During the Spring Meeting in Chiang Rai, Thailand, AIPH The International Association of Horticultural Producers members consist of thousands of growers of flowers and ornamental plants around the world opened entries for the third edition of the AIPH World Green City Awards – the only global awards for cities where plants and nature are the core focus.
Related: MIT rates your city using AI for the trees
The Awards recognise and celebrate bold and innovative action that harnesses the power of plants and nature to create greener, healthier, and more resilient cities.
“Today, more than ever, we are faced with an epic challenge: ensuring that our cities remain liveable and resilient in the face of climate change and growing urbanisation,” says AIPH President Leonardo Capitanio. “As climate change predictions become reality, it is clear that plants will be among the most valuable resources we have to keep our cities comfortable. We must recognise the importance of plants and trees and their ability to adapt to stress in order to ensure the health and well-being of us all.”
Cities around the world are encouraged to enter their greening initiatives to showcase their achievement and commitment to nature-orientated solutions to address major challenges facing urban environments. The AIPH World Green City Awards 2026 comprise seven categories:
- Living Green for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Restoration
- Living Green for Climate Change
- Living Green for Health & Wellbeing
- Living Green for Water
- Living Green for Social Cohesion & Inclusive Communities
- Living Green for Urban Infrastructure & Liveability
- Living Green for Urban Agriculture & Food Systems
A two stage judging process ensures rigour and integrity. Three Finalists for each category are selected by a Technical Panel of urban greening experts. From this list, an international Jury decides on the winners. Of the seven category winners, only one will be named Grand Winner of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2026.
The recipient of the prestigious Grand Winner title of the 2024 edition was the City of Chengdu, China, which was announced at the 2024 Awards Ceremony held at the Future World Green City Congress in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The inaugural edition of the AIPH World Green City Awards was won by the City of Hyderabad in India. Both cities impressed the judges with their city-wide approach to urban greening.
“The AIPH World Green City Awards has grown from strength to strength since the inaugural edition in 2022,” says Mr Bill Hardy, Chair of the AIPH Green City Committee. “In the past two editions of the Awards we have seen how collective action at the local level can achieve global impact. Cities are champions for the power of plants and nature, that is why all cities are invited to enter the AIPH World Green City Awards 2026.”
