The City Council has already formalized its application, which shows an improvement in sustainability indicators
Benidorm is aiming for the European Green Leaf 2028 after being a finalist in the previous edition
Last year, the city received particularly high ratings for air quality and its climate change mitigation strategy
The city of Benidorm will compete for the European Green Leaf 2028 award, granted by the European Commission to cities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability, urban innovation, and improving quality of life. Mayor Toni Pérez announced that “after being one of the four finalist cities for the European Green Leaf 2027, the City Council has now formally submitted Benidorm's application for the next edition. We approach it with the same enthusiasm but with an even stronger project than last year, as all the sustainability indicators evaluated for the award have been improved.”
Toni Pérez praised “the intensive collaborative work carried out by municipal technicians from different departments and by the Visit Benidorm team to prepare a solid and rigorous application, which validates the efficient and sustainable planning and management of resources and services, and in which residents and visitors are increasingly involved.” In this regard, the mayor pointed out that “the candidacy also aims to highlight and emphasize the unique management approach of Benidorm, given that it is both a leading tourist destination and a major tourist destination.”
“We are proof that it is possible to combine high tourist density with respectful territorial planning, advanced resource management, and a continuous improvement in quality of life,” he insisted.
According to the competition schedule, the European Commission is expected to announce the finalist cities for both Green Leaf and Green Capital in early July. Green Capital is the award reserved for municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Subsequently, presumably in October, the finalist cities in each category will present their candidacy to the jury in Guimarães, Portugal, the 2026 European Green Capital.
The jury appointed by the European Commission will assess achievements in seven specific environmental areas: Air quality; Water management; Biodiversity, green spaces, and sustainable land use, waste and the circular economy; Noise pollution; Climate change mitigation and adaptation. The details and content of the applications will not be made public until the Green Leaf and Green Capital organisations determine otherwise.
In the 2027 edition, Benidorm was a finalist along with three other European cities: Assen (Netherlands), Saint-Quentin (France), and Siena (Italy). During the preliminary evaluation phase, Benidorm received very positive feedback for its air quality and its climate change mitigation strategy. Ultimately, Assen won the title.
