News


Green City Home

Seven Cities Selected to Receive Certificates of Merit in the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024

AIPH is pleased to announce the list of Certificate of Merit recipients which were nominated by the Technical Panel and subsequently approved by the Jury for their bold and innovative urban greening initiatives.

In addition to selecting the 21 Finalists for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024, the Technical Panel, in the first round of judging, is given the ability to nominate entries to receive Certificates of Merit. These are cities which did not score highly enough to be Finalists but which demonstrate a particularly bold and innovate feature or characteristic that members of the Technical Panel believe is inspiring, replicable, and worthy of recognition. These entries, which are not category specific, are then proposed to the Jury for their vote on whether to accept or reject each nomination.

Following the recent completion of the Jury voting process, AIPH and partners are proud to showcase the seven inspiring recipients of Certificates of Merit

  • A holistic approach to protect and restore forested areas and create biodiverse green spaces – Saint-Lazare, Canada
  • Green paths to future Dubai Expo 2020 – Dubai, UAE
  • Tel Chubez and Lira Shapira – Tel Aviv- Yafo, Israel
  • Dubai Underground Water Sustainability – Dubai, UAE
  • Greening Belo Horizonte – Belo Horizonte, Brazil
  • BAQ-Cultiva, Strengthening Urban Forestry and Implementation of Urban Agriculture – Barranquilla, Colombia
  • The Belly of Ljubljana – urban agriculture and food systems – City of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Case studies of the urban greening initiatives by each of the seven Certificate of Merit recipients are available here.

“The AIPH World Green City Awards is about celebrating excellence,” says Dr. Audrey Timm, Technical Initiatives Manager, AIPH. “While the list of 21 Finalists showcases the leading green cities of the world, we are so pleased to be recognising  additional inspiring entries through the Certificate of Merit awards. These cities deserve to be acknowledged for the specific aspects in their entries which tell the story of their exciting green ambitions.”

The Certificates of Merit will be formally presented to representatives from each city at the AIPH World Green City Awards ceremony 2024, which will take the form of a dedicated gala dinner on 25th September 2024 at the Future Green City World Congress in the City of Utrecht, the Netherlands. This momentous occasion will also provide the global stage on which AIPH will announce the 7 category winners, the Grand Winner, and the winner of the AIPH Youth Award in the 2024 edition.

“The Green City space is certainly an exciting one to be in at the moment. It is encouraging to see how many cities are taking tangible action for plants, for nature, and for people. Congratulations to the Certificate of Merit recipients. By awarding these certificates, AIPH is thrilled to be demonstrating how local action truly is inspiring a global movement for greener, healthier, and more resilient cities.” – Mr. Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH

While the 21 Finalists represent the top scoring entries in each of the 7 Award categories, AIPH applauds all cities who entered the 2024 edition. The Certificates of Merit recognise cities from many regions, climates, and cultures that also display innovative and impressive approaches to urban greening and green city design with the potential for wider replicability and uptake. By celebrating more than just the Finalists and winners, the AIPH World Green City Awards embody the global imperative to showcase how city-led action for plants and nature is critical for securing our collective urban future.

To stay informed of upcoming news and announcements, AIPH invites you to subscribe to the monthly AIPH Global Green City Update and join the AIPH Global Green City Forum.


Timothy Blatch
Green City Consultant
timothy.blatch@aiph.org