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It's that time of year again! Last night on 8 October, Zaragoza, Benidorm and Estarreja, were announced as winners of the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf cities 2028 during a festival ceremony in Guimarães, the European Green Capital 2026. Congratulations to them and to all eight finalists for their commitment to sustainability.

See the highlights of the CIVITAS Forum 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece, from 15-17 September. The event brought together cities, mobility practitioners and experts to exchange knowledge and best practices on sustainable and smart urban mobility. Under the theme 'Roots & Routes: Moving Forward to Competitive, Connected and Resilient Urban Mobility!', the three-day event explored how cities could combine their heritage with innovative mobility solutions to create more sustainable, connected and resilient transport systems.

The European Mobility Week 2026 took place from 16-22 September inviting cities, organisations and individuals across Europe to promote sustainable urban mobility. Continuing the theme 'Mobility for Everyone', this year's campaign focused on intergenerational fairness, recognising the different mobility needs of children, young people, adults and older people.

More than 50 water sector experts met in Brussels on 21 September for the first meeting of the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform, jointly launched by the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of the Regions. The platform will focus on digitalisation, water efficiency and opportunities to accelerate water reuse, helping identify implementation barriers and propose practical solutions for the Water Resilience Strategy. The European Water Academy also held its inaugural meeting the same day.

European Green cities had a stand in the 2nd NEB Festival from 9 to 13 June. Jessika Roswall, the EU Commissioner for environment, water resilience and a competitive circular economy visited our stand. The event brought more than 400 participants to Brussels, including NEB Prizes 2025 finalists, NEB Boost recipients, project promoters and authorities from local, regional and national levels. Discussions centered on how cohesion policy supports the New European Bauhaus, with concrete projects, exhibition of exemplary initiatives and panels on housing, urban development and just transition regions.

The European Sustainable Energy Week 2026 gathered policymakers, experts, businesses and citizens for Europe's largest annual event on secure, clean and efficient energy. The programme combined the policy conference, an energy fair, and the Young Energy Ambassadors, with the European Sustainable Energy Awards presented on 9 June in the categories of SMEs driving energy efficiency, local energy action and women in energy.

The European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions organise the first Zero Pollution Forum in a full-day event on 7 December, with presence of the European Commission's Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera and Commissioner Jessika Roswall. The Forum will includes a panel on zero pollution and competitiveness, breakout sessions on key pollution challenges and solutions, and a Zero Pollution Solutions Marketplace for exhibitors. Registration is open until 30 October, and the call for expressions of interest to exhibit closes on 15 October.

Your city may join the 2026 edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) from 21 to 29 November under the theme 'Material Sufficiency', a campaign built around the 10Rs, from refusing and rethinking to repairing, reusing and recycling. Organisations, public authorities, businesses, schools and individuals across Europe are invited to run awareness-raising actions on waste prevention and sustainable resource management. Registration of actions is open from 1 September to 15 November.

The European Urban Initiative (EUI) is bringing cities and experts together in Bruges, Belgium, on 24-25 November for a two-day focused policy lab on water management, building on the water-sensitive city concept. Hosted by the city of Bruges and its Blue4Green Innovative Actions project, the lab will draw on lessons from EUI, URBACT and ESPON. It will explore four subtopics: managing water from catchment to city, designing with water, using data and tools for decision-making, and the governance, finance and participation needed to make change happen. The event is open to the public, with priority registration for local authorities.

Water Europe's specialised brokerage event, 'Water Knowledge Europe', will take place in Brussels from 24-26 November. It gives participants from across the water value chain the chance to network, exchange knowledge and experience, and find partners to collaborate with. EU officials and experts will present the European funding calls and offer guidance on preparing successful project consortia. Registrations will open soon.

The European Urban Initiative (EUI) is holding an in-person capacity-building event in Vienna on 20-21 October to help cities meet the requirements of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. While the National Restoration Plans are prepared at the national level, cities will be central to delivery, notably on no net loss of urban green space and tree canopy up to 2030 and on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation, flood prevention and urban liveability. Participants can expect keynotes and panels, hands-on exercises, networking and site visits in and around Vienna.

Imminent launch of a new series of calls by the European City Facility to provide financial and technical support to local authorities looking to accelerate investment in sustainable energy and climate action. A total of EUR 11.1 million has been allocated to support 185 local beneficiaries, with each receiving EUR 60 000. The first call is expected to open in October 2026 for a two-month period, with further calls planned for April and October 2027.

URBACT and the European Urban Initiative are co-organising the 'EU City Lab on Housing in Brussels', bringing together city practitioners, housing experts, policymakers, housing providers and financial institutions to explore how cities can make housing more affordable, inclusive and sustainable. The 1.5-day programme includes an EU keynote speaker, a round table with European Commission officials, workshops on renovation, regulation, short-term rentals and financing, and study visits to cooperative and social housing projects in Brussels. A closing roundtable on 16 October will focus on scaling and transferring innovative housing solutions across European cities.

The EU Covenant of Mayors Ceremony returns to Brussels under the theme 'Local Leaders for Affordable Energy and Climate Resilience', showcasing how municipalities are turning Europe's climate and energy priorities into concrete action. Grenoble, the European Green Capital 2022 and Gabrovo, the European Green Leaf 2021, will be present at the city pitches. The programme also includes focused workshops, peer-learning sessions and networking spaces. A closed-door energy poverty advisory hub event will follow the ceremony for a selected group of local and regional authorities, policymakers and experts. Members of the European Green Cities Network will also attend and provide their expertise on what it means to lead the way with environmentally friendly urban living.

The finalists for the New European Bauhaus Prizes 2026 have been announced, and the public voting period has now closed. Zaragoza, a 2028 finalist for the European Green Capital Award and a Green City Accord signatory, is in competition with the 'Adapt Your Schoolyard' project, along with other members of the European Green Cities Network. The winners will be revealed at the NEB Prizes Ceremony on 15 October 2026, with more details coming soon. Stay tuned for the results!

The European Week of Regions and Cities returns to Brussels under the motto 'Strong regions, strong Europe', bringing together policymakers, regional and local representatives, experts, journalists and stakeholders to the biggest urban event in Europe. The agenda includes sessions and exhibitions in Brussels, along with the 'Close to you' programme, which takes the spirit of the week to local communities. Current and former European Green Capital and Green Leaf cities will be present. Many sessions can be followed online.

The Circular City Centre (C3), a resource centre at the European Investment Bank set up with the European Commission under the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative, has opened a new call for its two free advisory programmes. The 'Circular City Advisory' helps cities develop a circular strategy, a project pipeline or a specific project through four online workshops. The Circular Project Advisory offers tailored support to public promoters of mature projects costing at least EUR 20 million. Expressions of interest for the Circular City Advisory are open until 13 November 2026, and online Q&A sessions are scheduled for 29 September and 20 October.

The Social Climate Fund is a new EU instrument designed to cushion the impact of rising energy and transport costs on the people and micro-enterprises most affected as Europe moves towards climate neutrality. Eligible actions are building renovation, cleaner heating and renewable energy in homes, zero-emission transport and temporary income support. Between 2026 and 2032, it will provide EUR 86.7 billion, financed by the new emissions trading system for buildings and road transport (ETS2) and by the EU Member States. Check your national Social Climate Plan to apply.

The New European Bauhaus initiative lists calls for proposals, ranging from small grants for local initiatives to large Horizon Europe projects. A batch of Horizon Europe topics linked to the NEB Facility closes on 15 December 2026, covering homelessness, thermal comfort in buildings, the reuse of vacant spaces, neighbourhood design, vertical space and maintenance and repair.

The European Environment Agency's city air quality ranking lets users explore and compare 761 European cities based on population exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ground-level ozone (O3) and the associated mortality risk over the past two years. Cities are grouped according to combined risk, and each city's page shows pollutant-specific scores and population-weighted concentrations. A trend viewer, built on measurements reported by countries, complements the ranking. Check your city now!