The city of Leuven has been granted with the prestigious Green Leaf Prize.
The award, handed out by the European Commission, recognises cities that work with Belgian residents on issues of ecology, sustainability and quality of life.
Leuven shares the award with the Swedish city of Växjö.
The jury praised Leuven for its focus on climate change, including its non-profit initiative Leuven 2030, which aims to make the city carbon-neutral by 2030.
Leuven 2030 encompasses many aspects of city life, and the broad approach, the jury said, was one of the reasons why Leuven was selected for the award.
The jury also praised the city’s new traffic plan, which was introduced last year and includes car-free zones, car-sharing initiatives and a new cycling policy with improved infrastructure.
“This is a memorable moment for our city and for Leuven 2030,” said Mohamed Ridouani, city councillor in charge of environmental matters.
“The award is a feather in the cap for every resident of Leuven. Thanks to our unique co-operation between residents, companies, organisations and institutions, we are able to work hard at achieving our goal of making Leuven one of the most liveable and healthiest cities in Europe”