The European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) has send in positive feedback on the EU-consultation on the variables for studying European living conditions (green spaces). ELCA is welcoming the fact that the variables ‘walking distance to the nearest public green space’ (HEE01) and ‘satisfaction with public green spaces in the local area’ (PW201) are added to the 2025 list of ad hoc subject Energy and the Environment.

Based on the Vitamin-G research, done by the Dutch scientist Jolanda Maas, greenery is of great importance in the neighbourhood. People who are living in an area with much greenery (90% in a radius of 1 kilometre around the house) do not only feel more healthy, but appear to go less to the doctor. Especially anxiety neuroses and depressions occur less. The same counts for infections on respiratory tracts, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart failure. On the list of 24 medical diseases that were on the research list, 15 of them occur significantly less by people living in a green area. In areas with less greenery there are 33% more people coming at the doctor with complaints linked to depression in comparison with people living in more green areas. According to Jolanda Maas there is a lot to gain with greening areas specifically for children, youngsters, elderly people and people with a lower social economic status. Looking from this point of view a green neighbourhood is a nature based solution that has great importance for public health.

ELCA recommends to consider a more frequent monitoring of the variables HEE01 and PW201, possibly linked to other EU-initiatives that focus on greening urban areas such as the Nature Restoration Law, in the future.

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Note for the editors, not for publication: If you might have any questions, you can contact Mr Egbert Roozen (secretary general of the ELCA) by sending an email to contact@elca.info.

Public consultation on EU Climate Goals 2040:

SoGreen Alliance points at role greenery and nature based solutions in CO2 absorption

The European Commission has held recently a public consultation on the definition of suitable climate targets for 2040 and what is needed to achieve climate neutrality in 2050. EU citizens and all kind of stakeholders had the opportunity to bring in their suggestions. The SoGreen Alliance, in which eight European associations of urban green professionals (www.onthegreenmove.com) cooperate, pleaded in its contribution for an even important approach in the Climate Goals 2040 for the absorption of CO2 as for measures focused on the reduction of emissions. Greenery and nature based solutions in the urban area can play an important role in the absorption of CO2 and add to economic, social and environmental goals at the same time.

Europe must be a climate neutral continent in 2050. That is the aim of the European Commission and must be achieved by different initiatives within the EU Green Deal. By setting climate goals for 2040, the Commission wants to have a clear vision on being on the right track and what is needed to realize further reductions of CO2. The SoGreen Alliance is of the opinion that options for absorption of CO2 should have the same attention in the approach of the Climate Goals 2040 as measures focused on the reduction of emissions. The Alliance points at the role of greenery and nature based solutions in the urban area in the absorption of CO2. Greenery in an urban setting (for example gardens, parcs, urban forestry and green buildings) can offer good opportunities and contributes to the by the EU targeted economic, social and environmental effects at the same time. For this it is necessary to include greenery as early as possible in the policy, planning and design process, to pay attention to healthy permeable soils and to make sure that long term maintenance is taken care for. The SoGreen Alliance advises also to assess the investment options in the EU Taxonomy in order to enhance the creation of more green solutions and more green spaces in the urban area. Possibly public – private partnerships will help in creating extra chances for financing green projects and support mutual acceptance of the stated goals and actions.

The SoGreen Alliance keeps itself recommended to the EU to help in the further elaboration of the Climate Goals 2040.

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Note for the editors, not for publication: If you might have any questions, you can contact mr Egbert Roozen (secretary general of the ELCA) by sending an email to contact@elca.info. 

Partners in the SoGreen Alliance (www.onthegreenmove.com) are: European Arboricultural Council, European Federation Green Roofs and Living Walls associations, European Interior Landscaping Organization, European Landscape Contractors Association, European Nurserystock Association, International Federation of Landscape Architects Europe, International Organization of Natural Bathing Waters, World Urban Parks Europe.

 Brussels, May 25th 2023

Press release

ELCA calls for nominations ELCA Green School Yard Award 2023

The European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) calls its member-associations to nominate a project that can compete for the ELCA Green Award 2023. With this award, that is presented every two years, ELCA wants to highlight the innovation in green projects made by professional gardeners and landscapers. Besides that, it supports the ever-growing network of the ELCA Committee of Firms. In 2021 the Award was handed over for the first time. Theme of that year was Green Park. The Green Award was won by Brouwers Groenaannemers for their Spoorpark-project in Tilburg (The Netherlands). This year the theme is Green School Yards.

Greenery can no longer be considered as decoration anymore. Today we are aware of its benefits for climate, biodiversity and health of people. With these benefits in mind, professional gardeners and landscapers design, create and maintain private gardens, public parcs and buildings with green roofs and facades. Nowadays we see more and more interest in the creation of green school yards, where children can play with and learn about nature. Scientific research has shown that children, after playing at a green school yard, can concentrate better on their learnings in the classroom, are more creative, have a better physical development and are more sociable towards other children. Besides these positive effects, the green schoolyard is also a place where there is room for biodiversity and that contributes to social cohesion in the residential area where the school yard is located. ELCA wants to highlights these benefits by showcasing innovative and state of the art projects. These projects are a good example of what greenery can do and what our professional gardeners and landscapers are able to deliver.

The ELCA member-associations are asked to nominate one green school yard project for the competition. Members of the ELCA Committee of Firms can vote in September on their favourites, which will be presented then on the ELCA-website. The ceremony of the announcement of the results and the hand-over of the trophy, in cooperation with the French association UNEP, will take place at Paysalia 2023 in Lyon.

Excursions abroad sound nice, but can they help business?

Some 200 landscapers from 22 countries are members of the Committee of Firms that is part of the European umbrella organization ELCA. The firms, ranging from small family businesses to large internationals, make excursions and meet at green conferences all over the world. Making such trips sounds rather nice, but do they a positive impact on your business? We asked three members of Dutch landscapers’ association VHG.

‘SoGreen unites the green world’ Henrik Bos (president of ELCA)

On 20 November 2020, Henrik Bos, president of the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA), has launched the SoGreen movement, a global stakeholder group that unites all green industries. ‘To start this international sector organization for the global green industries has been one of the biggest goals during my time as president of ELCA.’

ELCA, European Landscape Contractors Association starts European platform for urban greening

Together with partners in Denmark, Finland, Romania, Spain, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, ELCA will be building a European Platform for Urban Greening in the coming years.

Increase knowledge and skills of green professionals.

The European Platform for Urban Greening aims to increase the knowledge and skills required to address biodiversity, climate adaptation and well-being in the urban, green living environment, and to broaden the expertise among professionals in Europe. The educational institutions from the mentioned countries work closely with business partners and governments in order to match the educational offer with regional needs.

Press release 20200914_New European platform for urban greening_press_release

Need for extraordinary measures to support the flower & live plants sector survive the COVID-19 crisis.

Joint letter to Mr Janusz Wojciechowski, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Union Fleurs – International Flower Trade Association

ENA - European Nurserystock Association

ARELFH - Assembly of European Horticultural Regions

VAL’HOR - the inter-branch organisation for ornamental horticulture in France

VBN - the Association of Dutch Flower Auctions

CIOPORA - the International Association of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Horticultural Varieties

ANTHOS - the Royal Trade Association for Nursery Stock and Flower Bulbs

ELCA - the European Association of Landscape Professionals.

“We take care for a green and liveable Europe”

At this moment we are facing big challenges in keeping our world liveable. Climate is changing. Heavy rain and drought will lead to all kinds of damage. More and more plants and animals are disappearing. This will affect  in the end also our food chain. It is to be expected that in future the majority of people will live in cities. How do we keep cities a sustainable place to live and work in? All this kind of topics are related to greenery. The time that greenery was decoration, is over. Greenery offers important benefits for the quality of our lives.

ELCA stand - A greener environment with ELCA

Henrik Bos has been elected as the new ELCA-President

The European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) is continuing its successful expansion course with its new President Henrik Bos at the top.

Henrik Bos zum neuen ELCA-Präsidenten gewählt

Die European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) setzt ihren erfolgreichen Expansionskurs mit ihrem neuen Präsidenten Henrik Bos an der Spitze fort.

Henrik Bos a été élu au poste de président de l´ELCA

L’European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) continue sa voie d´expansion et de succès avec, à sa tête son nouveau président Henrik Bos.

Green Dream’ and ‘Circl’ win ELCA Trend Award 2018
The international professional judges committee has decided to pick two Dutch projects as the richly deserved joint winners of the ELCA Trend Award 2018 from the four nominees, all of which were Dutch projects. The winners were announced at the festive award ceremony at the international GaLaBau trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany, on Wednesday 12 September. The joint winners are ‘Circl’, developed by the landscaping company Donkergroen on behalf of ABN AMRO Bank in Amsterdam, and ‘Green Dream’, developed by the designer Iverna Zaalberg and the gardening and landscaping company Herman Vaessen Tuin Boom Groen on behalf of Geelen Counterflow in Haelen (Dutch province of Limburg).