Vitoria-Gasteiz named Green Capital of 2012

The European Commission has awarded Victoria-Gasteiz the Green Capital of 2012 title, recognising the city as being at the forefront of environmentally-friendly urban living.

Vitoria-Gasteiz, capital of the Basque country in northern Spain, is the third European city to gain the prestigious title of European Green Capital since the initiative was launched in 2010, after Stockholm and Hamburg were recognised as role models of Europe.

It is said to be an ideal European role model as it represents an average, medium-sized city in which 84 per cent of Europeans live. The city will now work with the European Commission to establish a community that will allow the experience of the European Green Capitals to be more widely shared.

The city has 613 hectares of Green Belt, with 479m2 of forest per capita covering one-third of the municipal area. There is 210 organic farming plots, and 130,000 trees in the city streets. All residents have access to public open and green space within 300 metres, and half of journeys are made on foot.

EU Environment Commissioner, Janez Potocnik, said: “Citizens want Europe to bring concrete benefits to their daily life. The European Green Capitals are leading the way in this regard, with green public transport, energy efficient public buildings and many more examples of outstanding local projects often co-funded from the EU cohesion budget that go far beyond targets set by EU directives."

Posted by Claire Manning