Heilbronn starts environmentally friendly campaigns: The path to the Green Capital!

Heilbronn starts environmentally friendly campaigns: The path to the Green Capital!

On September 16, 2025, Heilbronn is looking optimistically into the future: the city has qualified for the title of European Green Capital 2027 and will have to compete in the final against Debrecen in Hungary and Klagenfurt in Austria. The decision will be announced on October 2, 2023 in Vilnius and broadcast live for all citizens on the Heilbronn market square. After the impressive second place in the 2023 competition, anticipation is high and the city is taking every opportunity to position itself as a pioneer for sustainability.

An important step in this direction is the introduction of the new environmental brand “heilbronn.now”. This initiative aims to bring together and improve the city's numerous strategies to promote sustainability. Heilbronn plans to become greenhouse gas neutral by 2035 and is relying on cooperation with the population. Additional programs, such as the biodiversity trail and a separate transport advisory board, show that citizen participation is very important here. The Sustainability and Mobility Day 2024, which will take place on Untere Neckarstrasse with over 50 participation stands, offers many opportunities for active participation.

Diverse participation offers

On Sustainability Day, an exciting program will be offered from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., which includes, among other things, a free bike check. The city of Heilbronn would like to motivate citizens to actively support the environment and is offering several new participatory programs for this purpose:

• Patenschaften für Bäume im Stadtgebiet
• Baumspenden zur Aufforstung des Stadtwaldes
• Der Wettbewerb „Abpflastern und Begrünen“, der die Entsiegelung von Grundstücksflächen bis zum 31. Oktober 2026 fördert

These initiatives build on the extensive citizen participation collected during the exhibition to apply for the title of European Green Capital 2019. Over 500 ideas and suggestions on various environmental indicators such as waste management, water quality and biodiversity were collected at that time. The desire grew for more green spaces and greenery on Kiliansplatz as well as for a reduction in car traffic in order to improve air quality and noise levels.

The path to the Green Capital

The European Green Capital Awards, presented by the European Commission, emphasize the importance of local action for a sustainable future. These awards not only promote environmentally friendly initiatives in cities with more than 100,000 residents, but also encourage citizen participation. Winning cities show how important it is to work together for a better quality of life and a clean environment. Heilbronn is determined to continue on this path and present itself as a shining example for other cities. The city aims to take bolder actions and strengthen local identity to promote sustainable development.

The European Union website provides a wealth of information about the European Green Capital Awards and the associated opportunities for cities. Heilbronn's commitment to environmental policy goes hand in hand with ambitious goals that should benefit not only the city, but the entire region. It will be exciting to see what happens next with Heilbronn's green ambitions!

For more information you can read the reports from Voice.de, we are Heilbronn and EU environment visit.