42 signatories of the Green City Accord report steady ambition for 2030

This event celebrated the commitment of mayors across Europe to improve the environment in their cities and served as a call for greater collaboration to create a greener future. 

The GCA is an initiative launched by the European Commission in 2020 where mayors commit to making their cities greener, cleaner and healthier places to live and to accelerating the implementation of relevant EU environmental laws. By signing the GCA, cities commit to addressing five areas of environmental management – air, water, nature and biodiversity, circular economy and waste and noise – and to report regularly on the progress of their environmental measures. In this first report, 42 cities have reported on their baseline situation and ambition for 2030. 

In terms of air quality, the report shows that over 90% of cities involved have met or surpassed the EU limit values, reflecting a strong commitment to reducing pollution and improving public health. However, many cities find it challenging to meet the stricter guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

When it comes to nature and biodiversity, the GCA stresses the need to create and expand protected green areas and urban tree canopy, strengthen natural habitats and increase biodiversity in urban areas. The reporting cities have made considerable progress in increasing tree cover, which now averages 31% across cities, surpassing the EU’s 2018 average of 28.5%. These green spaces not only provide residents with healthier environments and opportunities for recreation but also play a vital role in supporting urban wildlife, such as birds and pollinators, and enhancing biodiversity in larger cities. 

Reduction of municipal waste, less waste landfilled and recycling efforts have also been taken into account as cities transition toward a circular economy. Local authorities have introduced innovative solutions to minimise waste generation in line with the EU targets 2035. The report emphasises how these measures transform urban waste management practices into more sustainable and efficient systems. 

Water management has also been reported in terms of efficient water usage and compliance with the obligations of wastewater treatment. The cities are committed to reducing water consumption and leakage and upgrading facilities to treat virtually 100% of their used water. Over half of the signatory cities now meet EU water quality standards, marking a milestone in ensuring this critical resource is conserved and managed sustainably for future generations. 

Lastly, in relation to noise reduction, cities are working to limit urban noise pollution by creating quieter spaces for their residents in line with WHO recommendations. More than half of the cities reported populations exposed to average day-evening-night and night-time noise levels were below the EU average, with relatively low rates of high sleep disturbance levels. However, noise pollution remains a serious problem for some cities. To address this, the GCA cities are defining ambitious targets for 2030, promising positive developments. 

The cities that have contributed to the report are:  A Coruña, Aarhus, Acquaviva delle Fonti, Agioi Anargyroi-Kamatero, Águeda, Alba Iulia, Albacete, Albergaria-a-Velha, Alicante, Alvito, Amadora Angers Loire Métropole, Arezzo, Argostoli, Ávila, Barakaldo, Barreiro, Bistrița, Bolzano/Bozen,Bordeaux Métropole, Braga, Brașov, Burgas, Cannes, Cascais, Cesena, Cieza, Ciudad Real, Cluj-Napoca, Coruche, Dresden, Espoo, Esposende, Évora, Florence, Fyli, Galați, Gdynia, Genoa, Gothenburg, Grenoble, Grenoble Alpes Métropole, Guimarães, Hämeenlinna, Heilbronn, Helsingborg, Helsinki, Huelva, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Košice, Kozani, Kraków, Lagos, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Lille, Lille Métropole, Linz, Lobos, Logroño, Loulé, Lyon, Lyon Métropole de Lyon, Madrid, Málaga, Malmö, Marseille, Matosinhos, Miskolc, Munich, Münster, Murcia, Nikaia Rentis, Oeiras, Oliveira do Bairro, Onda, Opole, Oslo, Pau, Penafiel, Ponta Delgada, Porto, Porto Moniz, Póvoa de Varzim, Riga, Roman, Las Rozas, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Seixal, Seville, Sintra, Soria, Stara Zagora, Tallinn, Tampere, Taranto, Torres Vedras, Tortosa, Treviso, Tulcea, Turku, Utrecht, Valencia, Valladolid, Valletta, Valongo, Vantaa, Varna, Vila de Rei, Vila Nova de Poaires, Vilnius, Viseu, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Zaragoza.

For a detailed overview of the situation and objectives, access the full report.