Local authorities and representatives of government met in ICLEI member city Montpellier (France) from 17-19 January to implement the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 in the Mediterranean region. Eighteen countries from the Mediterranean region, including representatives of 15 cities, as well as three mayors, gathered at the first subregional workshop on capacity-building on strategies and action plans for biodiversity for the region as a whole. Participants explored the complementary roles of strategies and action plans, subnational and local implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Strategic Plan.

Montpellier was the ideal host, having recently won French Capital of Biodiversity 2011 and European Capital of Biodiversity. The city’s mayor Hélène Mandroux says, “The City of Montpellier feels compelled to offer its example given its model urban development, with an emphasis on the human aspect, and its remarkable history. We want to be a catalyst for the creation of a possible network of cities in the Mediterranean.”

The meeting provided a unique opportunity to peer-review the draft outlines of the first Global Outlook on Cities and Biodiversity to be presented to the Rio+20 Summit in June 2012 and submitted to the Hyderabad Biodiversity Summit in October. ICLEI Europe encourages all cities in the Mediterranean region to get involved in the initiative and is available to support them in their endeavours. The workshop was co-organised by the City of Montpellier, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and ICLEI with the support of the Japan Fund for Biodiversity.

For more information, click here.

ICLEI member Budapest is well on its way to revitalising its historic city centre with the construction of a 1.7 km traffic-calm axis. The development took place in the context of the Heart of Budapest project, which was adopted in 2007 and aims at the comprehensive renewal of most public spaces at the core of the Hungarian capital.

In recent years, the centre of Budapest has lost some of its charm due to the significant increase in private vehicle use, with approximately 8,000 cars per hour being recorded at peak times. The Heart of Budapest encouraged citizens to get on board, with information tents set up to inform and consult local residents and business owners. Restrictions on traffic in the centre followed, with large spaces dedicated to pedestrians and sustainable transport modes.

So far, the results of the programme have been astounding. Central public spaces have become bustling and attractive areas for locals and tourists alike, boasting parks, fountains and even tactile maps for the visually impaired. Many previously vacant retail units have been replaced by high-quality, service oriented establishments, and several run-down historic buildings have been refurbished.

For more information, click here.

Now in its third year, the Resilient Cities series has cemented its position as a milestone event in the field of urban resilience and climate adaptation. With over 500 participants expected from diverse geographical and professional backgrounds, Resilient Cities 2012, the third Global Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation, is an unmissable event.

Gathering in Bonn (Germany) from 12-15 May 2012, participants will have the opportunity to interact with international experts and learn about groundbreaking topics that cover the public and private sectors, as well as relevant fields of expertise. The special mayors sessions, where elected local-decision makers will gather and take a political lead in the field of climate change adaptation is one guaranteed highlight.

In addition, “Financing the Resilient City”, one of the event's main themes, represents a huge breakthrough towards more sustainable resources for local governments. There will also be a focus on ensuring participants pick up practical ideas, in particular from the Resilient Cities case studies, such as the Reality Check Workshops where selected cities can showcase their adaptation projects and receive critical feedback from the audience. Registration opens at the end of January 2012.

For more information, click here.

The local level is taking its place at the heart of preparations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) taking place in Rio De Janeiro from 20-22 June 2012, with ICLEI playing a crucial role in connecting cities to proceedings. The UN has produced a Zero Draft of the Rio+20 conference outcome entitled “The Future We Want”, based on contributions by key stakeholders and prominently featuring elements of ICLEI’s submission which addressed issues such as urbanisation, climate change and biodiversity loss.

Paragraph 72 of the document puts the spotlight on local strategies for sustainable development stating, “We promote an integrated and holistic approach to planning and building sustainable cities through support to local authorities, efficient transportation and communication networks, greener buildings and an efficient human settlements and service delivery system, improved air and water quality, reduced waste, improved disaster preparedness and response and increased climate resilience”

From ICLEI’s perspective, the draft successfully addresses issues relevant to its work and the role of cities. In addition, in terms of the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development, the draft acknowledges the urgent need to empower local governments to work more closely with national governments. Finally, under Sustainable Development Goals, due to take over from the Millennium Development Goals in 2015, sustainable cities are mentioned as a priority area.

For more information, click here.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) Initiative is holding a conference in Leipzig (Germany) from 19 to 22 March 2012 entitled, Mainstreaming the Economics of Nature: Challenges for Science and Implementation. A major international initiative, TEEB aims to draw attention to the global economic benefits of biodiversity, highlight the growing costs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, and draw together expertise from the fields of science, economics and policy.

Issued in 2010, the TEEB reports explored the link between economics, biodiversity and ecosystem services, providing guidance for decisions at the international, national and local levels. A considerable number of local, regional and national initiatives followed, developing the study’s approach further, and adapting it to local conditions and new challenges.

Two years on, the Leipzig TEEB Conference 2012 will take stock of these developments, catalyse the still growing interest in the topic and strengthen the link between policy and research. TEEB is inviting the research and policy community to discuss topics such as environmental valuation, ecosystem services and science-policy processes. Conference participants will have the possibility to discuss the findings of the TEEB study and contribute their own experience to reach a new understanding of the link between economics, decision-making and the environment.

For more information, click here.

The innovative approach to green issues adopted by ICLEI member Münster (Germany) has been singled out yet again. The city, which was previously named Most Liveable City Worldwide and the German Climate Capital, recently made the top five of 274 applicants for the coveted European Public Sector Award, which aims to highlight exemplary models of public performance.

The city’s commitment to the environment in the face of limited finances caught the attention of judges. As part of the “Show true colours for Münster” campaign, citizens were motivated to help with the cleaning of parks, to plant flowers and patronise children’s playgrounds. The success stories are numerous, with one run-down park in a disadvantaged area transformed into an animated oasis thanks to the help of locals, many of them unemployed.

The campaign has expanded to cover green planning, with the adoption of a 90 hectare development plan in 2011. Heiner Bruns, head of Münster’s Office for Green Spaces and Environmental Protection, credits the city council’s decision to take on a managerial role and encourage citizens to get involved on the ground: “We still prepare political decisions, but we do it in a very efficient and sustainable way. Because we involve people in the whole process, the politicians get a much better idea of what people want.”

For more information, click here [in German].

From 16 - 22 September 2011, a record 2,268 European towns and cities took part in the tenth annual edition of European Mobility Week (EMW), with citizens from all walks of life getting involved in a wide range of activities to promote sustainable urban mobility. The event aimed at supporting the transition towards a resource-efficient transport system by promoting clean, fuel-efficient modes and human-powered transport.

All participating local authorities were invited to apply for the European Mobility Week Award 2011, which rewards cities whose innovative and effective campaigns were a class apart. So far, an independent panel of transport experts has whittled 22 applications down to a shortlist of ten, of which three have been retained as finalists.

ICLEI is well represented in the competition’s final stages, with Budapest (Hungary) included on the shortlist, and Bologna (Italy) and Zagreb (Croatia) making the cut as finalists. In their assessment, the jury paid close attention to the city’s involvement in the organisation of EMW, the integration of the focal theme within campaign activities and the comprehensiveness of the action plan regarding events and transport measures. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Brussels (Belgium) on 5 March 2012.

For more information, click here.

Cities across the UK have taken the pledge to improve the way they purchase wood and paper, with the goal of protecting forests and conserving biodiversity. ICLEI member cities London and Glasgow (UK) have already achieved the targets set out for them under the World Wildlife Fund’s Local Authorities Timber Pledge.

Local governments are invited to take one of three pledges, graded gold, silver and bronze. First up, to fulfill the bronze pledge, a local authority representative must attend a seminar on responsible procurement of forest products and give key staff training on the topic.

The silver stage involves working with suppliers and contractors to determine the source of timber, while making a clear commitment to buy timber from sustainable sources. Top honours go to municipalities who commit to only buying recycled, certified or sustainable and legal timber products across all departments, with the aid of an efficient recording and monitoring system.

For more information, click here.

ICLEI member city Heidelberg (Germany) has taken the renewable energy movement online with a new information resource on solar roofs. With just one click, citizens can find out if their roof is suitable for solar thermal or photovoltaic panels. The municipality has high hopes for the tool, with aims to bring the number of households using solar energy from 3000 to 7500 by 2015.

“With the new online tool, we want to encourage our citizens to think about investing in a solar thermal or photovoltaic system, and provide them with basic information about their benefits and the potential for CO₂ emission reductions" said Mayor Eckart Würzner. Peter Erb, Director of Stadtwerke Heidelberg Umwelt, one of the project’s partners, added, "We want to bring the energy revolution to the local level and motivate homeowners and developers to work with us on this."

The resource contains information on the surface area needed for solar panels, as well as estimated money savings and CO₂ reductions. It has been developed within the context of Heidelberg’s climate protection campaign that has been running since 1992. The ambitious action plan further seeks to reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2015 in comparison to figures from 1987.

For more information, click here [in German].

Across Europe, Covenant of Mayors cities are intensifying their efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and improve energy efficiency with a view to securing the future of their citizens. A series of Covenant of Mayors films were unveiled at the initiative’s annual ceremony in November 2011 and provide a glimpse of just how cities are helping to propel the green energy revolution to the next level.

Cameras rolled in Bielsko-Biala (Poland), Frankfurt (Germany), Malmö (Sweden) and the Abruzzo region of Italy as citizens were interviewed about what they would do for the environment if they were in charge and why cutting energy makes sense and saves money. The short films showcase practical examples of local energy production, awareness-raising activities and carbon-free housing initiatives, with picturesque shots of the cities and surrounding regions.

ICLEI member Malmö’s four-minute clip showcases the city's efforts to achieve the targets set out by the Covenant of Mayors, thus reducing carbon emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020. The city hosts the largest green roof in Europe as well as a fleet of biogas buses and a sustainable housing project. ICLEI Europe, a supporting structure of the Covenant of Mayors, is leading a consortium of 18 partners to develop a training programme to help councillors and municipal staff get started with local climate and energy action. More details will follow soon on the Covenant capaCITY website. This project is co-funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe programme.

For more information, click here.

With an eye on the future, ICLEI has developed the Future City Leaders Initiative to motivate the next generation of local leaders to take on the sustainability challenge. The two-year programme hopes to empower committed young municipal leaders to become champions for sustainability within their cities, towns and the global community.

21 young municipal leaders from around the world will be selected to take part in the first course which runs from 2012 to 2014. With the focus firmly on capacity building, participants will benefit from ICLEI’s vast experience in achieving local and global environmental outcomes. They will get the opportunity to attend a number of crucial networking events, including the ICLEI World Congress and Rio +20.

The future decision-makers will further benefit from collaboration with leading experts from the ICLEI Sustainability Faculty, as well as online technical and leadership training. The programme is ideal for local government representatives who have shown outstanding commitment to their community and to the sustainability cause.

For more information, click here.

ICLEI member Leicester City Council (UK) has teamed up with the University of Leicester to lead a major European project aimed at delivering green traffic management systems in cities. The €2.7 million project, which is funded by the European Commission, will be launched tomorrow at the National Space Centre in Leicester.

Called THE ISSUE (Transport Health Environment – Intelligent Solutions Sustaining Urban Economies), the three-year project will bring scientists, engineers and development agencies from different regions together to develop more effective methods of easing road congestion and improving the urban environment.

Deputy city mayor, Rory Palmer has welcomed the project as a vital step in the right direction saying, "Making Leicester a low carbon city is one of our main priorities and this kind of research will be essential to helping tackle issues around congestion and air quality in the future. I am proud that the city council can help make this work possible."

For more information, click here.

A unique council project that aims to save millions of pounds worth of energy from council buildings was launched in ICLEI member city Bristol (UK) on 11 January. As part of a European-wide project, SmartSpaces, the city council will focus on maximising the data provided by Automatic Meter Readers, which provide data on energy consumption every half hour for almost all of the council’s 500 buildings.

Paul Isbell, energy manager at Bristol City Council, said, “For the first time ever we are hoping we will be able to take ICT to the next level in this field, to use all this data on energy consumption in buildings and create a system so that we can use it meaningfully. We are estimating that we should be able to reduce the council’s energy usage by about 10 percent, approximately £1 million of savings every year.”

There are over 2,100 electricity, gas, oil and renewable energy metered points and the challenge is to create a smart system that can make better, smarter use of all of this data and report both locally and internationally in a simple and understandable format. This will be achieved by working closely with the council’s energy management software provider and partner in the project and representatives at each building or site. The aim is to achieve better energy monitoring of all council buildings, improved communications to all staff about the energy usage of their building, and, ultimately, considerable energy savings.

For more information, click here.

In parallel to the drafting of their Sustainable Energy Action Plans, three municipalities, Girona (Spain), Reggio Emilia and Padova (Italy) have joined forces to produce a series of tools and guidelines to support them in the fulfillment of their Covenant of Mayors commitments. The toolbox is also a vital step towards achieving the ambitious climate and renewable energy targets set by the European Commission.

The guidelines developed as a result of the project are now available to cities across Europe to ease their transition to sustainable mobility. A user-friendly LAKS GHG calculator tool was also developed to compile emission inventories, allowing project partners to convert the energy consumption of their territory into greenhouse gas emissions. The developments took place within the framework of LAKS, a LIFE+ financed project, and the three cities received technical assistance from Covenant supporter, ICLEI Europe.

The main objective of the now-completed LAKS (Local Accountability for Kyoto goalS) project was to provide instruments to European cities to monitor CO₂ emissions, assess their environmental impact, apply corrective actions and report results. Following the LAKS project, enhancements to simplify reporting to the Covenant of Mayors were incorporated into ICLEI Europe’s Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) GHG calculator, available for use by CCP participants. For further information on the tool or on joining the CCP Campaign, contact ccp-europe@iclei.org.

For more information, click here.

The second CORPUS workshop on sustainable mobility with a focus on policy instruments took place from 6-7 October 2011, taking up where the first installment, which dealt with facts, trends, objectives, actors and systems, left off. Researchers, policy-makers and civil society representatives from all over Europe, gathered in Szentendre (Hungary) for two days of intensive discussion.

The workshop aimed to learn from sustainable mobility success stories from other EU countries and share knowledge on promoting the politics of sustainable mobility. It highlighted the vital importance of research and discussed effective knowledge brokerage, while providing participants with valuable networking opportunities.

Preparations are already underway for the third workshop in the series. The event runs from 19-20 April 2012 and deals with future visions of sustainable mobility and their role in policy planning. The deadline for registrations is 26th March 2012 and participants are being advised to register early to avoid disappointment. The CORPUS project is funded by the European Commission and aims to enhance the connectivity between research and policy-making in sustainable consumption.

For more information, click here.

ICLEI member city and Covenant of Mayors signatory Albertslund has been named Nordic Energy Municipality 2011 for its innovative approach to the renovation of existing buildings. Bearing in mind that buildings account for 40 percent of its total energy consumption, the city council realised the need for cost-effective solutions applicable to a large number of different building types.

The renovation of 18 of Albertslund 42 residential areas thus kicked into action, targeting buildings that were built between the 1960s and 80s. Ahead of the large-scale deployment of the scheme, a number of pilot projects have already been implemented, with a series of houses turning carbon-neutral thanks to solar prism technologies.

This uniquely innovative model is to be applied to existing building stock all over the country. Mayor Steen Christiansen said, “Through an exciting cooperation between citizens, local industry and the municipality, we have managed to develop and – more importantly – test a wide range of full-scale solutions”, adding “it should be easy to be green.”

For more information, click here.

Across Europe, preparations are already underway for Sustainable Energy Week, which will run from 18 to 22 June 2012. The campaign provides an invaluable opportunity to highlight the successes of the most ambitious and innovative projects in sustainable energy and energy efficiency. In order to reward and encourage outstanding initiatives in these fields, the week culminates in the Sustainable Energy Europe Awards.

Applications for the award are now being accepted in a number of categories covering communication, energy consumption reduction, capacity building, mobility and energy efficiency in buildings. To participate your project must be ongoing, implemented by EU public or private actors and be able to show significant and measurable results.

As an international celebration of the green energy revolution, the awards ceremony taking place in Brussels (Belgium) on 19 June 2012 is expected to attract media attention from across Europe. To be in with a chance to win a Sustainable Energy Europe Award, register an account and complete the online application form before 29 February 2012.

For more information, click here or contact awards@eusew.eu.

After a successful year at the helm of sustainable development in Europe, Hamburg’s reign as European Green Capital has come to an end. At a prestigious ceremony in December, the Germany city handed its title to ICLEI member city Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) in recognition of its numerous environmentally progressive measures.

On 14 December 2011, Vitoria-Gasteiz mayor, Javier Maroto, officially revealed an ambitious programme of ten action plans to guide and structure progress in the year to come. Biodiversity protection takes top priority for the Basque city with plans to improve biocapacity, biodiversity and urban landscape, and restore sensitive natural resources. The city aims to tackle water scarcity through schemes to prevent floods and improve the water cycle.

The programme is further targeting waste management with strategic waste plans to achieve zero dumping and reduce urban contamination. With a view to enhancing quality of life for the municipality’s citizens, authorities will also focus on mobility, public space, regional improvement and urban rehabilitation, while promoting a culture of sustainability in society and business.

For more information, click here.

The ICLEI European Secretariat would like to wish you a wonderful and prosperous New Year! Thanks to your contributions, support and co-operation, the past year has seen us bring local sustainability to the forefront of the international agenda. We look forward to working with you in 2012.

To learn about ICLEI's achievements in 2011, browse our e-News archive or read our latest edition of Connections, available here.

EcoProcura 2012 will take place in Malmö (Sweden) from 19-21 September 2012. The conference is organised by ICLEI and the City of Malmö and will provide participants with a dynamic and unique meeting place to exchange and discuss the latest essential information on implementing sustainable public procurement.

The conference will underline the importance of sustainable public procurement to the development of a green economy. It will also examine the future of the sector, including the proposed new EU directive on public procurement, opportunities for addressing social and ethical issues in the field and the vast potential for innovation that has yet to be realised.

Procurers from all levels of government, policy-makers, suppliers, manufacturers, multipliers and representatives from the European Commission and European Parliament will benefit from good practice exchange, dialogues between businesses and the public sector and short training sessions on various topics, such as life cycling costing.

For more information, click here.

As the CIVITAS initiative enters its tenth year, its progress shows no sign of slackening. For nearly a decade, its work has had a hugely positive impact on sustainable transport in almost 60 cities across Europe. Recent success stories include Bologna (Italy) and Aalborg (Denmark). In Bologna, preliminary data evaluation results show the city to be well on track to achieve its transport targets within the framework of the CIVITAS PLUS phase.

Findings show that Bologna will reach its goals of reduced traffic accidents, enhanced safety and mobility of vulnerable road users, more user-friendly public transport and a reduction in illegal on-street parking. The city uses advanced intelligent transport system (ITS) technologies to help the economic hub cater to mobility needs, while improving traffic flow, air quality and retaining the charm of the medieval city.

For its part, Aalborg’s introduction of a travel smart card has been embraced by citizens, with the number of users far exceeding expectations. With 1,150 passengers already using the card just seven months after its launch, project leaders are confident that the city will reach its goal of 10,000 active travel cards by October 2012. Aalborg and Bologna are joined by fellow ICLEI members Zagreb (Croatia) and Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) in flying the CIVITAS flag. Anyone with an interest in the successes, goals and work of the CIVITAS project can join the discussion on Twitter by following @CIVITAS_EU.

For more information, click here.

A recent survey has shown that residents of the German county of Lüchow-Dannenberg are overwhelmingly in favour of the county’s goal to draw solely on renewable energy sources in the future. The survey was carried out by the Institute for Ecological Economic Research (IÖW) in cooperation with the University of Freiburg (Germany) and University of Hohenheim (Germany) within the framework of the RE Regions project, which is working towards securing regional self-sufficiency through the use of renewable energy, with an emphasis on electricity, heat and energy conservation.

Over 86 percent of those surveyed supported the proposed transition to green energy. Solar panels and windmills were the most popular energy sources among those interviewed, while more than half expressed concern about the cultivation of energy crops. The results brought home the lack of readily available information on renewable energy, in spite of a growing demand among the public to get informed.

Participants also expressed a desire to keep things local, with regional stakeholders receiving greater confidence than national investors, operators and suppliers. Perhaps the most surprising finding, as stated by author Michael Kress, was the readiness among citizens to contribute financially to the renewable energy drive. Almost one in four of the survey’s participants already owned a photovoltaic unit and over half are willing to pay a higher price for electricity generated from alternative energy sources.

For more information, click here.

ICLEI member Helsinki (Finland) is plugging into the electric vehicle revolution with the launch of the city’s first two hybrid electric buses at the start of 2012. The new buses are equipped with a diesel-electric power train, alternately or simultaneously using an electric system and a diesel combustion engine. It is hoped that the vehicles will help propel sustainable transport in the Scandinavian capital to the next level.

With its latest series of hybrid vehicles, Volvo has tapped into a growing market in Central Europe and the Nordic countries for alternative transport options. The buses achieve a 30 percent saving in diesel fuel compared to conventional diesel buses, with carbon dioxide emissions reduced by the same amount. Particle and nitrogen oxide emissions are 40 to 50 percent lower compared to traditional buses.

This recent development does much to build on Helsinki’s reputation as a forward-thinking green society. Earlier this year, the city made the top ten of the Global Liveability Ranking Report compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit which assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions.

For more information, click here.

With one in every two people now living in an urban setting, cities are undeniably the engines of economic growth. Yet much needs to be done to secure and maintain this growth over time. To address this issue and more, Chatham House is organising a conference entitled, The Future of Cities 2012: Investment for Urban Growth, which will run from 6-7 February 2012 in London (UK).

The event will ask how cities can attract investment for their development and explore the innovative financing solutions at their disposal. It will look at what investment approaches are working for developed economies, as well as for the rapidly emerging cities in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Experts will also weigh up the chances of established major world cities to compete with these budding economic strongholds.

An impressive line-up of speakers, including Professor Edward Glaeser, Professor of Economics at Harvard University and Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, will hope to cast light on options open to cities in responding to the multi-layered challenges they face. Participants are invited to register as soon as possible to secure a place. ICLEI members can benefit from a discount of up to 13 percent by contacting zberry@chathamhouse.org.

For more information, click here.

Implementing sustainable procurement is no mean feat and the multi-layered challenges facing public authorities can appear daunting without the necessary supporting structures. With this in mind, ICLEI has launched three unique websites to equip procurers, policy makers, researchers and other stakeholders with the tools they need.

The Sustainable Procurement Resource Centre is a one-stop access point containing key knowledge on how to effectively undertake sustainable procurement, saving money and driving the market towards environmentally and socially responsible solutions. Users can avail of an extensive searchable database and get up to date on the latest news and events in the field of sustainable procurement. Tools and guidance, case studies, networking opportunities and reports are available free of charge with one click.

For its part, the Procurement Forum, a tailor-made online network for procurement professionals, brings the human dimension back into knowledge sharing. Public authorities are invited to delve deeper into specific aspects of sustainable procurement and have the opportunity to exchange and collaborate in focused groups. Last up, the relaunched Procura+ website can help green public purchasing, drawing on the experiences of the 30 cities, regions and organizations at the forefront of sustainable procurement in Europe.

For more information, click here or contact mark.hidson@iclei.org.