Benidorm involves the Neighborhood Council in its candidacy as a finalist for the 2027 'European Green Leaf'

Benidorm City Council has informed the Neighborhood Council of the city's candidacy as a finalist to be selected as the "European Green Leaf" 2027, a recognition awarded by the European Commission that annually recognizes the work and results achieved by municipalities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants in the face of "urban environmental challenges related to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss." During the plenary session of the body, Councillor for the Environment, Mónica Gómez, was responsible for briefing the representatives of the various neighbourhood associations that form part of this Council on all the details of what this recognition represents. Benidorm is one of the four European cities selected as finalists, along with Assen (Netherlands), Saint-Quentin (France), and Siena (Italy). The award will be presented next week in Lithuania, where the winner will be announced.

“The mere fact of being a finalist for such a prestigious and demanding European award is in itself a source of great satisfaction for the city,” emphasised Mónica Gómez. Mayor Toni Pérez and Councilor for Citizenship Participation Ana Pellicer, who chaired the Neighborhood Council meeting, added the “importance of involving all citizens, through their representatives in this citizen participation body, in what this recognition represents for Benidorm, since it is a city project, for everyone, and it would not be possible without the effort and involvement of all citizens.” She also emphasized “that various international organizations are appreciating the work that has been done in recent years from all areas in the areas of sustainability and the environment, as has already happened this year with the ‘Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism’ and now, as finalists for this ‘Green Leaf’.”

Among the city's strengths for competing in this competition, the Environment Minister explained that the European Commission "has rated Benidorm very positively in terms of the quality of our air and our work to mitigate climate change; our water management, with up to 96.4% efficiency; the fact that 61% of our territory is protected; the achievement of more sustainable and quieter mobility; as well as the city's commitment to sustainability, green spaces, and the circular economy."

Finally, Gómez announced that, in addition to all the city's technical aspects and indicators, Benidorm has also proposed in its bid a 'Green Calendar,' or a calendar of actions focused on improving environmental sustainability over the 12 months of the year, which would run between January and December 2027 if it is chosen as a 'European Green Leaf.'

Other matters discussed

In addition to presenting all the details of Benidorm's bid for this European Commission recognition to the full Neighborhood Council, the plenary session also addressed other issues, such as the election of council members who will serve on the 2026 Participatory Budget Committee; the management of this year's sterilization campaign for urban cat colonies; and issues related to the animal shelter; road signage and maintenance; mobility and accessibility; and recycling.