Växjö is the European Forest City 2026
The city of Växjö has been awarded the title of “European Forest City 2026” by the European Forest Institute. Maria Garmer, First Vice Chair, and Pernilla Thorneus, 2nd Vice Chair of the Municipal Board received the official certificate from EFI Director Robert Mavsar on 3 March 2026.
The award recognises the city’s leadership in integrating forests, biodiversity, and climate smart green development into its vision for a Sustainable Växjö 2030, which states that it should be possible to live in Växjö without negative climate impact by 2030.
“The Sustainable Växjö 2030 plan explicitly recognises the importance of rich and diverse natural environments, including forests, woodlands, water bodies and green infrastructure, as essential to the city’s climate resilience, ecological health, and quality of life for its citizens,” said Dr Mavsar, on presenting the award. “By embedding forest ecosystem stewardship into its long-term sustainability framework, Växjö offers a compelling model of how urban communities can harness the multifunctional benefits of forests for climate action, biodiversity protection and human health”.
Ms Maria Garmer said: “I am pleased that Växjö has been named European Forest City 2026 by the European Forest Institute. This recognition provides an excellent opportunity to showcase our work on forests and our broader commitment to sustainability".
As European Forest City, Växjö will host the next EFI Annual Conference, from 16 – 18 September 2026.
More information:
Since 2014, the European Forest Institute has awarded the title of ‘European Forest City’ to the city which hosts the EFI Annual Conference. Find out more here: https://efi.int/explore/city
City of Växjö: https://www.vaxjo.se/sidor/hallbar-utveckling/vaxjo-kommuns-hallbarhetsarbete/klimatneutrala-vaxjo.html /
Photo: Växjö Linnæus Science Park
