Congratulations to Heilbronn! The city with 132,000 inhabitants in Baden-Württemberg has been named “European Green Capital 2027” by the European Commission. The prize is endowed with 600,000 euros.
The city achieved top scores in areas such as air quality, climate adaptation, and circular economy. Also praised was the strong involvement of citizens in the process toward greater sustainability.
In the final round, Heilbronn beat the cities of
- Klagenfurt (Austria)
- and Debrecen (Hungary).
Currently, Vilnius holds the coveted title of “European Green Capital”.
In 2026, Guimarães in Portugal will take over from the Lithuanian capital.
We recently visited Heilbronn ourselves and have to admit: the city on the Neckar River really grew on us, not only while hiking the “Wein Panorama Weg”. From the Wartberg, Heilbronn’s local mountain, you get a fantastic view over vineyards, forests, and the skyline (photo).
On 4 December 1944, the city was almost completely destroyed in an air raid. Today, however, Heilbronn is full of momentum. Key points:
- around 100,000 jobs
- the highest density of global market leaders in Germany, including numerous hidden champions
- a university city
- “Bildungscampus Heilbronn” in the city center for research and lifelong learning
- the tourist magnet “experimenta”, Germany’s largest science center (25,000 square meters)
- ambitious urban development on the former Federal Garden Show site (BUGA 2019), including the “Neckarbogen” district with lots of green space, playgrounds, sports facilities, lakes, and 1.5 kilometers of riverside area along the Neckar
Now officially “European Green Capital 2027”: “The city in Baden-Württemberg impressed (…) through a successful cross-sector integration of the topics noise, climate, and air pollution into its Landscape Plan 2030 and its mobility concept,” reports the European Commission.
It also praised the ambitious goals for a climate-neutral Heilbronn by 2035. The “Climate Protection Master Plan” states, for example, that from 2035 onwards only 1 ton of CO2 per year and per inhabitant should be emitted.
Nine key measures or individual targets are included in the plan. Examples:
- Motorized private transport is to decrease by 1 to 2 percent per year by 2035, a total of 22 percent.
- The share of alternative drive systems is to increase by around 4 percent per year, reaching 53 percent.
- Photovoltaics: 73 percent of the identified potential on open spaces and 10 percent of agricultural land is to be developed.
- 55 percent of the “identified maximum potential” for wind energy installations is to be used.
- The renovation rate of the building stock is to increase significantly.
- The aim is a complete phase-out of fossil fuels by 2035.
- …
Mayor Harry Mergel describes the award by the European Commission as a “milestone for Heilbronn”. In 2027, the city will host a “title year” and provide a platform for conferences, citizen projects, and cultural events focused on sustainability.
The seventh-largest city in Baden-Württemberg hopes for a second BUGA effect and that the enthusiasm will reach as many people as possible.
Sources: European Commission, City of Heilbronn
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