Frequently Asked Questions

Download the ‘Rules and Procedures’

What makes an award-worthy entry?

AIPH is looking to reward nature-orientated solutions that harvest the power of plants and associated ecosystems services to help address the major challenges facing cities today – or tomorrow. Specifically, we seek strategic initiatives that are bold, pursue a meaningful impact, are being successfully implemented, have potential to further scale or spread to other cities, and exemplify resilience in how they are conducted.

To be eligible, such strategic initiatives must be implemented within a city. A city is defined as a single urban area/human settlement, large or small, which, along with its surrounding expanse, is nationally recognised as being under the jurisdiction of a single legally defined local or sub-national government authority. If your entry involves a multi-city initiative, your submission must be based on the activities in your city as the primary city. You may refer to activities in other cities as ‘ripple effects’ of the initiative beyond the primary city.

Who should compile and submit a city’s entry?

All submissions should be compiled and submitted by a suitable representative acting on behalf of the city authority. The city authority is the legally defined and nationally recognised local or subnational government authority which is mandated to govern and undertake and implement strategic policy and planning initiatives within the single urban area/human settlement and surrounding expanse under its jurisdiction

A suitable representative of the city authority is a technical or political staff member or official from either the Mayor’s or executive officer’s office or a relevant department who is comfortable in their mandate to act on behalf of the city authority. Any such staff member or official can initiate the entry by registering a profile on the online portal. However, all entries, at the time of submission on or before 14 March 2022 must be accompanied by a Mayoral Declaration, signed and stamped by a signatory authorised by national law to legally represent the city. Typically, this person is the Mayor or Deputy-Mayor of the city, or can be another senior political representative who is in charge of international cooperation or sustainable development.

Does the initiative featured in my entry have to address a specific problem or issue?

Yes, and this will need to be clearly documented in your entry. You will also be asked to nominate up to two of the most relevant award categories you would like your entry to be considered for. For 2022, the six award categories are:

• • Living Green for Health and wellbeing: Addressing the medical, behavioural, and social determinants of health for residents.
  • Living Green for Climate change: Tackling the root causes and effects of climate change in order to build more liveable and resilient cities.
  • Living Green for Economic recovery and inclusive growth: Creating systems and solutions that allow all city residents to overcome economic distress and thrive.
  • Living Green for Biodiversity: Addressing the loss of species, habitats, ecosystem health, and genetic diversity.
  • Living Green for Water: Ensuring water resources are safeguarded and wisely used, with clean water available to all while also protecting residents from flooding risks.
  • Living Green for Social cohesion: Fostering belonging, trust, and inter-generational as well as cross-cultural relationships to prevent exclusion, marginalisation, and violence.

How many entries can each city submit?

There is no limit when it comes to the number of initiatives that a city/local authority can submit. However, each initiative must be submitted through a separate application. Additionally, any given initiative must be submitted only once.

Does an award application fee need to be paid?

No, there is no fee. Participation to the award is entirely free. We are not charging an entry fee in recognition that cities will commit resources towards putting together the application.

We are not the local authority but have designed and delivered an initiative on behalf of the local, can we submit this work to the award?

No, the entry has to be submitted by the local authority, but they can do so in association with a key delivery partner who will then also be featured in the award recognition should the joint entry win.

All online entries must be accompanied by a Mayoral Certificate that confirms that the city supports the entry. The Mayoral Certificate is provided within the online entry form, and must be signed by the Mayor of the city or an alternative and suitable representative of the designated city authority.

What if the initiative featured in my entry is relevant in more than one of the six award categories?

This is a good thing! The greater the significance of the initiative and the wider its range of impacts, the better, since this something we take into account in the entry evaluation process. These wide-ranging outcomes – whether fitting within the award categories, or reaching beyond – should be documented in the entry. However, any given initiative may only be put forward for an award in up to two categories. We recommend selecting categories for which you have compiled the best evidence of results.

What information will I need to submit to enter the AIPH World Green City Awards?

Award entries will be assessed on the basis of five evaluation criteria:

• Vision: the initiative should be bold and include a fresh new model for using and/or delivering nature-orientated solution(s).
• Significance: the initiative should be designed to address a serious local problem or set of problems.
• Implementation: the initiative should have achieved or be well on its way to achieving its stated objective(s) and/or desirable outcomes.
• Learning and Transferability: the initiative should have generated some learning content or mechanisms that enable enhanced local practice in the future and/or offer potential for customised replication in other cities.
• Resilience: The initiative should be mindful of its impact on the planet and of its ability to be sustained over time.

Do I have to apply to participate?

No. All eligible cities are invited to submit an online entry.  As soon as you create your profile online by registering your contact details you will access to the award submission system, and an offline version of the award submission form to assist you in preparing your entry.

Does my city have to submit the application online?

Yes, all cities are required to put forward their submission through an online form. Eligible cities are required to register to gain access to the form. Registering your city’s profile on the online portal simply starts the entry preparation process and does not infer a submission in itself. To assist with your entry preparation, an offline version of the form will be made available after registering a profile. After a city has registered online, you can come back an unlimited number of times to add info/complete your entry – until the 14th March 2022, when entries close.

AIPH will offer support in answering any questions you may have about your submission(s) and the award process.

What language can entries be submitted in?

English only.

I submitted an entry, what’s next?

You will receive a notification from AIPH acknowledging that your submission has been received.

All submissions will be reviewed and evaluated after the deadline for submission (14th March 2022, 23:00 UTC).

AIPH will notify the contact person identified in the application by 31st May 2022 if your entry is shortlisted. Shortlisted entries may be asked to provide complementary information within 30 days.

The category winners and the overall winner will be notified by early August 2022 and invited to take part in the award ceremony at a gala event in the autumn of 2022.

What benefits does submitting an entry to the AIPH World Green City Awards bring me/my local authority?

There are many benefits to entering the AIPH World Green City Awards. It is the first international competition that cities enter to:

• • Gain recognition for the greening they have done and the benefits to their city
  • Promote their city at an international level.
  • Inspire a global movement for greener cities.
  • Demonstrate that their city is highly desirable to live and work in.
  • Showcase how urban nature can improve the health of citizens, increase job opportunities, stimulate economic development, and strengthen greening regulations
  • Demonstrate how ambitious local actions contribute to achieving global agenda.

    By entering, cities stand a chance to:

  • Have their initiatives featured on the AIPH website and integrated to the case study library associated with the AIPH Green City Guidelines. All shortlisted entries will be featured.
  • Win an award certificate and a trophy. Winners can nominate key partners and key staff so that additional award certificates can be prepared in their name.
  • Gain global recognition and profiling opportunities. Winners will be promoted via AIPH and the World Green City Awards partners’ and sponsors’ media channels
  • Have their city’s work displayed to a significant global audience in the AIPH pavilion of an International Horticultural Expo.
  • Receive up to 4 complimentary tickets to the gala event of the Awards ceremony.