Guimarães elected 2026 European Green Capital

Guimarães, one of the cities that hosts the University of Minho, was elected 2026 European Green Capital at a ceremony held on 27 November in Valencia (Spain). The Portuguese city competed against Heilbronn (Germany) and Klagenfurt (Austria) and last year it was also among the three finalists.

Guimarães is the second Portuguese city to win the award, after Lisbon (2020). It began this journey in 2013, made three applications, and received financial support to apply to sustainability projects and initiatives, such as the revitalization of the city, new actions aimed at climate neutrality by 2030, and activities to improve the conditions of the territory, waste management and the protection of biodiversity.

This distinction recognizes the quality journey that the citizens of Guimarães and the municipality – with the active involvement of UMinho – have made and will certainly continue to make on climate action. In addition, it fits into Arqus’ projects on the environment and sustainability, and can thus boost new initiatives and partnerships

Throughout the various stages, the jury highlighted Guimarães for its exceptional performance in seven environmental parameters: air quality; noise; water; biodiversity, green areas and land use; waste and circular economy; climate change: mitigation; and climate change: adaptation.

The European Green Capital award is given annually to European cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants that distinguish themselves in terms of environmental, social, and economic sustainability, after a rigorous selection process in which candidates present arguments and evidence of what has already been implemented and what they will do to be more sustainable.

Several projects

Climate Change and Sustainable Development are one of the three main areas of research in Arqus.

Guimarães is one of 100 European cities committed to climate neutrality by 2030, demonstrating a joint effort between the local community, the private sector, academia, and the municipal administration. This commitment is reflected in the Guimarães 2030 Strategic Plan and Governance Ecosystem, which promotes integrated and multidisciplinary environmental management, involving various sectors of society: research, citizen involvement, and environmental education.

At this point, it is important to highlight the work of the Landscape Laboratory and the PEGADAS programme, through which Guimarães has promoted awareness of environmental issues and encouraged more sustainable behaviour among citizens and schools. This commitment is also reflected in innovative projects such as Zero Carbon Sport and Bairro C, initiatives aimed at decarbonization and creating sustainable communities.

Guimarães is also a signatory of the Green City Accord and has received the prestigious Mission Label from the European Commission, as part of the EU Mission: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.

The city is also involved in several European missions related to oceans, soil, and climate change, with projects already in the implementation phase.