European Commission, Press release, Brussels, 24 June 2014:
The capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana,
has won the European Green Capital Award for 2016. The award was
presented this afternoon by EU Environment Commissioner, Janez Potočnik,
at a ceremony in Copenhagen, which holds the 2014 European Green
Capital title. Ljubljana received recognition for raising environmental
awareness amongst its citizens, for its sustainability strategy 'Vision
2025', its implementation of a range of urban green measures over the
past decade and its impressive transportation network.
Commissioner Potočnik said: "It
gives me great pleasure to present Ljubljana with the European Green
Capital Award for 2016. As a citizen of Ljubljana, it is with immense
pride that I congratulate the city on its environmental achievements. I
very much look forward to its year as the 2016 European Green Capital.
All of the finalists of this Award provide us with valuable real-life
examples of how respect for the environment, excellent quality of life
and economic growth can all be successfully combined."
The European Green Capital Award is an annual event that promotes
and rewards the efforts of cities that are committed to improving the
urban environment. The Award is given to a European city that has
demonstrated a well-established record of achieving high environmental
standards and is committed to ongoing and ambitious goals for future
environmental improvement and sustainable development.
The Jury was very impressed with
Ljubljana’s implementation of the city's sustainability strategy
('Vision 2025') which follows an integrated approach to environmental
management. The Environmental Protection Programme, the Sustainable
Mobility Plan, the Sustainable Energy Action Plan and the
Electromobility Strategy all work together towards an integrated vision
for the city. Ljubljana has made significant progress in the area of
green procurement which has been implemented for 70% of all city
purchases.
Transportation in Ljubljana has
changed dramatically over the past decade. From a city which was rapidly
becoming dominated by the car, the focus has now shifted to
eco-friendly alternatives. In 2013, Ljubljana modified the traffic flow
within the city to limit motorised traffic and give priority to
pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. Cycling is also increasing,
with over 1.6 million journeys using the 'BicikeLJ' bike-sharing system
since 2011. Future transportation plans are promising in Ljubljana. In
2012 the city adopted goals that will see public transport,
non-motorised traffic and private vehicles account for equal one-third
shares of all transport by 2020.
Background
Twelve cities applied to become
the European Green Capital of 2016. Each entry was assessed by an
international panel of 12 experts and five cities were shortlisted –
Essen, Ljubljana, Nijmegen, Oslo and Umeå. Representatives from the
shortlisted cities were interviewed by a Jury which comprised members
from the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Committee of
the Regions, the European Environment Agency, ICLEI – Local Governments
for Sustainability, the Covenant of Mayors Office and the European
Environmental Bureau.
The European Green Capital Award
is ultimately about making cities more pleasant places in which to
live and work. The Award is given to a European city that has a record
of achieving high environmental standards, is committed to ambitious
goals for future environmental improvement and sustainable development
and can act as a model to inspire other cities.
Cities entering the European Green Capital Award are assessed on 12 areas – climate
change: mitigation and adaptation, local transport, green urban areas
incorporating sustainable land use, nature & biodiversity, ambient
air quality, quality of the acoustic environment, waste production &
management, water management, waste water treatment, eco-innovation
& sustainable employment, energy performance, and integrated
environmental management.
The European Green Capital Award
was conceived by Mr Jüri Ratas, former Mayor of Tallinn, Estonia in
2006, as an initiative to promote and reward efforts, to encourage
cities to commit to further action, and to showcase and promote the
exchange of best practice among European cities. Seven cities –
Stockholm, Hamburg, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Nantes, Copenhagen, Bristol and now
Ljubljana – have won the award so far, from 2010 to 2016 respectively.
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-719_en.htm?locale=en
24/6/14
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