Dear Members, Partners and Friends of ICLEI,
We are pleased to send you the latest news on ICLEI in Europe and our partners for urban sustainability!
You can also read these news and find more information on the topics at www.iclei-europe.org Don't hesitate to send your news and information at information.services@iclei.org

(If this newsletter does not display properly, please click here: http://www.iclei-europe.org/index.php?id=6696)

In this issue:

1. City of Basel welcomed as ICLEI’s 900th Member
2. ICLEI member news
3. Free executive training on ‘Integrated Urban Water Management’
4. Green Purchasing Network statement after the G8 Summit 2008
5. Invitation to Procura+ Seminar and Participants Meeting 2008
6. Ecoprocura 2009: send your contributions!
7. Update from the Biofuel Cities European Partnership
8. Not yet applied for the European Green Capital Award? Do it now!
9. European Urban Charter II: Manifesto for a New Urbanity
10. Cutting through the green tape to tackle climate change
11. European local authorities for the South: twinning covenant
12. Updated event brochure available: EU-Asia Waste Management Conference
13. New events
14. Event reminders

1. City of Basel welcomed as ICLEI’s 900th Member

During the last twelve months, ICLEI membership has grown at the fastest rate ever in the organisations short history. The Swiss Canton of Basel-City was welcomed into the ranks as our 900th member, with Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmermann visiting the city and personally welcoming it to the association. Nestled in the confluence of three countries, Basel is a city with a strong international flair and has long been a pioneer of environmental initiatives in Switzerland. 

Having already surpassed the 900-member mark with Albuquerque, NM and Rockland County, NY (USA) joining shortly after Basel, ICLEI Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmermann is confident to reach 1000 Members in the organisation before year-end. “This milestone will show that urban leaders, when connected to one another, can engage to make positive change happen” says Otto-Zimmermann.

Learn more about joining ICLEI here.

2. ICLEI member news

Mobilising public procurement for employment and integration, 17 November 2008, Nantes (France)

ICLEI member Nantes Métropole, the sixth largest conurbation in France, is organising a European forum on the implementation of clauses on inclusion and professional qualifications in public procurement, as a boost to the local economy.

A sustainable purchasing policy, focused on the job market, can assist the local authority to achieve its objectives of supporting persons in challenging situations. The inclusion clause therefore brings added social value to contracts and makes public procurement more meaningful.

Among other objectives, the forum aims to debate public procurement as a boost to the implementation of public policies and economic partnerships, and to launch a process of capitalisation and partnership based on local initiatives. The concluding plenary session of this free conference will focus on "Local authorities: employment and sustainable development".

For more information, visit www.r2ei.nantesmetropole.fr.

3. Free executive trainings on ‘Integrated Urban Water Management’

Stockholm World Water Week, was the setting for the executive training "Integrated Urban Water Management – What’s in it for the City of the Future?" organised by ICLEI in parallel with the event.

This three-hour session, organised by ICLEI, was available to decision-makers and practitioners free of charge, as part of the European Commission funded project "SWITCH – Managing Water for the City of the Future". Raising awareness on the opportunities, benefits and costs of an integrated approach to urban water management is the aim of this project.

Another training will be held in Vienna (Austria) on 10 September 2008, in the framework of the IWA World Water Congress.

For more information, visit www.switchtraining.eu or contact Ralph Philip.
The registration form for the training in Vienna can be downloaded here.

4. Green Purchasing Network statement after the G8 Summit 2008

On the occasion of the G8 Summit 2008 this July, Ryoichi Yamamoto and Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, chair and vice-chair of the International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN), issued a statement to call on world leaders to immediately implement Green Purchasing around the world.

Developing nations lacking the infrastructure or resources to respond to the impacts of climate change will be particularly affected, and long-term global efforts for the creation of sustainable societies may be severely hindered. Therefore, in order to adapt to the consequences of climate change, worldwide collaborative inputs are required.

IGPN is committed to working with governments and business organisations around the world to address the challenge of climate change, by helping the development and implementation of Green Purchasing; creating an extensive mechanism to provide economic incentives for the purchase of outstanding eco-products and services; establishing organisations to promote Green Purchasing; and promoting an environmental consumer education.

For more information, visit www.igpn.org/news/2008/07/statement_for_the_g8_summit_20.html

5. Invitation to Procura+ Seminar and Participants Meeting 2008, 6 - 7 November, Birmingham (United Kingdom)

The Procura+ Seminar and Participants Meeting 2008 - "Smarter engagement with the market in the pre-procurement phase" - will be taking place on 6-7 November 2008 in Birmingham, UK.

The events, organised by ICLEI and the Birmingham City Council, are part of the Procura+ Campaign, an initiative to help drive the mainstreaming of sustainable public procurement throughout Europe. During the first day, the Seminar will bring together purchasers and representatives from all levels of governments, companies, Procura+ Participants and European institutions to exchange, present and learn about opportunities for early market engagement between public authority procurers and suppliers in the pre-procurement phase.

On 7 November, the Participants Meeting is addressed to the participants of the Procura+ Campaign and will serve to provide an update on the latest Campaign actions and future activities.

For more information, visit www.procuraplus.org or download the
Seminar outline [PDF 128KB] and register here [DOC 459KB].

6. Ecoprocura 2009: send your contributions!

The 7th EcoProcura conference, to be held from 25-27 March 2009 in Reykjavik (Iceland), will present how sustainable procurement can support climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies without compromising on social and economic aspects.

We are pleased to invite local government and business representatives working towards climate neutral products and services to respond to our Call for Contributions. We also welcome contributions from scientific institutions, international organisations and other stakeholders working in the field of sustainable procurement.

The programme will use appealing interactive methodologies to best exchange ideas, experiences, concepts and opinions such as the EcoProcura Market Lounge.

To read the programme overview & call for contributions, click here [PDF 84 KB]. 
For more information, visit www.iclei.org/ecoprocura2009
or contact ecoprocura2009@iclei.org

7. Update from the Biofuel Cities European Partnership

The last months have been quite busy for the Biofuel Cities European Partnership, with preparations underway for the 4th and final Biofuel Cities Workshop for end-users, hosted by the City of Warsaw (Poland). This workshop will highlight developments and outcomes relevant to end-users as identified within the Biofuel Cities project. View the programme here.

The Workshop is linked to the Conference "CEE Biofuels 2008 - Creating a more sustainable future", which takes place in Warsaw on 17 October 2008. Those attending the Biofuel Cities Workshop can avail of a discount on the conference fee.

Also as part of the Biofuel Cities project, ICLEI, in co-operation with the Informationsinitiative Biokraftstoffe Süd, is organising a two-day final study tour in the City of Tübingen (Germany), starting on 23 October. If you are interested in learning how to establish a regional economic cycle, with farmers, fuel producers and end-users, and how they all benefit by combining efforts, join us and find out how the process works, what local economic benefits are generated and how different stakeholders work together for a win-win situation. The study tour is free of charge, however it is open only for participants of the Biofuel Cities European Partnership.

Interested in attending the Workshop and/or Study tour? Send your expression of interest via e-mail to Christine Klas. The deadline for the workshop is 19 September, while the study tour deadline is 12 September 2008.

Finally, a discussion forum on this hot topic was launched. Registered participants can now log in and share their opinions and experiences online. Not yet registered? Simply go to www.biofuel-cities.eu/registration to sign up and join the exchange.

Check www.biofuel-cities.eu for more news and views.

8. Not yet applied for the European Green Capital Award? Do it now!

With the deadline of 1 October 2008 coming ever closer, ICLEI would like to remind its members to apply for the European Green Capital Award. Not sure if your city is eligible? Check the guidelines and see.

Starting in 2010, one European city will be selected each year as the European Green Capital of the year. The award will be given to a city with a population of more than 200,000 (or the largest city in countries which do not have a capital that big), which is leading the way with environmentally friendly urban living.

Don´t miss the opportunity to act as a role model to inspire other cities and to promote best practices to all other European cities! Help Europe turn its urban centres into prosperous green places to live and work!

For more information, visit http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/index_en.htm
or click here to apply.

9. European Urban Charter II: Manifesto for a New Urbanity

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted on 29 May 2008 during its plenary session the European Urban Charter II - Manifesto for a new urbanity.

The Charter proposes a new approach to urban living, urging European countries to build sustainable towns and cities. It aims to establish a body of common principles and concepts enabling towns and cities and their inhabitants to meet the current challenges facing urban societies, and invites local authorities to implement the principles of ethical governance, sustainable development and greater solidarity in their public policies.

This Manifesto complements and updates the original European Urban Charter adopted in 1992, which marked a key stage in the necessary recognition of the urban phenomenon in the development of our societies.

To read the Manifesto, click here [PDF 116 KB] or visit www.coe.int/urban-charter.

10. Cutting through the green tape to tackle climate change

"Cutting through the green tape: the powers councils have to tackle climate change" is a new guidance developed by the Local Government Association (LGA), a cross-party organisation representing councils in England and Wales and also an ICLEI member.

There are many powers in existence, which enable local authorities to effectively tackle climate change. There is however a lot of environmental legislation for local authorities to understand.

This LGA document, produced under the Small Change, Big Difference Campaign on climate change, aims to cut through some of this legislation, by highlighting the powers that can be used to tackle climate change, signposting the tools and resources councils can draw upon and offering some practical examples of the councils that have successfully utilised these powers.

 To read the publication, click here. Ask for printed copies at info@lga.gov.uk.

11. Local authorities for the South: sign up a twinning covenant at the European Development Days, 15-17 November, Strasbourg (France)

Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, is inviting local authorities to take an active role in the development of the South, by concluding twinning covenants and participating in the signing ceremony of the third European Development Days (EDD), 15 - 17 November 2008, Strasbourg (France). 

A number of local authorities have already launched development projects with corresponding authorities in countries of the South. The results of these experiments have been impressive and have in each case mobilised energies and dynamics based on rewarding human exchanges.

If your authority is interested in contributing to a better and more equitable world, join this exciting initiative and send your twinning proposal to the European Commission by 20 September at: devtwinning@ec.europa.eu.

For more information, visit http://ec.europa.eu/development/policies/9interventionareas/twinning_en.cfm

12. EU - Asia Waste Management Conference, 29 - 30 October 2008, Perak (Malaysia): updated event brochure now online

An updated brochure on the EU-Asia Solid Waste Management Conference is now available to download from the Conference website.

The event is part of the project, "EU-Asia Sustainable Waste Management Cycle: Integrating Best Practices of Solid Waste Management Policies", which is co-funded by the Asia Pro-Eco Programme of the European Commission and endorsed, among others, by ICLEI.

The conference is particularly beneficial to all actors and stakeholders, both from public and private sector, involved in solid waste management in Asia and Europe.Participants will be exposed to technology innovations for future solid waste management, EU policy and regulatory framework, findings of international projects, economic instrument and financing methods, best practices/case studies and know-how from the distinguished speakers invited from various EU and Asian countries.

For more information, visit http://www.ea-swmc.org/main.html.

13. New events

First Mediterranean Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production, 5 - 7 November, Barcelona (Spain)

The Regional Activity Centre for Cleaner Production, with the support of UNEP/DTIE, the Marrakech Process in particular, is organising the First Mediterranean Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) from 5 - 7 November 2008 in ICLEI member city Barcelona (Spain).

The roundtable will bring together experts from relevant public administrations, the civil society, the business and industrial sectors of the Mediterranean countries, Mediterranean Action Plan components and international agents.

The event aims at identifying concrete challenges and measures to move forward towards SCP in the region, with particular consideration given to the thematic areas identified by the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD), as well as climate change, one of the priority fields of action for sustainable development in the Mediterranean.

For more information, visit www.unepmap.org, download the Roundtable outline [PDF 482KB] and the draft agenda [PDF 473KB].

14. Event reminders

1st SEMS Summer School & 3rd European Summer School on Renewable Motor Fuels
24 - 26 September 2008, Birkenfeld (Germany)

International Black Sea Energy Policy Conference
8 - 9 October 2008, Athens (Greece)

Second International Conference on Sustainable Tourism
Sustainability, Competitiveness and Identity in Tourism Destinations
10 - 11 October 2008, Rimini Riviera (Italy)

The ICLEI in Europe newsletter is produced by the European Secretariat of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. Copies are available on request. Editors: Stefan Kuhn (responsible), Ciara Leonard, Gloria Spezzano.

Comments and questions are welcome - please write to Gloria Spezzano at information.services@iclei.org, Leopoldring 3, 79098 Freiburg, Germany,Tel: +49-761/36 89 2-0, www.iclei-europe.org

ICLEI is a membership organisation of local governments and their associations. To date more than 800 municipalities and municipal associations of all sizes from around the world have made a unique commitment to sustainable development by joining ICLEI. They support the work of ICLEI through their membership fees as well as through their experience and creativity in the development and implementation of projects and campaigns to address the globe's biggest problems. Within the organisation they are part of a network of peers that can profit from each other's knowledge. For membership information please have a look at our website or contact: membership.services@iclei.org

Copyright 2008 ICLEI European Secretariat GmbH, Freiburg, Germany. All rights reserved.