City of Zurich awarded the "Green City Switzerland" label

The city of Zurich has been awarded the "Green City Switzerland" label (GSS) to be certified. The label is awarded according to uniform certification criteria by the Association of Swiss Urban Gardeners and Horticultural Offices (VSSG) and checked as part of an audit. The goal of the label is to promote the sustainability of green spaces in cities and communities, write the organizers. For the certification, 40 measures are examined and evaluated along a process-oriented catalog of measures.

Not only are core processes such as planning and construction, care and maintenance, and production assessed, but also management and support processes such as basic principles, communication, personnel, procurement, and more. A maximum of 500 points can be achieved and, depending on the number of points and the size of the municipality, the label is awarded in bronze, silver or gold.

Excellent result for the city of Zurich

With a total of 451 points and the fulfillment of all the necessary mandatory criteria, the city of Zurich was the first city in Switzerland to receive the "Green City Switzerland" label in gold. Markus Weibel, President of the GSS Label Commission and member of the VSSG Board of Directors, comments: "This is an outstanding result that sets an example. At the same time, it shows that the label sets high standards and is created for urban communities as well as for Switzerland's largest city."

The team of experts that scrutinized the city of Zurich highlighted the following aspects in particular during the evaluation:

• The very good and long-term planning basis, in which sustainable issues and biodiversity have a high priority.
• The binding basis for the nature-oriented care and management of urban green and open spaces.
• Thanks to the specialized heat mitigation planning, green spaces are integrated into the city's climate adaptation strategy.

Recognition and incentive at the same time

Councillor Richard Wolff was able to accept the award on behalf of the City of Zurich on Thursday evening, September 2, 2021. "This label is both recognition and incentive for us. We are on the right track and know where we need to improve further. In particular, greenery is enormously important for a good urban climate. We need to make further efforts to achieve this," says Richard Wolff, adding, "The award is also appreciation for all the municipal employees who work day in, day out for the green in the city of Zurich."

Further information on the "Green City Switzerland" label, including the complete catalog of measures, can be found at gruenstadt-switzerland.ch.

Other topics:

Commitment to more biodiversity honored