According to Green Savers, the city of Guimarães presented its candidacy for European Green Capital 2026. The municipality “thus reinforces its commitment and commitment to achieving the objective, through continuous investment in the sustainable development of the territory”, reads a statement.

The same source recalls that last year, Guimarães was one of the three finalists to represent in 2025, but the title would end up being awarded to the city of Vilnius, from Lithuania. The shortlist of finalist cities for the 2026 cycle will be announced in June and the winner will be announced in October this year.

“In recent years, Guimarães has carried out excellent work with regard to the environment, currently being a global reference in this area”, highlights Domingos Bragança, Mayor of Guimarães City Council.

He adds, “In addition to the success of the various projects we have underway for the sustainable transformation of the territory and to achieve climate neutrality, we also highlight the awareness-raising process, with the aim of uniting the entire population and placing citizens at the center this path to an environmentally sustainable future. Now, more than ever, we are together, towards Guimarães European Green Capital in 2026!”

The city of Guimarães is committed to sustainability and environmental actions through its integrative, participatory, and multidisciplinary governance ecosystem, known as Guimarães 2030. This model, coordinated by the municipality together with the Landscape Laboratory, involves universities, companies, associations without profits, the Government, policymakers, and citizens. The objective is to make the territory climate-neutral by 2030, with a focus on research, education, and environmental awareness.

The European Green Capital

The European Green Capital, initiated in 2010 by the European Commission, promotes sustainable cities, annually recognizing a leading city in environmental standards and ambitious goals for urban sustainability and combating climate change. These cities serve as inspiring models for others, leading social transformations and implementing the European Green Deal. Eligibility is aimed at cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants in the EU Member States, EU candidate countries, and some associated countries.