On Friday 14 June 2013 in Nantes, France, the winner of the title of European Green Capital 2015 was announced. While Ljubljana was among the four finalists, the title was eventually won by Bristol.

Deputy Mayor Tjaša Ficko, who attended the gala announcement with a City of Ljubljana delegation, congratulated the winning city and stated that we were exceptionally proud as our ranking among the four finalists proved that we are on the right track to achieving the goals set for improving the quality of life in the city.

Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment stated that all four finalists of the title of European Green Capital were winners while the biggest winners were the residents of the cities contending for the title. He stressed that he was proud of Ljubljana's efforts and achievements.

The European Green Capital is a European Commission initiative. The title of 'European Green Capital' is awarded annually to the city that has high environmental standards and ambitious related goals for ongoing environmental improvement and sustainable development. The goal of this initiative is to express recognition and reward local efforts to improve the environment, economy and quality of life in cities.

The title was first awarded in 2010, when it was taken by Stockholm; subsequent European Green Capitals have been Hamburg, Victoria-Gasteiz, Nantes and Copenhagen.

Further information about the European Commission's 'European Green Capital' initiative can be found on the official website.