Siena has been named the winner of the EU Green Leaf Award 2027. The title puts the Tuscan city in the spotlight, with implications for day-to-day life and travel that will matter to residents and visitors.
What is the EU Green Leaf Award?
The award was launched by the European Commission in 2015 and was inspired by the European Green Capital Award, the EU Green Leaf Award. It recognises towns and smaller cities that are moving the needle on environmental performance and liveability. It targets municipalities with between 20,000 and 100,000 residents, rewarding credible progress on climate action, pollution reduction, biodiversity, and public space improvements.
How the award is judged
The award is assessed by an independent panel of experts using evidence-based indicators across key pillars: nature and biodiversity, land use, air and noise, water, waste and the circular economy, climate and energy, and mobility.
Benefits for titleholders
The winning town gets EU-level visibility and communications support during the title year, plus access to city-to-city learning networks and technical guidance. A platform to pilot nature-based solutions, expand separate collection and reuse schemes, and programme public events that can attract sustainability-minded visitors and green investment.
Why Siena won the EU Green Leaf Award 2027
The jury highlighted Siena’s strong track record on biodiversity, the quality and stewardship of its green spaces, and careful land use.
Biodiversity and green spaces in Siena
The city was commended for biodiversity, the quality of its green spaces and land use, with an average of 28 m² of public green space per resident.
Land use and urban planning
The jury highlighted Siena’s strong performance on land use.
Circular economy and waste management
Siena achieved a 61.4% urban waste recycling rate and reduced landfill to 1%, underpinning its strong circular-economy credentials.
Impact for residents and visitors in Siena
The title year brings funding and EU-level support to scale concrete actions. Plus, it includes a programme of public events and citizen engagement.
- The title year includes a €200,000 grant to scale projects across seven environmental indicators and to run citizen-focused events
- Winners benefit from EU-level visibility that can attract investment and bolster local pride.
- Recent municipal investment has expanded public green areas and created new urban parks.
Living in the UNESCO city of Siena
Day-to-day life in Siena revolves around a compact, UNESCO-listed city centre, car-light routines, reliable buses and easy escapes into the Tuscan hills. Many expats weigh up living in Siena for its neighbourhood calm, strong food culture and thrilling local festivals such as the famous Palio di Sena.
Siena’s environmental credentials now shape its identity as the first sustainable city of art, with policies favouring eco-mobility, heritage-friendly greening and support for local producers.
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