Ten + 1 Initiatives That Make Valencia the Greenest City in Europe!

Valencia is set to become the European Green Capital in 2024, a recognition of the city’s efforts to enhance the environment and quality of life for both residents and visitors. Whether protecting and expanding green spaces, reducing carbon footprint through improved energy efficiency and sustainable mobility options, or actively engaging in the fight against climate change, numerous ongoing initiatives demonstrate a strong commitment.

Here are some of the key initiatives:

1. Artificial Intelligence

As a pioneer in smart cities, Valencia has been selected as one of the top three European super-nodes for the EU’s Citcom.ai project. This involves establishing a center for experimenting with and testing artificial intelligence in the city, applying this technology to sustainable mobility, urban energy efficiency, waste management, and nature-based or collaborative environmental solutions.

2. Renaturalization

Ongoing efforts to renaturize urban spaces, including the creation of the Turia Garden in the old riverbed, demonstrate a commitment to adding green areas. Renaturalization projects for the new Turia riverbed connection to the Mediterranean and the García Lorca boulevard covering the Estación del Norte railway tracks are underway. With 600 hectares of parks and gardens in the city, 90% of the population enjoys a green space within 250 meters.

3. Sustainable Mobility

Valencia encourages bicycle use with a network of 161 kilometers of bike lanes and 30 kilometers of bike paths. New express lines to the Pinedo and El Saler beaches, operational on weekends from April 7 and daily during the summer months, provide a sustainable alternative. Public transport is also promoted for both citizens and tourists.

4. Pedestrian Public Spaces

Recent pedestrianization of city squares, including Hôtel de Ville, Reina, and Mercado-Brujas, has reclaimed 150,000 square meters for the enjoyment of citizens and visitors. The first superbloc in the Petxina district is ready, part of the “Valencia, City of Squares” initiative aiming to recover 207,000 square meters of public space.

5. Energy Efficiency

Since 2015, the city has halved its energy consumption, with new, more efficient public lighting reducing CO2 emissions by 16,000 tonnes.

6. Wetland City

Valencia’s Albufera Natural Park houses one of Europe’s most important wetlands, and the city was designated a Wetland City in 2022. This accreditation, awarded by the Ramsar Convention, recognizes measures taken to protect these wetlands, providing additional water and maintaining optimal conditions for the lake.

7. Smart Recycling

Valencia is set to introduce smart brown bins for organic waste collection, featuring electronic locking systems to reduce improper waste disposal. Biodigester composters will be distributed to schools and urban garden managers, facilitating on-site waste treatment.

8. Urban Noise Reduction

Traffic moderation measures, including a 30 km/h speed limit on 67% of streets, pedestrianization, and bike lanes, have contributed to a significant reduction in noise levels. A new action plan will be developed based on the latest city noise map results.

9. Pure Water

With 22 PUSDAR fountains across the city, citizens and visitors can fill their own bottles with filtered and chilled water. In 2022, 1,183m³ of water were consumed through these fountains, avoiding nearly 600 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

10. Wave Energy

Valencia embraces the sea as a new source of renewable energy with the Wave Energy Converter (WEC) project. The first marine wave energy installation is already operational, expected to produce 130,000 kilowatts annually through wave movement.

11. From Garden to Table

Valencia is opening four agro-ecological markets this spring, allowing citizens and tourists to purchase fruits and vegetables directly from farmers cultivating them in peri-urban orchards. These markets promote local product consumption and support the local economy.

Valencia, Elected European Green Capital 2024

Valencia will be the European Green Capital in 2024. For its debut at the European Green Capital Award organized by the European Commission, Valencia’s candidacy convinced the jury, competing against the Italian city of Cagliari, also a finalist. The results were announced from France on Thursday, October 27, during a ceremony in Grenoble.

Valencia’s Candidacy in Four Axes
Valencia presented a candidacy focusing on four axes: the expansion of green infrastructure and the promotion of urban biodiversity, the climate mission and energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, and the recovery of public space and sustainable food linked to Horta.

For Valencia’s candidacy, the European Commission considered 12 indicators, including air quality, noise measurement, waste management, water quality, nature and biodiversity, land use, eco-innovation, climate change mitigation, adaptation to climate change, mobility, energy performance, and governance.

Valencia Illuminated in Green

un parc vert et des batiments bleus à Valencia — gva

Valencia’s mayor, Joan Ribó, leading the official delegation, along with deputies Sandra Gómez and Sergi Campillo, followed the verdict live from the city’s sports palace. The mayor assured that this designation is a commitment to continue working in a city “increasingly green, more sustainable, and more friendly to all its citizens, leaving no one behind.”

Joy was shared at the same moment in Valencia, where fireworks were launched in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento to celebrate its designation. Throughout the night, the city hall illuminated the facades of the town hall, Porta de la Mar, Veles e Vents building, Congress Palace, Palau de la Música, the fountain in the town hall square, and the fountain in Avinguda del Cid in green.

European Aid of 600,000 Euros

As the winner, Valencia will receive European aid of 600,000 euros for the implementation of its environmental policies. Beyond the economic gain, the prize implies an increase in the city’s prestige, positioning it as the European leader in green policies.

With Valencia’s election, the European Commission rewards, for the first time, a Mediterranean city and one of the southernmost, alongside Lisbon, where Northern European capitals abound. Valencia is also the second European city, along with Grenoble, to win the award on its first candidacy.

After Vitoria, Valencia European Green Capital

Valencia is the second Spanish city to obtain the title of European Green Capital, following Vitoria in 2012. It joins Stockholm (Sweden), Hamburg (Germany), Vitoria, Nantes (France), Copenhagen (Denmark), Bristol (United Kingdom), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Essen (Germany), Nijmegen (Netherlands), Oslo (Norway), Lisbon (Portugal), Lahti (Finland), Grenoble (France), and Tallinn (Estonia), all elected European Green Capitals since the award’s creation in 2010.

The European Green Capital Award was created by the European Commission, involving European cities at the forefront of environmental policies aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the European Green Deal, or the Paris Agreement against climate change.

All these initiatives, among others, position Valencia as a green city beyond 2024, aiming to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.