"The city of Guimarães has just formalised its application for European Green Capital 2025. After having submitted a first application in 2017, reaching 5th place among the 13 competing cities, the municipality continued to reinforce its commitment to the sustainable development of the territory, over the last few years, developing high-value projects", says the council, in a statement.

The municipality argues that this new application demonstrates the path and goals to be achieved for seven sustainability indicators: air quality; noise; water; nature, biodiversity and sustainable land use; waste and circular economy, climate change; mitigation; adaptation.

"Throughout the candidacy, Guimarães once again demonstrates the importance of an integrative and multidisciplinary governance model -- Governance Ecosystem 2030 -- based on a commitment to research, involvement, education and environmental awareness, through the Landscape Laboratory, an institution that coordinated this candidacy. The structure for writing the candidacy relied on technicians from the municipality and participating entities, as well as specialists in the various areas under evaluation", stresses the municipality.

The municipality led by Domingos Bragança (PS) explains that "the city's commitments to climate neutrality and Zero Waste, the commitment to environmental education through the [programme] PEGADAS, or the structuring projects of Ecovias or retention basins, are some of the many highlights of this candidacy".

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The mayor highlights "Guimarães' path in the environmental area", underlining that this candidacy "demonstrates great maturity and makes clear the success of the numerous projects in the transformation of the territory".

"Guimarães shows that a heritage, historical and cultural city can also be a green city", says Domingos Bragança, quoted in the statement.

The European Green Capital Award, awarded by the European Commission, recognises local efforts to build more sustainable urban centres and thus improve the economy and quality of life of the population.

Every year, the distinction is awarded to a city that has stood out for consistently achieving high environmental standards and that is committed to establishing ambitious goals with regard to urban sustainability and the fight against climate change.

The 'shortlist' with the finalist cities for recognition as European Green Capital 2025 will be known in June and the winning city announced in October.

In case of victory, Guimarães will become the second awarded Portuguese city, after Lisbon won this title in 2020.