 
to the development or implementation of the City’s environmental vision, strategy and action plans. 
In particular, it should describe how the city involves particular groups of society e.g. young people, 
elderly citizens, disabled, deprived citizens, or people from different ethnic groups. Ideally the 
application should be clear about the goals of these activities, e.g. public awareness raising, 
policy/plan development, or practical delivery of the environmental vision etc. 
Since no city has all the solutions to environmental challenges, the application should demonstrate 
how the city works with other cities and learns from them . It should describe co -operation at a 
regional, national, international level on environmental and sustainability issues. Ideally it will describe 
the role of the city in these partnerships and projects, for example as a lead partner. The application 
should describe the city’s involvement in relev ant international networks and how this learning has 
been used in the city. 
Public support for being a European Green Capital is important and so the application should 
demonstrate the action taken to involve or inform citizens  of this bid for example: consultation or 
participation by citizens or stakeholders in the development of the bid; consultation with stakeholders 
or citizens; or simply publication or announcement of the bid. 
  
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Useful References: 
For guidance on integrated environmental management, see the Reference Framework for European 
Sustainable Cities 25, (Governance chapter), and the 2007 Integrated Environmental Management,  
Guidance in relation to the Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment report. 
A number of practical tools exi st to strengthen protection of the urban environment in promoting 
more integration. One of them is an Integrated Environmental Management System (IEMS); a strong 
voluntary commitment by the city to act on its environmental problems. A well-developed IEMS helps 
avoid conflicts by considering competing demands from various policy areas and initiatives (economic 
well-being, competitiveness, health, environment, spatial planning), and by setting long-term goals. 
Furthermore, EU guidance on IEMS in urban areas provides best practice examples and experiences.  
  
 
25 www.rfsc.eu 
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GOOD PRACTICES 
Applicants are requested to provide a minimum of one and maximum of six good practices in this 
section. 
At least one of these must relate to Indicator 12: Governance and should present details of at least 
one present or future flagship project that demonstrates the City’s commitment to an integrated 
approach to the management of the urban environment.  
Up to five additional good practices can be provided to demonstrate how the city is improving its 
environmental record. These can relate to one or more of each of the twelve indicators. Cities are 
required to specify to which indicator their good practices relate to. 
Good practices should be taken from information already provided within the application form.  
 
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