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Historically, competitions have provided a reason for people from different backgrounds, cultures, and ways of life to come together and showcase what they can achieve when skill, ingenuity, dedication, and perseverance are passionately pursued. Today, competitions are often a strategy to engage the public and inspire innovative thinkers to focus their talents and skills on solving problems that affect our everyday lives.

As a company based in NYC, we are focused on being part of the solution to the urban challenge of decarbonization, a challenge that isn’t uniquely American but shared by the entire world. As such we are constantly looking to learn from other countries which are tackling the urban challenge head on. In 2010, recognizing that more than two-thirds of Europeans were living in towns or cities, the European Commission decided to offer an annual award to the “European city that demonstrates the greatest commitment to improving their urban environments.” The main objective of the European Green Capital Award (EGCA) is to promote and reward cities in their efforts to reduce emissions and drive sustainable development. But a welcome side effect has been the initiation of a friendly competition among cities that are now vying for the prestigious title of “European Green Capital of the Year.”

Winning the European Green Capital Award is no small feat. Entries are assessed on the basis of 12 indicators, and cities need to provide substantial documentation proving the accomplishments they believe earned them the right to be the next city to win the award. Oslo, this year’s winner, held its 14th annual Oslo Innovation Week last month, and I was lucky enough to attend. I witnessed a city proud of its accomplishments and also fully aware of the responsibility that comes with the EGCA title.

For Americans, the potential job loss brought on by replacing old technologies with new innovative ones is a major concern.  But when asked if such is the case in Norway, the answer was an overwhelming “no”. Whether this is a result of their socialistic government which provides a financial safety net for all of its citizens, or the fact that the vast majority of the population is highly educated and skilled, Norwegians tend to feel less threatened by the possibility of becoming redundant.  But that doesn’t mean they haven’t their own obstacles to overcome in the face of change. While the Green Party to the left gains momentum, it’s currently encountering a rising opposition on the right. People’s Action — No to More Road Tolls (FNB), Norway’s newest party, is gaining steam and proving that even the most progressive countries are bound to face resistance when wide scale measures to lower carbon emissions are implemented. 

The cities who win the ECGA are not only leading the way for environmentally friendly urban living but also acting as role models for other cities seeking to do the same. The winner of the ECGA can showcase the innovations that led to the win and share the thinking and process behind it. But the solutions it implements will have to be uniquely tailored to the obstacles it faces as an individual city. These obstacles include, among other things, cultural and societal readiness and awareness. They include the ability to collectively accept that there will be a price to pay if significant change is implemented. There will be changes to daily practices surrounding energy use, waste management, agriculture, and industry, to name a few.