European Green Capital 2026 Honorary Committee Holds First Meeting in Guimarães

The Honorary Committee of the European Green Capital 2026 (EGC 2026) held its first meeting on the morning of Friday, June 6, at the auditorium of the Laboratório da Paisagem, in Guimarães.

This distinguished body includes representatives from national and European institutions with a strategic role in driving sustainable territorial transformation. It serves as a prestigious advisory group, accompanying Guimarães on its journey toward 2026.

The session brought together representatives from several key entities, including the President of CCDR-N, the Rectors of the Universities of Minho and Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (IPCA), UNU-EGOV, Cidades pelo Clima, Eurocities, Quadrilátero Urbano, ULS do Alto Ave, CIM do Ave, ICNF – Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, Mobility and Transport Authority, Porto and North Tourism Board, the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), and the European Commission.

Although the Minister for Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho — who serves as President of the Honorary Committee — was unable to attend due to the Government’s inauguration, the meeting was presided over by António M. Cunha, President of CCDR-N. He emphasized the importance of collective mobilization:

“What brought us here was the strength of a community. The EGC 2026 title, along with other distinctions earned by Guimarães, opens new opportunities to reinforce the path we’ve been building to enhance the city’s appeal as a sustainable destination. Now is the time to prepare 2026 as a transformative year. What made the difference was the participation of all political forces: a movement that should serve as inspiration.”

Domingos Bragança, Mayor of Guimarães, further reinforced the long-term vision behind this European distinction:

“We want Guimarães to be a source of inspiration for all of Europe. It’s important that cities of Guimarães’ scale aspire to be a Green Capital and adopt this environmental sustainability vision. There is still much to accomplish beyond 2026.”

The meeting also featured a special tribute to Domingos Bragança, presented by the External Advisory Committee, chaired by Mohan Munasinghe, in recognition of the Mayor’s decisive role in establishing Guimarães as a leading territory in sustainability and climate action.