March Headlines - click to see the full story
28/3/2009 - Ecological Urbanism Conference
27/3/2009 - Young Planners Award
27/3/2009 - Indian Sanitation Innovator & Social Reformer Awarded 2009 Stockholm Water Prize
27/3/2009 - City-regions : emerging lessons from England
26/3/2009 - Cross-border conurbations discuss the means to strengthen their “internal governance”
26/3/2009 - Local authorities most trusted level of government, shows survey
26/3/2009 - Local and regional governments are best placed to help relaunch Europe's economy!
25/3/2009 - The impact of the economic crisis on tackling homelessness at local level
23/3/2009 - Local and Regional Governments concerned by the Ministerial Declaration
22/3/2009 - City networks & renewable energy industry request the re-inclusion of Smart Energy Cities in the EU Recovery Plan
22/3/2009 - Biofuel Cities European Partnership at the World Biofuels Markets Conference
20/3/2009 - Become the European Youth Capital 2011!
20/3/2009 - Japan to fund UN-HABITAT Myanmar rehabilitation
19/3/2009 - Cities of Migration Webinar
18/3/2009 - European Council 19-20 March: no sustainable development without local and regional government
18/3/2009 - 2009 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate Announcement March 25
17/3/2009 - Oslo to host cities climate change conference
17/3/2009 - Submissions of Papers and Articles - The International Journal of Culture and Urban Development
16/3/2009 - ICLEI World Congress 2009 Connecting Leaders for Local Action Now!
16/3/2009 - Last chance to register for EcoProcura 09
15/3/2009 - International conference on “Migrants demand for the city”
14/3/2009 - Taipei City Exchanges
12/3/2009 - Prague Summit: "No way out of the crisis without local and regional government"
12/3/2009 - Launch of the Local Government Climate Change Adaptation Toolkit
11/3/2009 - Danuta Hübner: "EU Commission to invest € 105 billion in green economy"
11/3/2009 - Women from around the world gather in Monrovia
10/3/2009 - New survey on the role and influence of local and regional authorities within the EU
9/3/2009 - Local Governments are mobilizing for the Government Climate Change Leadership Summit
9/3/2009 - Demonstrate leadership: sign-up to the Istanbul Water Consensus
9/3/2009 - UN-HABITAT and European Union team up in Central African Republic
8/3/2009 - International Women's Day: "Still far from equality!"
8/3/2009 - Mayors of African capital cities conclude watershed meeting in Nairobi
8/3/2009 - Canada's Sustainable Cities 2009
7/3/2009 - The New Global Frontier: Urbanization, poverty and environment in the 21st Century
6/3/2009 - Climate change and cities
6/3/2009 - CEMR supports Commission's proposal to earmark additional €1 billion in broadband
6/3/2009 - Ecological Footprint’s Co-Creator to give keynote at World Congress
5/3/2009 - MEPs and EUROCITIES press Commission to publish urban mobility plan
5/3/2009 - Mayor Villaraigosa and President Clinton Light The Way To A Greener LA
2/3/2009 - Webinar: Routes to Belonging March 24, 2009.
2/3/2009 - The Second Knowledge Cities Summit
2/3/2009 - The economic and financial crisis at the core of CEMR general assembly
2/3/2009 - Wise Land Development Sustains Nature
2/3/2009 - European Director of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability congratulates winners of the European Green Capital Award
1/3/2009 - "Territorial cohesion": an added value for local and regional government
1/3/2009 - Atlanta, GA Declares Itself a 'Zero Waste Zone'
1/3/2009 - Former US President Bill Clinton meets Mrs. Tibaijuka
Ecological Urbanism Conference
The conference will bring together design practitioners and theorists, economists, engineers, environmental scientists, politicians and public health specialists, with the goal of reaching a more robust understanding of ecological urbanism and what it might be in the future.
April 3-5 http://ecologicalurbanism.gsd.harvard.edu/
Young Planners Award
The International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) seeks to amplify the voices and visions of emerging professionals throughout the world. We invite all young planners, and interdisciplinary teams of architects / architectural interns, urban planners, landscape architects, engineers, geographers, sociologists, and economists to submit innovative projects striving for URBAN (SU)STA(INA)BILITY.
Submissions are to include buildings and/or urban development design plans, research, and/or a project in development completed during the applicant's professional experience. If the applicant is submitting a project involving those not eligible for this award, please clearly define the team involved and your role in the design and decision making process. The project's urban development context and the innovative planning approaches incorporating the application of environmentally sound technologies must be clearly evident in all submissions. Each project is limited to (2) A1 sheets in .pdf format via email no later than Friday, 24 April 2009, 11:59 CET to: young-planners-award@ifhp.de.
Indian Sanitation Innovator & Social Reformer Awarded 2009 Stockholm Water Prize
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh Sanitation Movement in India, has been named the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate. As the Founder of the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, Dr. Pathak is known around the world for his wide ranging work in the sanitation field to improve public health, advance social progress, and improve human rights in India and other countries. His accomplishments span the fields of sanitation technology, social enterprise, and healthcare education for millions of people in his native country, serving as a model for NGO agencies and public health initiatives around the world. Since he established the Sulabh Sanitation Movement in 1970, Dr. Pathak has worked to change social attitudes toward traditional unsanitary latrine practices in slums, rural villages, and dense urban districts, and developed cost effective toilet systems that have improved daily life and health for millions of people. He has also waged an ongoing campaign to abolish the traditional practice of manual “scavenging” of human waste from bucket latrines in India while championing the rights of former scavengers and their families to economic opportunity, decent standards of living, and social dignity. “The results of Dr. Pathak’s endeavors constitute one of the most amazing examples of how one person can impact the well being of millions,” noted the Stockholm Water Prize nominating committee in its citation. “Dr. Pathak’s leadership in attaining these remarkable socio-environmental results has been universally recognized, and not least by those who have secured the freedom of human dignity as a consequence of his efforts.” Dr. Pathak will formally receive the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize at an Award Ceremony at an Award Ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall during the World Water Week in Stockholm this coming August.
City-regions : emerging lessons from England
The emergence of city-regions in England offers some useful lessons for the World Bank partners in developing countries. The city-region approach, as applied in England touches upon issues of decentralization, intergovernmental fiscal relations, governance, and the need to realign outdated administrative arrangements with a metropolitan area's economic footprint, among other highly relevant topics for rapidly urbanizing cities in developing countries. As a concept, city-regions are designed to promote cross-boundary collaboration across large urban areas. They aim to facilitate horizontal and vertical co-ordination between multiple jurisdictions. They advance the concept of an appropriate spatial scale for economic development functions such as transport, housing and training.
Cross-border conurbations discuss the means to strengthen their “internal governance”
More than 100 participants met in Chaves, Portugal, on 12 March 2009 for the first thematic seminar of the "EGTC" URBACT project, organized by one of the six partner conurbations2 of the project: Eurocidade Chaves-Verín. Welcomed by the mayor of Chaves, João Gonçalves Batista, and the mayor of Verín, Juan Manuel Jimenez, the participants discussed the means of strengthening the internal governance of cross-border conurbations. Other public figures present included the Portuguese secretary of state for regional development, Rui Nuno Baleiras, the President of the Diputación de Ourense, José Luis Baltar, and elected representatives of the Frankfurt (Oder)/Slubice cross-border conurbation. http://urbact.eu/egtc
Local authorities most trusted level of government, shows survey
A new Eurobarometer poll shows that EU citizens trust their local and regional authorities above all other bodies, believing that they have a role to play in increasing understanding and trust in the Union. Published in February, the poll finds that a considerably higher proportion of total respondents (50%) trust their local authority above their government (34%) or the EU (47%). The figure is as high as 70% in Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Most important for the EU, 59% of Europeans would like their regional and local authorities to be better taken into account in the EU’s policy-making process.
Referring to the survey results, EU Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, Margot Wallström argues that regional and local bodies ‘are well placed to do the job’: “You address them through familiar regional and local channels and you can explain in simple language the way EU policies affect daily life in the regional and local community”. Wallström frequently comments on the importance of informing citizens about how the EU affects their lives, and has asked that regional and local authorities help boost turnout at this year's European elections. The European elections will take place on 4-7 June 2009.
Local and regional governments are best placed to help relaunch Europe's economy!
Local and regional governments are best placed to help relaunch Europe's faltering economy! That was the message from this week's meeting of the Executive Bureau of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) in Athens (24th March), set out in a short communiqué on the impact of the crisis on Europe's local and regional authorities.
“Our citizens first look to their local government for help when they are in trouble during tough economic times” said Mayor of Vienna and President of CEMR, Michael Häupl. “The pressures on us increase at such times, yet our financial resources are reduced by lower tax income, and cuts in financial grants and transfers from governments. We need both the EU and the national governments to understand this problem better and to support the role of local and regional governments. http://www.ccre.org/communiques_de_presse_detail_en.htm?ID=267
The impact of the economic crisis on tackling homelessness at local level
Committee of the Regions, Brussels - Thursday 28 May 2009
FEANTSA, the European Federation of national organisations working with homeless people, and the Committee of the Regions are organising a European seminar on “The impact of the economic crisis on tackling homelessness at local level”.
The theme of the seminar will be about bridging the gap between EU ambitions on homelessness and local realities, with a focus on the impact of the economic crisis on tackling homelessness at local level: impact on profiles of homelessness, impact on budgets, impact on strategies. This seminar will bring together 80-100 participants from across Europe, and namely local practitioners working on homelessness who wish to gather information and benefit from transnational exchanges on this theme.
Speakers at the seminar will include representatives from the EU institutions (the Committee of the Regions, the European Commission) and from the local level (local councils, homeless service providers, researchers) who will provide concrete examples of the impact of the crisis on their work and how they have adapted to this situation.
For information, programme, registration, please consult the Seminar webpage.
For registration, please contact Ruth Owen from the FEANTSA secretariat.
Tel: 02 538 6669 or Fax: 02 539 4174 or E-mail: ruth.owen@feantsa.org
Deadline for registrations: 20 April 2009
Local and Regional Governments concerned by the Ministerial Declaration
Local and regional authorities expressed their dissatisfaction and concern at the lack of formal recognition for the local level of government and the principle of subsidiarity in the draft Ministerial declaration of the 5th World Water Forum, distributed today during the high level dialogue between Ministers, Parliamentarians and Local Authorities.
Local and regional governments demand an amendment to this draft declaration which constitutes a significant retreat in comparison to the Mexico Declaration. In the earlier declaration ministers expressly recognized the “important role played by (…) local authorities (…) in developing access to water and sanitation services”.
They strongly regret that no reference was made to the process developed by the local and regional authorities ending in the adoption, on the 19th of March, before 250 mayors and local representatives of cities and regions, of the Istanbul Water Consensus. This Pact is above all a call to action which commits local and regional governments to create local plans on concrete objectives to improve the management of water and sanitation. The Istanbul Water Consensus equally reaffirms that access to clean water and sanitation is a basic right for all human beings.
City networks & renewable energy industry request the re-inclusion of Smart Energy Cities in the EU Recovery Plan
Reintegrating an envelope of at least € 500 million for energy projects in cities will allow for short-term economic stimulus and widespread job creation in all 27 EU Member States Brussels.
City networks and the renewable energy industry request the re-inclusion of Smart Energy Cities in the European Economic Plan for Recovery (EEPR). In order to achieve short-term economic stimulus and widespread job creation, they ask for some adjustments of the Commission proposal to set the foundation for sustainable long-term recovery. On 28 January 2009, as part of this overall plan, the Commission proposed a € 5 billion investment package designed to stimulate the EU’s economy in the current recession. A substantial element of this proposal is dedicated to energy related projects.
Gérard Magnin, Executive Director of ENERGIE-CITES states: “We call upon the EU Heads of States meeting in Brussels on 19/20 March 2009 to re-include an envelope of at least € 500 million for smart energy cities into the EEPR as was already foreseen by the Commission’s services but which disappeared in the last moment. This would be a strong signal to Europe’s citizens confirming the Member States’ commitment to the agreed 3 x 20% EU sustainable energy policy goals”. Christine Lins, Secretary General of EREC underlines that “cities can deliver sustainable development that will lead to both short term stimulation and longer term restructuring of the EU’s economy. By re-integrating the budget initially foreseen foreseen for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in cities as well as concrete market stimulation measures for energy smart buildings, Europe’s Heads of States can demonstrate that they are serious in reaching the 2020 policy objectives. Furthermore, such an initiative will provide a true sustainable market stimulus of Europe’s economy in all 27 EU Member States, benefitting substantially SMEs working in this sector and at the same time unburdening many citizens from increasing and volatile energy prices.” http://www.energie-cites.eu/City-networks-EREC-request-the-re
Biofuel Cities European Partnership at the World Biofuels Markets Conference
The Biofuel Cities European Partnership ran a vibrant session at the World Biofuel Markets Conference in Brussels. The session focused on the adoption of biofuels on a local and regional scale, bringing together the objectives of the Biofuel Cities European Partnership and the increasing demand for up to date information about the use of biofuels in local fleets.
Representatives of several stakeholder groups attended the session which was moderated by Eric Van den Heuvel, initiator of the project and Senior Consultant at Ecofys International. The presentations were based on two recent publications by Biofuel Cities; the Policy Handbook and the Procurement Guide. The value of these publications was demonstrated by linking them to practical examples in presentations from the City of Stockholm and Graz (BDI).
"Think Global Act Local" was the key message delivered in the presentations and discussions about the Policy Handbook and policy measures. Organisations and local governments were encouraged to learn from cities like Stockholm and Graz and take a proactive role in starting projects in their cities or fields of operation.
The session also tackled problems facing the cities taking steps towards using biofuels. When dealing with the lack of suitable vehicles for biofuels, (joint) procurement proved to be the solution. The Ökodrive project in Graz has shown that by joining forces, larger quantities of vehicles can be ordered, making it more attractive for vehicle suppliers to bring their cars, buses and trucks to the respective local markets. By ordering a large quantity of biodiesel buses, Graz was able to encourage suppliers to meet their requirements.
Become the European Youth Capital 2011!
The European Youth Forum has launched a call for application “European Youth Capital 2011” open to local government in Member States of the EU and of the Council of Europe.
The EYC title aims to create a dynamic where the cities elected serve as a model for the development of other European municipalities. It aims to encourage youth participation through new ideas and innovative projects. Over this period, the laureate city will showcase its youth-related cultural, social, political and economic life and development.
The jury is composed of representatives from EU institutions, civil society organisations, the European Youth Forum, and the previously awarded city. Rotterdam is currently the capital. Turin has been elected for the year 2010.
The call for application is also open to grouping of municipalities such as metropolitan areas. The deadline for applications is set on 14 April 2009. For further information on the title and the selection criteria, please consult the call for applications. http://www.ccre.org/docs/call_for_european_youth_capital_2011.pdf
Japan to fund UN-HABITAT Myanmar rehabilitation
The Government of Japan will fund a UN-HABITAT project to assist victims of the cyclone Nargis disaster in Myanmar, to the tune of USD4 million.
The Community Water Supply and Sanitation Recovery Project aims to improve the health of families in the Delta who were affected by the Cyclone Nargis in May 2008, by providing access to safe water and sanitation facilities, while raising awareness of hygiene and health related issues.
The project also supports the objectives of the post-Nargis Recovery and Reconstruction Plan.
Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar on 2 and 3 May 2008, making landfall in the Ayeyarwady Division and directly hitting the capital Yangon, causing the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of Myanmar. The cyclone caused catastrophic destruction and at least 146,000 people died, with thousands more still missing.
Some 40 townships in Yangon Division and seven townships in Ayeyarwady Division, with an estimated population of 2.5 million were designated as disaster areas. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6368&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
Cities of Migration Webinar
Routes to Belonging: A Discussion on the Role of Cities in the Civic and Political Integration of Immigrants
Join us for this online discussion on the way cities are accelerating the civic and political participation of immigrants. Our focus will be on Dublin’s recent immigrant voting campaign and New Haven’s ID card for non citizens, the first of its kind in the USA.
This 60-minute interactive seminar will be introduced by Howard Duncan, Executive Head, International Metropolis Project, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and hosted by Ratna Omidvar, President, Maytree.
Participants include:
Cormac O’Donnell, Strategic Policy Manager, Intercultural Unit Dublin City Council (Ireland)
Kica Matos, Community Services Administrator City of New Haven, Connecticut (USA)
The Cities of Migration Integration Learning Exchange is a monthly webinar series presenting good ideas and new thinking on the integration of urban migrants in global cities.
For more information, visit www.citiesofmigration.ca/integration-learning-exchange/calendar or contact us at citiesofmigration@maytree.com
European Council 19-20 March: no sustainable development without local and regional government !
The conclusions of the forthcoming European Council must include explicit reference to the role of local and regional authorities in the efforts to tackle climate change. Besides, their role must be taken into account in the EU position on the new international agreement that should be adopted in Copenhagen. This is what the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and four other associations of local and regional authorities* ask in a letter to the heads of states and government of the EU.
The European institutions seem to ignore so far the role of towns and regions. That role is not mentioned in the European Commission's communication « Towards a comprehensive climate change agreement in Copenhagen », neither in the conclusions of the 2 March 2009 Environment Council, nor in the 11 March 2009 European Parliament's resolution.
However, their expertise and proximity to citizens gives towns and regions a crucial role in the implementation of sustainable development. That vital role was acknowledged by the United Nations at the Earth Summit in Rio, in 1992.
Their importance has also been recognised in Europe, whether in the draft directive on the promotion of renewable energies or in the European Parliament recommendations on the future EU policy on climate change. http://www.ccre.org/communiques_de_presse_detail_en.htm?ID=265
2009 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate Announcement March 25
The 2009 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate will be announced next Wednesday, March 25, 2009. The announcement will be made at the annual World Water Day seminar in Stockholm arranged by SIWI, the Swedish Water House and co-convenors. Information on the 2009 Laureate will be posted on www.siwi.org immediately following the announcement.
Oslo to host cities climate change conference
A Conference focusing exclusively on climate change and local governments will take place on March 17.
Titled “Cities and Climate Change”, the first of a kind meeting will officially launch UN-HABITAT’s “Cities in Climate Change Initiative” (CCCI) focusing on mitigation and adaption to climate change impacts on human settlements within the framework of urban governance, decentralisation, strengthening local authorities and environmental planning and management.
The main results of the deliberations will be submitted as part of the inputs to the Copenhagen Climate summit in December 2009.
http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6352&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
Submissions of Papers and Articles - The International Journal of Culture and Urban Development
The International Journal of Culture and Urban Development is the Journal that supports good practice in the field of culture and urban and development. Submissions to the Journal are welcomed from individuals, group or organisation involved in the development and implementation of culture and urban development strategies and programmes. Submissions to the Journal should be informative and can be either papers based upon academic research or articles and papers from practice. Anyone wishing to submit a paper in the first instance should send a 300 word synopsis to the Journal Editorial Team at cultureworksjournal@googlemail.com
ICLEI World Congress 2009 Connecting Leaders for Local Action Now! 14-18 June, Edmonton, Canada
Share with and learn from the most advanced cities and minds in the field of sustainability!
In Edmonton, Canada, from 14 to 18 June local government policy makers, city planners and mayors will meet with experts from business, academia and NGOs to exchange, learn and discuss the challenging developments that local governments will face in the future. Hundreds of participants from around the world will contribute to finding locally suitable solutions to rapidly move forward and accelerate local action for sustainability. Radical approaches are now needed, if we want to avoid the high costs of non-action!
There are challenging developments ahead for local governments that will pose changing parameters for urban policy-making, planning and management in all areas of sustainability. Together, we can move beyond the mainstream and learn how to accelerate local governments- by finding solutions tailored to the realities and challenges that local governments face world-wide.
The programme will also showcase leading and visionary examples in sustainable development. Cities will share activities over the past years, evaluate progress, transfer information and exchange ideas. Major projects, relevant themes and joint initiatives will be highlighted. It will be a dynamic platform with reports, debates, mobile workshops, celebrations, and an exhibition. This is THE chance be part of a global group of cities that map out the path towards a sustainable future!
Local governments, organisations and representatives of the media interested in participating in this event are encouraged to register and learn more about the congress at: www.iclei.org/worldcongress2009
Last chance to register for EcoProcura 09
Don't miss your chance to meet and engage with the Sustainable Procurement society - procurers, experts, businesses and policy makers
from all over the world at the EcoProcura 2009 Conference, taking place in Reykjavik, Iceland, on 25-27 March 2009.
Participants will learn about key procurement tools to address climate change and will be given valuable networking opportunities through a
rich programme designed to maximise face-to-face contact and exchange including: training sessions offering hands-on support on numerous topics such as an introduction to life-cycle costing in procurement - a market lounge providing space to take forward contacts and
conversations in one-to-one meetings between experts and decision-makers - study tours to some of Iceland´s most advanced clean energy sites
To register online and for details on the programme visit www.iclei.org/ecoprocura2009
International conference on “Migrants demand for the city”
The UNESCO-Venice IUAV University Chair on “Social and Spatial Inclusion of Migrants: Urban Policies and Practices” will organize, with the support of UNESCO, an international conference on “Migrants demand for the city”, to be held in Venice (Italy) on 19 and 20 March 2009. This meeting seeks to provide a forum for the analysis of processes and interactions between migration and urbanization and to identify the requisite parameters for the development of more inclusive urban policies.
For two days, the conference will convene experts from universities of South Africa, India, Italy and Turkey, members of research centres from Italy, Morocco, Mexico and Pakistan, as well as representatives from international organizations and local Italian policy-makers.
Through the exchange of scientific results and practical experience, the conference should, in particular, identify the parameters for the formulation and implementation of inclusive urban policies.
Following this meeting, an international scientific committee will also be established in order to regularly evaluate the joint project between UNESCO and UN-Habitat which focuses on the spatial and social integration of international migrants in the city. The conference will also bring together scientific experts who should help to produce a brochure for local authorities, a guide for professionals and employers, and a compendium of best practices in this domain. http://www.unesco.org/shs/fr/urban
Taipei City Exchanges
International interactions have expanded from traditional country-to-country to city-to-city interactions in the trend of globalization. In recent years, Taipei City has been striving to promote city exchanges. Through concrete, multidimensional interactions, it is hoped that friendly partnerships of mutual trust and understanding can be established with major cities around the world, so that Taipei can become a world-class capital and an international metropolis full of diversity and liveliness. http://www.taipei.gov.tw/site/429a785f/429a7949/42f854a0/472a86aa/472e92a9/files/2006e_17.pdf
Prague Summit: "No way out of the crisis without local and regional government"
The financial crisis and the cohesion policy were at the heart of the Summit of Cities and regions organised by the Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 5 and 6 March 2009 in Prague. Around 500 local and regional representatives attended the event.
CoR president Luc Van den Brande opened the summit stating that centralisation is not the basis for a dynamic and effective Europe. No recovery plan will ever be implemented properly without the timely involvement of the regions and cities.
The president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso replied that the message was heard loud and clear: The European Council unanimously called against individual measures taken by Member States. José Manuel Barroso adde that the European Commission will provide €11.2 billion to Member States, their towns and regions, to help tackle the crisis.
European Commissioner in charge of regional policy Danuta Hübner presented the outcome of the consultation on the Green paper on territorial cohesion. CEMR president Michael Häupl stressed the importance of cooperation between towns and between regions: Networks such as CEMR are broader and more flexible than EU institutions; therefore they enable local and regional governments to meet, to exchange experience and to set up joint projects to solve the current crisis.
Delegates adopted the Prague declaration signed up to by the main European local and regional associations, including CEMR. The declaration stresses the need to involve all levels of government to solve the crisis, and calls on Member States to take a clear stance against national protectionism.
Launch of the Local Government Climate Change Adaptation Toolkit
The launch of the Local Government Climate Change Adaptation Toolkit is a world-first in adaptive responses to climate change. Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle launched the Toolkit at the 'Adaptation to Climate Change Forum' organised by ICLEI Oceania and hosted by the City of Melbourne on Wednesday 4 March 2009. Download the Toolkit from the Local Government Climate Change Adaptation Toolkit webpage. http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=adaptation-toolkit
Danuta Hübner: "EU Commission to invest € 105 billion in green economy"
European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hübner, announced that €105 billion will be invested in the "green economy" through the EU Cohesion Policy, for the 2007-2013 period.
In a press release from 9.March, Commissioner Hübner explained that this investment to green projects and jobs is almost three times greater than the sum allocated in the 2000-2006 budgetary period. In a difficult financial climate, this investment will be instrumental in creating long-term employment and reviving local economies, as well as underpinning the EU's commitment to the fight against climate change.
A large part of the envelope, €54 billion, is designed to help Member States to comply with EU environmental legislation. Improvement of water and waste management alone accounts for €28 billion of the total.
Women from around the world gather in Monrovia
Over 800 women leaders from all over the world gathered in Monrovia, Liberia at the weekend to ensure that gender concerns remain high on the international agenda.
Organized to coincide with the International Women's Day commemorated on March 8, the International Colloquium for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security in Monrovia was spearheaded by Africa’s first female President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6320&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
New survey on the role and influence of local and regional authorities within the EU
59% of Europeans feel that local and regional authorities are not sufficiently taken into account in EU policy-making. This is one of the main findings of the Eurobarometer survey on local government, published in February 2009.
According to the survey, while only one third of Europeans tend to trust their country's government (34%), half of the citizens trust their local and regional authorities (50%). The survey also shows that 38% of Europeans believe that the public authorities at regional or local level have the most impact on their living conditions.
Only 4% of respondents feel very familiar with the Committee of the Regions (CoR), whereas 20% are not really familiar with it. Over half of the respondents indicate that they do not know the role of the CoR (52%) and a further 18% spontaneously indicated that they had never heard of the CoR prior to the survey.
Local Governments are mobilizing for the Government Climate Change Leadership Summit
At the invitation of the City of Nantes, local and regional governments and their networks have gathered in France on 23-24 February 2009 in occasion of the 2nd Local Government Climate Roadmap Symposium.
After the meetings in Poznan (Poland) taking place last December, this symposium aimed to coordinate local governments networks active on climate change.
Next event, the Local Government Climate Change Leadership Summit, on 2-4 June 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, will be crucial as local governments have to develop a shared position and send a united message to the COP-15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held also in Copenhagen in December 2009, where a Post-Kyoto agreement will be reached. http://www.kl.dk/localclimatesummit
Demonstrate leadership: sign-up to the Istanbul Water Consensus
Barcelona, Entebbe, Thessaloniki, Noukachott, Guayaquil – the list of cities eager to show commitment to more sustainable water management has been growing steadily.
As part of the local government process surrounding the Fifth World Water Forum, Istanbul’s Mayor Kadir Topbaş has initiated the Istanbul Water Consensus at the beginning of 2008. After several months of wide consultation, the final draft of the Consensus was recently agreed by an international Task Force of local and regional authority officials. The Consensus is now ready for the global campaign encouraging cities, towns and regions across the world to sign up for its commitments http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=9405
UN-HABITAT and European Union team up in Central African Republic
UN-HABITAT and the European Union have launched a new infrastructure development project in the Central African Republic as part of a programme aimed at strengthening the capacities of local authorities, the agency announced on Thursday.
The one-year project, funded to the tune of USD 1 million, is aimed at reigniting sustainable local economic development in 10 cities to improve housing deficiencies, the environment, infrastructure, basic social services and security in the local authorities.
International Women's Day: "Still far from equality!"
The Chair of the Committee of women elected representatives of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, Jocelyne Bougeard, calls on European local and regional governments to commit themselves to equality.of woman and men in their local/regional area.
In her message to local and regional government, Jocelyne Bougeard said: on 8th March we will celebrate the International Women's Day. Equality of women and men constitutes a fundamental right for all, and an inalienable value founding every democracy. But despite numerous instances of formal recognition and progress made, equality of women and men in daily life is still not a reality. I call on European local and regional political leaders to contribute in making gender equality a priority of the political agenda at local/regional level. http://www.ccre.org/docs/appel_journee_femme_bougeard_en.pdf
Mayors of African capital cities conclude watershed meeting in Nairobi
Mayors from 31 African countries concluded a landmark two-day meeting in Nairobi on Friday 27 February, vowing to enhance their efforts to develop climate change adaptation and mitigation plans for African cities.
The mayors from 33 capital and major cities issued the Nairobi Declaration, in which they resolved to integrate these plans in city development strategies.
The mayors had converged in Nairobi at the conference organised by the UN-HABITAT to address challenges facing capital and major cities in Africa, and discuss the regional and global roles of mayors.
The meeting was opened by the Kenyan minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development, Mr Mutula Kilonzo, and attended by Ms. Grace Ekpiwhre, Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in the Federal Government of Nigeria who is also the Chair of the African Ministerial Conference of Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD), and Ms. Elizabeth Gateau, the Secretary General of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
The mayors tackled climate change adaptation and mitigation; capital cities and finances, and enhancing the role of representatives of local authorities in the UN system. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6273&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
Canada's Sustainable Cities 2009
Corporate Knights Magazine has issued its 2009 Sustainable Cities Report, the third annual report detailing which Canadian cities have the smallest environmental footprint.
For the past three years, Corporate Knights -- a magazine based out of Toronto -- has rated Canadian cities on their sustainability, which it defines as communities with ''a viable economy fueled by a healthy population and leaves the smallest environmental footprint possible.''
The rankings are based on an average score from five categories: social well-being, governance and empowerment, infrastructure and the built environment, economic security and ecological integrity.
Sustainable cities are created by good government policies and programs, and by the actions taken by those who work and live in those cities,'' said Peter Johnson, director with the sustainable business solutions practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. ''The indicators selected are intended to provide a snapshot into how cities are evolving.'
Resource: http://static.corporateknights.ca/SustainableCities2009.pdf
The New Global Frontier: Urbanization, poverty and environment in the 21st Century
'The world’s developing countries will be experiencing massive increases in their urban populations over the 21st century. If managed intelligently and humanely, this growth can pave the way to sustainable development; otherwise, it will favour higher levels of poverty and environmental stress. The outcome depends on decisions being made now.' http://www.earthscan.co.uk/?tabid=4379
Climate change and cities
'Urban centres contain a large proportion of the people most at risk from the effects of climate change. Urban dwellers face the threat of damage to their livelihoods, property, quality of environment and future prosperity: they suffer increasing risks from storms, flooding, landslides, drought and overloading of water, drainage and energy supply systems.
Little attention has so far been paid to adaptation in urban areas. Although low- and middle-income nations are often perceived as predominantly rural, they now contain most of the world's urban population and most of its largest cities. Even Africa, long considered a rural continent, has two-fifths of its population in urban areas and a larger urban population than North America.
This issue of id21 insights looks at the risks and challenges faced in cities around the world due to climate change, and highlights practices and policies that could help them to adapt.' http://www.id21.org/insights/insights71/art00.html
CEMR supports Commission's proposal to earmark additional €1 billion in broadband
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) calls on the European Parliament and the Council to adopt the Commission's proposal to make a further € 1 billion available to spread high-speed Internet access more.widely across all regions of Europe, including rural areas.
In its Communication on “better access for rural areas to modern ICT”, adopted on 3 March 2009, the Commission underlines that an additional funding of €1 billion would allow rural areas to specifically address some of the problems they are confronted with as a consequence of the economic and financial crisis. http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1555
Ecological Footprint’s Co-Creator to give keynote at World Congress
Mathis Wackernagel, Executive Director of the Global Footprint Network, will give a keynote at upcoming ICLEI World Congress from 14 - 18 June 2009.
His presentation is titled: “Peak Everything – Let’s Face it All”. Wackernagel will look at scenarios of what future local communities may be facing and provide a proposal for an approach to global-local sustainability “, He will speak during a plenary session on ‘Global Scenarios: Challenges ahead for Cities’ on 17 June 2009.
MEPs and EUROCITIES press Commission to publish urban mobility plan
EUROCITIES, MEP Gilles Savary, and the Parliament Intergroup on Urban Housing have joined forces to expedite the publication of the European Commission’s Action Plan on Urban Mobility, which was due for release in mid-December.
At the EUROCITIES-MEP joint panel discussion on 4 March, Mr Savary, the Rapporteur on the Parliament’s Action Plan on Urban Mobility leading political action on this front, said:
“The past consultation and work on the EU Action Plan on Urban Mobility should not fall by the wayside with the European Parliament elections and the subsequent change of Commission. We hope the European Parliament report will strongly influence the hearing and appointment of the new transport commissioner.” http://www.eurocities.eu/include/lib/sql_news_card.php?id=1474
Mayor Villaraigosa and President Clinton Light The Way To A Greener LA
Green street light program – the largest environmentally friendly LED lights project ever undertaken by a city, will reduce CO2 emissions by 40,500 tons and save the City of Los Angeles $10 million annually.
Los Angeles – In a partnership between the Clinton Climate Initiative and the City of Los Angeles, President Bill Clinton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today announced the largest LED (light-emitting diode) green street light program ever undertaken by a city, which will reduce CO2 emissions by 40,500 tons and save $10 million annually. http://www.c40cities.org/news/news-20090216.jsp
Webinar: Routes to Belonging March 24, 2009.
Routes to Belonging: The Role of Cities in the Civic and Political Integration of Newcomers. The first of our online seminars looks at successful municipal strategies for immigrant integration from Stuttgart, Dublin and New Haven.
Each of these cities is featured in our Good Ideas in Integration collection for their groundbreaking work: Stuttgart for the early leadership it provided with its "Pact for Integration," Dublin for its recent immigrant voting campaign, and New Haven for its brave "Elm City ID" card for non-citizens, the first of its kind in the USA. http://www.citiesofmigration.ca/
The Second Knowledge Cities Summit
Since the early 1990’s, acquisition of knowledge asset and its effective management has been generally recognized by policy makers and researchers to be the key source of innovation and drivers for competitive advantage for firms, organizations, cities and regions, and has received high attentions from governments worldwide. To maximize knowledge socializations amongst participants, the first Knowledge Cities Summit was taken place in Monterrey, Mexico from 17 to 20 October 2007 and attracted about 500 participants from all over the world. The world premiere of this international conference features several conversation formats aiming at facilitating knowledge exchange and socialization amongst participants. Organized by the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, World Capital Institute and the New Club of Paris, the Second Knowledge Cities Summit will be held in 2009 to continue promoting global knowledge exchange and socialization. The Knowledge Management Research Centre of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Shenzhen Graduate School of the Harbin Institute of Technology and the Shenzhen Academy of Social Sciences will host the Summit in 2009 at Shenzhen. The 2009 Most Admired Knowledge City (MAKCI) Award will also be announced and conferred at the Summit meeting. http://kcsummit2009.com/index.html
The economic and financial crisis at the core of CEMR general assembly
The issue of how the economic and financial crisis affects local and regional government will feature high on the agenda of the general assembly of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), in Malmö, 22-24 April 2009. The decision was taken at the meeting of secretaries general of CEMR's members, in Prague, on 19-20 February 2009.
Recently, CEMR asked its members to compile a report, country per country, on how the current crisis affects their own members: towns, cities and regions of Europe, says CEMR secretary general Jeremy Smith. The contributions that we received showed that many local and regional authorities are faced to a greater extent than was thought with increasing problems, including small and medium enterprises closing down, rising unemployment rate and budgetary difficulties. http://www.ccre.org/communiques_de_presse_detail_en.htm?ID=262
Wise Land Development Sustains Nature
A new book by scientist Rebecca Kihslinger and environmental lawyer James McElfish, shows that American communities have ways to protect the regional environment.
Land development decisions present the most significant threats to wildlife and functioning ecological systems in the U.S. But there is often a mismatch between the scale at which land development decisions are made and the scale at which conservation must be addressed in order to succeed.
This unique book, Nature-Friendly Land Use Practices at Multiple Scales, is organized around eight detailed case studies of private land developers, local governments, and public agencies that have worked across jurisdictional and ecological boundaries to effectively address habitat conservation. The book includes two essays by leading conservation biologists who link planning at scale with sound land use decisions. http://www.islandpress.org/bookstore/details.php?prod_id=1079
European Director of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability congratulates winners of the European Green Capital Award
Freiburg, February 23, 2009 - Stockholm and Hamburg have been crowned the first Green Capital Cities of Europe. Stockholm will hold the title for 2010 and will then pass it on to Hamburg for 2011. European Environment Commissioner, Stavros Dimas made the announcement at the first European Green Capital Awards Ceremony on 23 February in Brussels.
Eight cities were shortlisted: Amsterdam, Bristol, Copenhagen, Freiburg im Breisgau, Hamburg, Münster, Oslo and Stockholm. These cities have a long standing, international recognised, environmental track record, also within ICLEI´s global membership.
The evaluation panel was made up of a group of internationally recognised experts in the environmental field, while the jury, which finally selected the winners, included representatives the European Commission, the European Environment Agency, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E), the Union of Capitals of the European Union and the Committee
of the Regions. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital
"Territorial cohesion": an added value for local and regional government
The concept of "territorial cohesion" can help strengthen the EU cohesion policy and adapt it to local needs: this is one of the key messages of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) in its.response to the Green Paper on territorial cohesion.
CEMR believes that the added value of territorial cohesion lies in its bottom-up approach: the starting point of any legislation that has an impact at the local level should be the local needs (the territory concerned), sectoral policies (transport, environment, energy...) are taken into consideration and all stakeholders, including local government, are involved. http://www.ccre.org/docs/cemr_response_territorial_cohesion.pdf
Atlanta, GA Declares Itself a 'Zero Waste Zone'
The Zero Waste Zone was announced at the beginning of February through a partnership between local restaurants and the convention center that will divert tons of garbage, food scraps and used cooking oil from landfills.
Phase One: Composting
The participants will begin composting leftover food and sending spent grease for conversion to biofuel. The Georgia World Congress Center, Hyatt Regency, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and more than a half-dozen other businesses are participating in the initiative’s first phase, which focuses on the downtown area. The project was created by the Green Foodservice Alliance and Atlanta Recycles, which are working in conjunction with the EPA's Region 4 and the Dept. of Natural Resources’ Pollution Prevention Assistance Division.
Composting leftover food from the Georgia World Congress Center and the Georgia Dome will prevent about 34 tons of waste from hitting landfills and produce more than 20 tons of compost each month.
Next Phases
In the project's second phase, Atlanta Recycles and the Green Foodservice Alliance will expand the program to other businesses in the convention district before spreading to other areas of the city in the third phase, such as Midtown or Buckhead. The Zero Waste Zone will expand beyond the city in the fourth phase.
The group claims the Zero Waste Zone is the Southeast’s first, and one of the first in the nation.
Former US President Bill Clinton meets Mrs. Tibaijuka
Former US President Bill Clinton and UN-HABITAT Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka met recently at a high profile event organised by the Clinton Global Initiative – University.
Mr. Clinton and Mrs. Tibaijuka discussed the need to work with cities in the developing world to harness the potential of rapid urban growth, and the United Nations Global Campaign for Sustainable Urbanization when they met at the second meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative – University held in Austin, Texas on February 14.
Mr. Clinton convened over 3,000 participants, including university presidents, students, activists and policy makers to mobilize their commitments to solve some the world’s most pressing challenges.
The university prioritized five themes: education, energy and climate change, global health, peace and human rights, and poverty alleviation. Participants emphasized the need to harness the energy and talent of young people to tackle these issues in the 21st century. http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6241&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0
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