The Lithuanian capital showcased how cities can thrive sustainably — now the spotlight shifts to Europe’s newly named 2027 Green Capital.

October 2, 2025 – Vilnius, Lithuania. The stage is set for Europe’s green future. On October 2, the European Green Capital Awards ceremony was hosted at the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius, bringing together cities from across the continent to celebrate leadership in sustainability. As the 2025 title holder, Vilnius marked its year of progress and officially announced Heilbronn as the European Green Capital 2027.

Vilnius turned bold ideas into life

As the European Green Capital 2025, Vilnius set out to prove that sustainability can be practical, visible, and people-driven. The results speak for themselves:

Cycling and walking first: In just six months, Vilnius rolled out 11 km of new cycling paths, with another 8 km on the way by year’s end. By 2030, the network will stretch to 250 km, embedding safe, sustainable travel into daily life.

Public transport on the rise: The city logged 112.5 million public transport journeys in the first half of 2025 alone – a 10% increase year-on-year. Two new electric passenger boats, “Rytas” and “Lašiša,” joined the system, proving that urban mobility can be both green and innovative.

Citizens in the driver’s seat: Vilnius launched its first Citizens’ Assembly on mobility, where residents debated how to make walking, cycling, and public transportation the top choice across all neighborhoods. Their recommendations will guide future city policy.

Waste reimagined: Vilnius became one of the world’s first cities to use black soldier fly larvae to process food waste collected in distinctive orange bags. Since 2024, residents have already diverted more than 3,000 tons of food waste through this system, turning scraps into resources.

Cleaner energy for homes: Last winter, nearly 90% of the heating for Vilnius residents came from environmentally friendly sources. Just a season earlier, the share was 69% from green energy and 31% from natural gas.

Valdas Benkunskas, the Mayor of Vilnius, emphasizes that the Green Capital title is not the finish line, but rather another step on the city’s path toward climate neutrality.

“All of this has further strengthened our commitment to continuing environmental action and our determination to become an even greener, more sustainable, and innovative city – one that inspires not only Lithuania but the whole of Europe toward sustainable change,” he says.

After Vilnius and Guimarães, Heilbronn is next in line

In 2026, the European Green Capital title will pass from Vilnius to Guimarães, Portugal, which is ready to continue green initiatives and inspire communities to embrace sustainable change.

For 2027, the competition came down to Klagenfurt (Austria), Heilbronn (Germany), Siena (Italy) and Debrecen (Hungary). After a close contest, Heilbronn emerged as the winner, earning the European Green Capital 2027 title.