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nnd Preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) – Article supplied by ICLEI In 2002, the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) will mark the 10th anniversary of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Earth Summit). The United Nations has undertaken a global process to evaluate progress on Agenda 21 and to determine strategies for sustainable development for the next ten years. It has called on all Major Groups, including Local Authorities, to fully engage in the UN process and to conduct parallel reviews. ICLEI is facilitating the Local Government Preparatory Process for the WSSD with the endorsement of the Secretariat for the UN Secretariat for the World Summit, the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), World Federation of United Cities (FMCU-UTO), and the Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities. Local Governments’ Contributions Since the Rio Earth Summit, response to Agenda 21 has been varied, and, many believe, inadequate. Many national efforts have been thwarted by the complexity of integrated planning required to realise sustainable development. However, if one looks to the experiences of local governments, one observes a more positive vision - a vision that demonstrates the potential for local governments to respond to national and international requirements for sustainable development. Local Agendas 21 have proliferated with more than 6500 having been undertaken world-wide. Local Government Parallel Process The world-wide local government review process leading up to the WSSD will assess opportunities and recommend strategies for accelerated action for sustainable development at the local level. This process includes: • a world-wide survey on Local Agenda 21 (LA21) jointly with the UN Secretariat for the World Summit and with the collaboration of UNDP/Capacity 21; (see www.iclei.org) • extensive regional consultations with local government leaders and technical experts; • an International Experts Meeting; • a Best Strategies Case Studies report; • an official Local Government Dialogue Paper;(see www.iclei.org) • an International Preparatory Committee Meeting; • a Special Session for Local Government at the World Summit; (see www.iclei.org) • a Local Government Delegation to participate in the 2002 World Summit and related events (see below for more details) This review process aims to further develop local government’s commitment to sustainable development and also to increase the capacity for local leaders to serve as champions of sustainable development. 2 I• LOCAL GOVERNMENT& JOHANNESBURG 2002 Opportunity For Local Government in Europe The WSSD offers a unique opportunity for local government in Europe to promote its sustainability efforts so that they are better understood and supported by local citizens, stakeholders and press. Representatives of local governments and their associations are encouraged to use the momentum of Johannesburg to undertake an own assessment of achievements and to inform their citizens of future commitments towards local sustainability and to engage in a dialogue for the future with all spheres of government. The Local Government Session at the WSSD, will take place from 27 - 30 August at : Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sandton, Sandton 2146, Johannesburg ICLEI, in cooperation with other International Local Government Associations such as IULA and UTO as well as United Nations agencies, is currently leading the preparations for the Local Government Session (LGS). The LGS is intended to allow Local Government to express its position and expectations vis-à-vis the outcome of the Summit, and to provide a forum for interaction with national delegations and observer delegations. In addition, the LGS shall evaluate concrete, strategic opportunities for the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Rio Conventions through local-level action during the next decade, and to secure international community support for specific strategies and mechanisms to realise these local opportunities. An important aspect of the LGS will be the launch of „Local Action 21“: the strategy for a new decade of Local Agenda 21. The LGS will take place in the Summit Zone 1, a high security area. Access is therefore limited to accredited participants and delegates to the Johannesburg Summit. Since the number of participants who can take part in the LGS is limited, priority will be given to Local Government representatives such as Mayors, chief executives, elected officials and senior officers of local authorities, as well as representatives of national local government associations. Information with regard to the LGS and preparations are available at ICLEI’s homepage www.iclei.org/lgs For More Information please contact ICLEI European Secretariat, T: +49 761 368 920 F:+49 761 368 92 19 E-mail: loc-gov-session@iclei.org or ICLEI World Secretariat, T: +1-416/392-1462 F: +1-416/392-1478 E-mail: johannesburg-summit@iclei.org Web: http://www.iclei.org Webpage on Local Government & Johannesburg 2002 http://www.iclei.org/lgs Webpage of the Summit organiser in South Africa: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org Newsletter 25 of The European Sustainable Cities & Towns Campaign
II• SEARCHING 01-05-2002 Establish multi purpose community centre’s Pakistan 23-04-2002 Suburban Environmental Management A Participatory Approach (SEMPA). Local Agenda 21 approach. Ireland 26-03-2002 Environmental regeneration Italy 22-03-2002 Local Agenda 21 Implementation Spain 12-03-2002 “MEQ 21 - Monitoring Environment Quality and local Agenda 21 Implementation in European Public Authorities”. Italy 03-03-2002 To build a sustainable community building for a small rural community United Kingdom III• NEWS FROM CAMPAIGN PARTICIPANTS The Göteborg model for green purchasing Göteborg Stadt has published a brochure entitled ‘Göteborg model for green purchasing’ outlining the green purchasing strategy which resulted in an impressive improvement in their environment. This was achieved by adopting strict purchasing criteria and by introducing environmental auditing as part of every purchasing decision. As a result, suppliers were asked to submit an environmental declaration with their tenders, to describe in depth their companies’ environmental policy and their environmental management system so as to make an annual report. This enabled the local authority to assess its suppliers’ environmental performance. Furthermore, clear political guidelines and good communication have contributed to the involvement of a great number of stakeholders in the program and to its success. The benefits of the program are impressive and include cheaper delivery cost and increased environment quality. pGöteborg Stads Upphandlings AB, T:+46 31 61 14 00 Web: http://www.upphandlingsab.goteborg.se The Royal Awards Barcelona for Urban Innovation First Edition November 2002: Urban Innovation in waste management Barcelona City Council in collaboration with the Royal Awards Foundation has launched the Royal Awards Barcelona for Urban Innovation with the support of the European Environmental Agency. The first edition of the Awards will take place in November 2002 and will focus on Urban Innovation in Waste Management. The objective of the Awards is to disseminate innovative practices that integrate environmental, technological and participatory vectors throughout Europe. The deadline for submissions is 25 th October 2002, and the Award Ceremony will take place in November 2002. pHelena Barracó Nogués, E-mail: info@innovationbcn.net Web: www.innovationbcn.net The implementation of Local Agenda 21 in Spanish regions To date, close to 500 Spanish cities and towns have committed themselves to follow the principles of Local Agenda 21 by signing the Aalborg Charter. Among them, three cities have recently published their achievements, namely Calvià, Valladolid and Zaragoza. FOR PARTNERS pFor further information on these and other entries on the European Partner Search please access the Campaign Interactive Website at: www.sustainable-cities.org/partner.html Calvià is a highly visited tourist destination, the consequences of which were problematic for the environment and led Calvià to develop an innovative plan of action including new policies in tourism as well as local development which has resulted in great improvements. The municipality of Zaragoza as well as Valladolid have both defined a number of general objectives in their LA21, including: Urbanism and Mobility, Pollution and Natural Resources, Energy, Security and Social aspects. They have furthermore both described the process of developing sustainable activities and using indicators within their municipality, which could be of great interest to others. pAyuntamiento de Valladolid, Mr. Emilio Cuado, T: +34 983 426207, F: +34 983 426219 pAyuntamiento de Zaragoza, Javier Celma T: +34 976 724222 E-mail: unidadambiente@ayto-zaragoza.es pAjuntament de Calvià, Ms. Carolina Suau, T: +34 971 139100, F: +34 971 139148, E-mail: csuau@calvia.com Follow-up on Dogme 2000 – The Danish Environmental management system for municipalities In the last issue, we introduced the project “Dogme 2000 for municipalities and the environment”, which joins five Danish Municipalities in a commitment to an innovative environmental management system. Since then, the municipalities of Copenhagen and Albertslund have been undergoing an external audit. Also the municipality of Ballerup will soon finish their audit. The audit is carried out by Norske Veritas Danmark A/S. The first year results from Copenhagen are positive, showing marked progress in involving the business community in the environmental management system. The municipality also has well-developed systems for the measuring and monitoring of human impact on the environment, fulfilled with the annual publication of Green Accounts. However, there is still a clear need for more work to be done in terms of the full implementation of Agenda 21 principles. This is being remedied with the development of a strong, local Agenda 21 plan and the establishment of Agenda 21 centres. Progress is also seen in the ambitious aim of environmental certification of the municipalities’ own administration, with the Copenhagen EPA to be certified in July 2002 and other departments’ certification to continue in the following years. Albertslund’s second audit shows a real acceleration in compliance with dogma 1. It is also quite advanced in its Agenda 21 work, with a well-developed Agenda 21 plan Newsletter 25 of The European Sustainable Cities & Towns Campaign 3 NFN
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