The Danish city of Copenhagen has won the European Green Capital Award for 2014.
Little mermaid statue in Copenhagen. (Photo: China.org.cn)
Copenhagen received special praise for its achievements, notably in terms of eco-innovation and sustainable mobility, its commitment to act as a role model for the green economy, in Europe and beyond, and for an exceptionally promising communication strategy.
The European Green Capital Award is ultimately about making cities more pleasant places to live and work in, and to visit. Today, three out of four Europeans live in towns and cities. The award was created by the EU to reward the best examples of tackling the environmental challenges that come with modern urban life. One city is chosen from a large field of applicants each year.
Copenhagen has placed public-private partnerships at the core of its approach to eco-innovation and sustainable employment. The city works with companies, universities and organizations to develop and implement green growth. Its North Harbour project, for example, will include a "green laboratory" that will focus on eco-technologies, a model that can be transferred to other towns and cities.
The jury singled out Copenhagen as a model in urban planning and design. It is also something of a transport pioneer, aiming to become the world's most practicable city for cyclists. Its goal is to have 50 percent of its residents cycling to work or school by 2015 (35 percent already do, as of 2010), helping the city reach its ambitious goal of being CO2 neutral by 2025.
