Grafting Cities 2026: nurturing the cities’ roots for a resilient future

The next edition of Grafting Cities, the annual forum of Energy Cities, will take place on 28,29 and 30 April 2026 in Guimarães (PT).

Every year, our annual forum Grafting Cities highlights how cities resemble an ever-evolving tree: adapting to each season, facing challenges to fully embrace sun, wind, and water, yet ultimately bearing new fruit year after year. For the 2026 edition, we are focusing on the importance of “nurturing the roots.”

At a time when the upcoming EU budget foresees fewer resources to feed our cities’ roots, and when democracy itself faces difficult challenges, it is more crucial than ever to ensure that cities have strong, resilient roots for ambitious energy and climate policies. But what does this mean in practice? It means ensuring adequate funding, building local capacity, giving citizens space to express their needs and actively participate in shaping their cities, creating supportive frameworks for sustainable projects, and establishing a virtuous circle of local action.

As every year, we are proud to invite our members to share best practices from across Europe in our five key areas: local governance, fossil-free cities, community energy, food systems, and fair economies.

We are also delighted to host the event in Guimarães, a member city since 2007, which has been awarded the title of European Green Capital 2026. Guimarães will showcase some of its most inspiring practices to spark ideas and inspire others.

There are many ways to nurture the roots, and we look forward to sharing concrete strategies that will help your vibrant cities, your beautiful trees, grow strong and move closer to climate neutrality.

Mark your calendars! More information will be shared in the coming months.

If you are a member and interested in contributing to the programme, please reach out