Grafting cities 2026 “nurturing the cities’ roots”

Energy Cities Annual Forum is the flagship event of the organisation, and it is hosted every year by a different member. The event became the ‘Grating Cities’ conference in 2023, aiming to unveil the remarkable actions our members have undertaken to “graft” their cities to accelerate their transition.

The art of grafting shows how a place can flourish by building on its assets and ‘twisting them’. Grafting a city is also a movement to transform street by street, house by house, place by place, increasing diversity and thus resilience.

The forum is the place were where municipalities, organisations and stakeholders can come together, share experiences and forge connections to keep advancing in the transition towards climate neutrality.

Guimarães will be the host of Energy Cities Annual Forum 2026, the fourth edition of Grafting cities. The city has been awarded the 2026 European Green Capital based on its commitment to achieving continuous improvement regarding all sustainable challenges and developments, as well as realising comprehensive results in all seven environmental management areas. The city is already showing its commitment to the green transition, and it will showcase its initiatives and projects during the forum.