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CONNECTIONS 

Newsletter for ICLEI European members, partners and friends 

Local action has moved the world: 

20 years of local sustainability 

In June 2012 all eyes will be on Rio de Janeiro where the United Nations Conference 

on Sustainable Development, better known as, Rio+20 the 20th anniversary of the 

1992 Earth Summit, will take place. Local governments play an extremely active 

role in the Rio+20 preparatory process and you can get involved too. Discover 

more about the opportunities available to ICLEI members and other European 

cities and how you can get involved right now. 

The success of local sustainability 

processes, inspired by the Local Agenda 

21 mandate, is widely acknowledged 

as one of the most remarkable 

outcomes of the Earth Summit. Even 

though global sustainability remains a 

challenging goal to achieve, it is clear 

that local initiatives have profoundly 

changed the way we think about 

sustainable development. Cities are 

making a lasting mark not only on local, 

but also on national and international 

governance systems and pushing the 

boundaries of what is achievable when 

it comes to sustainability. 

To capture the changing role of local 

governments in the last two decades of 

global action for sustainable development 

and propose recommendations for the 

future, ICLEI has undertaken a review. 

Entitled Local Sustainability 2012: Taking 

stock and moving forward, the report 

draws on the knowledge and experience 

of those supporting local sustainability 

processes, and the experiences of ICLEI 

and UN-HABITAT offices worldwide, as 

well as civil society and other academic 

partners. In recent years there has 

been significant growth in the number 

of cities involved in sustainability 

initiatives. Local sustainability has 

been mainstreamed, as reflected in the 

growing number of organisations and 

international processes that regard the 

local level as key to achieving sustainable 

development. 

Even though many cities work on 

sustainable development issues, not 

all use the term “Local Agenda 21.” 

Instead local sustainability processes 

are referred to as Local Sustainability 

Plans, Sustainable Community 

Strategies or even Local Green Growth 

Plans, as is the case in South Korea. 

Contents 

Issue N° 41, 2012 

Focus on Rio+20 1 

ICLEI Member News 5 

ICLEI Themes and Services 

Water 7 

Ecoprocura 2012 Malmö 8 

Urban Governance & 10 

Sustainability Management 

Mobility 11 

Climate & Air 12 

Sustainable Procurement 14 

Events 15 

Malmö 2012 

Join purchasers, suppliers, policy-makers, 

multipliers and more at this unmissable 

event. Read more on pages 8-9 

www.iclei-europe.org 

1

io+20 

The variety of local sustainability 

processes that have developed in 

continents across the globe is striking. 

ICLEI’s review focuses on the main 

driving forces behind local processes and 

identifies five types of local sustainability 

processes. By discussing the strengths 

and weaknesses of each, the report adds 

to the global debate on the need for a 

new, multi-level governance framework. 

According to the review‘s typology, a 

local sustainability process can find its 

way into a city in the form of: 

1. Local Government Strategy, 

2. Civil Society Initiative, 

3. Concerted Action, 

4. National Policy, or 

5. International Cooperation. 

Illustrated with numerous examples of 

local initiatives, the Report documents 

the variety of local processes that have 

emerged across diverse political and 

economic cultures. Changes in terms 

of how local sustainability has been 

understood and governed in the last 

two decades are described, from an 

enhanced culture of public participation 

to the recognition of local governments 

at international level. 

Building the future we want: how to 

use the potential of local action? 

Local governments have shown they can 

drive the implementation of sustainable 

development and initiate local processes 

- sometimes much more effectively than 

national governments or international 

organisations. Sustainable development 

has been successfully localised and is 

no longer a distant, theoretical concept, 

but one filled with meaning and which is 

evoked in everyday activities. 

The Local Sustainability 2012 report 

acknowledges that much more needs 

to be done in order to escape the 

impending environmental and social 

crisis and ensure well-being for all within 

the limits of the earth’s resources. 

Many German 

cities are at 

the forefront 

of local 

sustainability 

initiatives. What 

is the recipe for 

their success? 

Local Agenda 21 provided an 

important impulse for cities and 

municipalities to take action towards 

sustainability. The key to success 

for local sustainability initiatives in 

German cities is their broad-based 

and consultative approach, which 

builds on participation by citizens 

and local organisations, while 

being anchored in strong political 

commitment. Also, cooperation 

and exchange between local 

sustainability initiatives fosters peerlearning 

and diffusion of innovative 

ideas and best practices. Where 

dedicated citizens and committed 

local governments join forces to 

make cities more liveable and more 

sustainable the chance for success is 

very high. 

In January 2012 a zero draft outcome 

document of the Rio+20 Conference 

titled The Future We Want was 

released. Of all the proposals 

included, which one objective would 

you like the conference to achieve? 

Rio has to generate a strong push 

towards accelerated implementation. 

The zero draft contains a number 

of important proposals, which 

would put the world on a more 

sustainable development path by 

combining a framework of actions 

for the transition to an inclusive 

green economy with a reform of the 

UN institutions dealing with the 

environment and with sustainable 

development. UNEP in Nairobi 

(Kenya) must be upgraded into a 

specialised agency. If we do not act 

Dr. Norbert Röttgen 

German Federal Minister for Environment 

now our children will ask us why we 

missed the chance offered by the Rio 

conference. 

The concept of green economy 

raises the question of establishing 

global environmental and social 

standards for a globalised economy. 

Which standards would you like to 

see agreed at Rio+20? 

Through its holistic view on the 

environment, the society and the 

economy as the three dimensions 

of sustainable development, the 

concept of a green economy itself 

sets a standard for environmental 

and social protection. Rio+20 

can contribute to raising global 

environmental and social standards 

by accelerating the worldwide 

transition towards a green economy 

in the context of poverty eradication 

and sustainable development. 

The EU has proposed a Capacity 

Development Scheme providing 

tailor-made advice on the transition 

to a green and low carbon economy 

for interested countries. The window 

of opportunity is closing soon. 

ICLEI argues that a sustainable city 

is one that ensures good quality of 

living for all, while keeping within 

the environmental limits. How 

do you respond to those that say 

this vision needs to wait until the 

financial crisis is over? 

In the face of current trends in 

urbanisation it is clear that cities 

have a key role to play in making 

a global shift towards sustainable 

development, and that we have no 

time to lose to ensure that current 

and future urban areas are built and 

managed sustainably. Postponing 

the implementation of this vision 

until after the financial crisis would 

only make the transition to urban 

sustainability costlier. 

2 CoNNECTIoNS 41 - 2012

io+20 

Image: Flickr / oenvoyage 

Rio de Janeiro was the birthplace of the Local Agenda 21 movement when the Earth Summit was held there in 1992, 

inspiring local governments and communities worldwide to put local strategies for sustainable development in place 

The report is built on various conclusions, 

such as how local consciousness about 

global and future impacts of today’s 

action has never been as high. However, 

in order to fully exploit this awareness, 

information on global trends and the 

impacts of any local activity on future 

generations and other places must be 

made available as a standard basis for 

political and economic decision-making. 

A good local sustainability process builds 

on a number of driving forces. One of the 

key lessons learned from the review is that 

the effectiveness of local sustainability 

processes, as well as of programmes 

designed to support them could be 

enhanced by combining the strengths of 

the five process types identified. 

Local sustainability processes are hubs 

of social innovation. To strengthen local 

sustainability processes classic methods 

of consultation and participatory policy 

development must be combined with new 

forms of spontaneous and collective action. 

Greening the economy is a chance to 

address the economic crisis. However, for 

the Green Economy to become a serious 

contribution to sustainable development, 

it has to be linked with social - not only 

technological - innovation. Decentralised 

solutions and public control over 

common goods are key. 

Sustainable development needs a 

multi-level governance system with a 

multi-sectoral approach. Any global 

governance framework for sustainable 

Janez Potočnik 

European Commissioner for the Environment 

A zero draft of the Rio+20 Conference 

outcome is now available – can it 

give us the future we want? 

The EU has been 

successful in 

engaging directly 

with local 

governments 

through the 

Green Capitals 

initiative. Can 

you imagine a 

similar initiative on a global scale? 

The success of voluntary schemes 

like the Green Capitals Initiative and 

the Covenant of Mayors provide 

ample proof of the forward-looking 

ambition to be found in our regions 

and cities. I would certainly like to 

see similar schemes being set up on 

a global scale. The scope for mutual 

learning from experiences of cities 

and regions in countries at all stages 

of development is truly great. 

Will local and national governments 

try to make savings by compromising 

on sustainability standards as a 

result of the financial crisis? 

We are not only facing a financial 

crisis, but also a climate and 

resource crisis. These crises cannot 

be solved independently from each 

other. This is the reason that Europe 

2020, the EU‘s structural economic 

strategy, aims to transform the 

European economy into one that is 

smart, sustainable and inclusive. 

If we try to solve the financial 

crisis without consideration to 

sustainability and inclusion there will 

be negative trade-offs in the long run. 

Green investment can provide an 

immediate economic stimulus, for 

instance, employment in the ecoindustries 

in the EU has been 

growing by around 3 percent per 

annum over the last 5 years, and 

the potential for growth and jobs 

in sectors such as eco-construction 

and retro-fitting and in waste 

management are huge. But the 

potential goes beyond short term 

stimulus to longer term positive 

effects on competitiveness. Just as 

one example, ongoing modelling 

suggests a one percentage point 

reduction of resource use is worth 

around 23 billion Euros to business 

annually and up to 150,000 new jobs. 

The zero draft is a start, but a lot of 

work remains ahead. We have less 

than a hundred days before the world 

summit takes place in Rio de Janeiro 

in June. This does not leave us much 

time - and a lot remains to be done. 

As outlined by the European Council 

Conclusions, we need to ensure 

tangible operational outcomes for 

Rio. We need targets to drive the 

overall process and transformation 

towards a more sustainable world. 

I believe we are in a position to 

develop global targets that can drive 

and accelerate progress: for example 

on sustainable energy, for which we 

already have targets proposed by the 

UN Secretary General, on improved 

water efficiency, on stopping land 

degradation and loss of ecosystems, 

on oceans, and on reducing waste 

and moving more to a recycling 

society. The EU is of course open and 

willing to engage in discussions with 

all countries and partners on how to 

further shape an agenda at Rio. 

To view the interview in full, visit: 

http://local2012.iclei.org 


3

io+20 

development should include local 

governments as governmental partners 

and at the same time initiate national 

and international legislation that 

supports their efforts. 

Cities in the spotlight: The Local 

Sustainability 2012 case study series 

Accompanying the Local Sustainability 

review, ICLEI has also compiled a 

series of 14 case studies, entitled 

Local Sustainability 2012: Showcasing 

Progress. The cases explore a broad 

mix of contemporary themes and an 

active and strong involvement of local 

governments in pioneering greater 

urban sustainability. 

From Portland (USA) to Cape Town (South 

Africa), from Rizhao (China) to Melbourne 

(Australia), the examples included in 

this collection confirm that every city 

can embark on the journey towards 

urban sustainability. What is needed is a 

sustained political commitment, a certain 

degree of ambition, as well as creativity 

and courage in stretching the traditional 

limits of their authority and in finding new 

ways of dealing with urban challenges. 

Several European cities are also 

included, such as Nantes (France) and 

Reykjavik (Iceland). 

Nantes: Sustainable city wins title of 

European Green Capital 2013 

The award provides Nantes Métropole 

with the opportunity to market the city’s 

achievements, enhance its reputation, 

and send a strong signal to its citizens. 

While encouraging further involvement, 

it recognises Nantes’ long history 

in sustainable urban development 

initiatives in particular those related to 

biodiversity, climate change, transport 

and water. 

Reykjavik: Green cleaning and 

sustainable procurement 

Reykjavík is home to the largest geothermal 

heating system in the world 

Image: City of Reykjavik 

The Green Cleaning Programme in 

Reykjavik is an outstanding example 

of sustainable procurement. It ensures 

that public cleaning contracts are 

fulfilled in a way that minimises 

negative impacts on the environment 

and human health. The results are 

impressive: not only were cleaning 

costs halved, but the programme has 

also incentivised the market to supply 

greener cleaning services. 

The Local Sustainability 2012 Global 

review report and the case studies are 

now available both electronically and in 

print. 

Rio+20 has the capacity to influence 

the next 20 years of local sustainability 

and lay down solid foundations for a 

brighter, greener future. If cities keep 

demonstrating their unwaivering 

committment to achieving this goal, local 

action will continue to move the world. 

For more information, visit: 

http://local2012.iclei.org or contact: 

urban.governance@iclei.org 

Global Town Hall: 

Where cities debate at Rio+20 

The Global Town Hall will be a 

vibrant common space for dialogue 

and interaction in the middle of the 

Rio+20 Conference venue, providing 

local government actors with a forum 

where they can interact with national 

negotiators, debate the conference 

proceedings with their peers, and 

demonstrate their commitments 

and achievements. It will host an 

exciting, rich and diverse programme 

in which important actors from all 

parts of the world report about how 

local sustainability advanced over the 

past years, share and debate visions, 

launch initiatives, sign cooperation 

agreements and get involved in the 

Rio+20 themes. 

Those who wish to get involved in 

shaping the Global Town Hall – as 

participants, partners, endorsers or 

sponsors, contact the ICLEI World 

Secretariat: rio20@iclei.org 

Situated on the Loire River, Nantes is a green 

wonder of western France 

Image: City of Nantes 

Add your city to the Local Action Counter today! 

Launched a year prior to the Rio+20 Conference, the Local Action Counter 

is now at over 6,000 cities working for sustainable development in over 160 

countries worldwide. It only takes a minute to add a city or embed the Counter 

on your website. The ICLEI Rio+20 website also displays Local Sustainability 

maps and rankings per continent and per country. 


http://local2012.iclei.org/add-your-city 

4 CoNNECTIons 41 - 2012

member NEWS 

ICLEI European Regional 

Executive Committee adopted 

The proposed composition of the 

ICLEI European Regional Executive 

Committee (REXCom) 2012-2015 has 

been unanimously accepted by all ICLEI 

members that took part in the voting 

process. The REXComs represent ICLEI 

members in each of the nine defined 

world regions. 

The REXCom members will serve for 

a three-year term on the basis of predefined 

portfolios. In addition, five 

special advisors have been confirmed 

by the voters. The advisors will offer 

advice on topical issues regarding all 

portfolios, as well as representing ICLEI 

as appropriate. However, they will not 

have voting rights. The new REXCom 

will be officially inaugurated at the 

ICLEI World Congress in June 2012. 

The European REXCom 

Alexandra C. van Huffelen, Deputy 

Mayor, Rotterdam (The Netherlands) 

[Portfolio: Resilient Cities], Pekka Sauri, 

Deputy Mayor, Helsinki (Finland) 

[Portfolio: Green Urban Economies], 

Evelyne Huytebroeck, Minister, Brussels 

Capital Region (Belgium) [Portfolio: Low 

Carbon Societies], Mercè Rius i Serra, 

Deputy for Environment, Diputació de 

Barcelona (Spain) [Portfolio: Resource 

Efficient Cities], Dieter Salomon, Lord 

Mayor, Freiburg (Germany) [Portfolio: 

Good Practices and Lighthouse] 

Special Advisors 

Per Bødker Andersen, Deputy Mayor, 

Kolding (Denmark), Marco Cardinaletti, 

Project Manager for Sustainable 

Development, Ancona (Italy), Patrizia 

Gabellini, Deputy Mayor, Bologna 

(Italy), Helena Hecimovic, City 

Councilor, Koprivnica (Croatia), Jyrki 

Myllyvirta, Mayor, Lahti (Finland) 


http://www.iclei-europe.org/abouticlei/rexcom 

Bologna wins European 

Mobility Week Award 2011 

ICLEI member city Bologna (Italy) 

has won Europe’s most prestigious 

sustainable mobility prize, the 

European Mobility Week Award 2011. 

Fellow ICLEI member Zagreb (Croatia) 

also Larnaka (Cyprus) were announced 

as the runners-up. 

Moving in the Right Direction will be the 

theme of European Mobility Week 2012 

Commissioner for the Environment 

Janez Potocnik and Commissioner 

for Transport Siim Kallas unveiled 

the winner at an awards ceremony in 

Brussels (Belgium) on 5 March 2012. 

The jury of experts praised Bologna for 

its very ambitious programme to make 

citizens more familiar with sustainable 

means of transport. 

The mobility week was packed with 

a colourful mix of activities featuring 

lectures, tours, workshops, games, 

walks and exhibitions. The highlight 

was the so-called T-days, where part of 

the city centre was transformed into a 

pedestrian zone for the weekend. 

Cleto Carlini, Director of the Mobility 

Department at the Municipality of 

Bologna said, “These two days were the 

starting point of a pedestrian revolution 

in Bologna.” European Mobility Week 

2012 runs from 16 to 22 September under 

the theme Moving in the Right Direction. 


http://www.mobilityweek.eu 

Image: European Commission 2012 

Retrofitting policy puts 

Birmingham on the map 

ICLEI member Birmingham City 

Council (UK) has taken its place 

among the world’s environmental 

heavyweights having been honoured 

with a prestigious international award 

at the UN Climate Change Conference 

in Durban. 

The city’s Energy Savers programme won 

the Urban Retrofit Award, in recognition 

of its trailblazing plans to carry out £1.5 

billion of green retrofit work over the next 

15 years. Deputy Leader of Birmingham 

City Council, Paul Tilsley said, “For 

Birmingham Energy Savers to be named 

as the best initiative of its type in the 

world is a stunning success for the city 

and the UK. This award validates years 

of effort we have put in to ensure that we 

tackle the challenges of climate change 

and fuel poverty.” 

The programme aims to deliver energy 

efficiency improvements along with 

renewable energy and heat technologies 

to almost 200,000 domestic and 

public buildings in Birmingham and 

the surrounding region. By 2020, a 

4.3 percent reduction on current CO2 

emission figures is expected, with a 

further 7.8 percent for non-domestic 

buildings. 


http://www.birmingham.gov.uk 

Image: Birmingham City Council 

The programme is expected to lead to 

£1.5 billion of green retrofit work in Birmingham 


5

member NEWS 

Albertslund at the forefront 

of Nordic energy solutions 

ICLEI member city Albertslund 

(Denmark) has been named Nordic 

Energy Municipality 2011 for its 

innovative approach to the renovation 

of existing buildings. The project aims 

to deliver solutions applicable to many 

different building types. 

This method makes it possible to 

transfer solutions to renovation projects 

all over Europe. The Albertslund concept 

focuses on developing methods and 

technical solutions, which make energy 

renovation cheaper than it is today and 

thereby financially more advantageous. 

The Albertslund Concept - a house before and 

after it was renovated as part of the initiative 

The renovation of 18 of Albertslund’s 

42 residential areas targeted buildings 

constructed between the 1960s 

and 80s. Ahead of the large-scale 

deployment of the scheme, a number of 

pilot projects were implemented, with 

a series of houses becoming carbonneutral 

through the use of solar prism 

technology. 

Mayor Steen Christiansen says, 

“Through 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.” 


http://sustainablecities.dk 

Image: Rubow Architects 

Bremen offers UK guidance 

on developing car-sharing 

The UK has turned to ICLEI member 

Bremen for advice on car-sharing 

promotion and implementation. In 

November 2011, Michael Glotz-Richter, 

senior project manager for sustainable 

mobility in the city and coordinator 

of the European Momo car-sharing 

project, addressed the House of 

Commons in Westminster. 

The All-Party Parliamentary Group 

on Car Clubs and Car-Sharing had 

gathered to discuss improved support 

for car-sharing in the UK. Glotz-Richter 

presented parking problems as a 

mismatch between available street 

space and the number of cars on the 

road, common in UK cities and beyond. 

Michael Glotz-Richter from the City of 

Bremen outside the House of Commons 

An introduction to the basic principles 

of car-sharing was followed by an 

overview of the scheme across Europe 

that highlighted impressive progress 

already made by London. Glotz-Richter 

pointed to the capacity of car-sharing 

to reduce the number of cars in cities, 

improving the urban environment in a 

simple, effective way. 

The Momorandum, Momo’s final 

political document, describes the 

political settings required to fully 

exploit the potential of car-sharing, thus 

reclaiming the space of 600,000 cars. 


http://www.momo-cs.eu 

Image: City of Bremen 

Applications for 

ICLEI membership: 

• City of Nordhausen, Germany 

• Konya Metropolitan 

Municipality, Turkey 

Imprint 

Connections is produced by the 

ICLEI - Local Governments for 

Sustainability, European Secretariat. 

Copies are available on request. 

Editors: 

Ruud Schuthof (responsible), 

Ciara Leonard, Ailish O’Donoghue 

Layout: Stephan Köhler 

Images: cover - lensflairuk/iStock, 

backpage - Newlight/ 

dreamstime.com 

Comments and questions are 

welcome – please write to 

Ailish O’Donoghue at: 

information.services@iclei.org or 

Leopoldring 3 

79098 Freiburg 

Germany 

Tel: +49-761/36 89 2-0 

http://www.iclei-europe.org 

Follow us on twitter: 

http://twitter.com/ICLEI_Europe 

© 2012 ICLEI European Secretariat 

GmbH, Freiburg, Germany. 

All rights reserved. 

Printed on 100% recycled and totally 

chlorine free (TCF) paper fulfilling 

the criteria of the Blauer Engel and 

Nordic Swan. 


water 

Image: Kontrastfoto, Gryyab 

The Gryyab wastewater treatment plant in ICLEI member city Gothenburg (Sweden), 

which annually produces around 60 GWh of biogas from processed sludge 

Connecting themes: water for 

energy, energy for water 

Just as water is vital for energy 

production, energy is in turn essential 

to the functioning of drinking 

water, stormwater and wastewater 

management systems. The connection 

between these two themes is coming 

to the forefront of the sustainability 

discourse, not least because of its 

implications in terms of climate change 

mitigation and adaptation. Cities 

throughout Europe are implementing 

steps to take advantage of this 

connection. 

Water can help produce energy, most 

obviously through hydropower dams 

and by helping to cool power plants, 

but also in less obvious ways through 

the water required for the extraction 

and processing of fossil fuels, as 

well as for the irrigation of bioenergy 

crops. Conversely, energy is required to 

extract, transport and treat water and 

wastewater. 

Energy is also needed to pump 

irrigation water and allow desalination 

plants to function, with these requiring 

enormous amounts of energy. Finally, 

much energy is expended in the heating 

and cooling of water; for example, the 

heating of water contributes around 30 

percent of the average UK household’s 

heating bill. 

Since water management systems 

require so much energy to function, 

the type of energy they use can have 

profound implications in terms of 

climate change. An ideal solution to 

reduce the greenhouse gas emissions 

associated with the water sector is to 

switch to renewable energy. The South- 

East County of Gran Canaria (Spain) 

whose intermunicipal association is 

an ICLEI member, is using solar and 

wind energy to power its desalination 

plant as part of an integrated strategy 

seeking to deal with the negative 

impacts of climate change, to achieve 

energy security and to stimulate local 

job creation. The region’s renewable 

energy installations produce 150,000 

MWh of wind energy and 14,000 MWh 

of solar energy per year. 

ICLEI member city Helsinki (Finland) 

has also made the link between energy 

and water, using water from the 

nearby Baltic Sea for district cooling 

from November to May, when the 

water is below 8°C. The city-owned 

energy company Helsingin Energia 

provides the city’s district cooling, 

which is required for many types of 

buildings such as hospitals, offices 

and factories. 

Sea water and purified wastewater 

effluent are also used in the Katri Vala 

plant, the world’s largest combined 

production heat pump plant, which 

produces district heating and district 

cooling using one process. This 

highly efficient plant also produces 

80 percent less greenhouse gas than 

a conventional plant, helping the city 

reduce its climate change impact. 

Water from the Baltic Sea is used for district cooling in ICLEI member city Helsinki (Finland) 

Image: iStock / 97 

For more information about 

Intermunicipal Association of the 

South-East County of Gran Canaria, 

visit: http://www.surestegc.org 

For more information about Helsinki’s 

district cooling, visit: 

http://www.helen.fi/kaukojaahdytys_ 

eng/index.html 


7

ecoprocura 2012 

MALMö 

EcoProcura 2012: 

Procurement and innovation – the emerging policy tool 

The enormous potential of public procurement 

is continuously gaining recognition 

as an emerging policy tool to support 

the shift towards a resource efficient, lowcarbon 

and socially responsible society. 

EcoProcura 2012 in Malmö (Sweden) will 

look at the arguments surrounding this 

discussion and examine solutions that 

work in economically challenging times. 

Now more than ever, public authorities 

need to consider how to balance 

environmental, social and economic 

needs. The global, national and local 

context of procurement is changing 

and there are a number of compelling 

reasons to drive sustainable public 

procurement (SPP) forward. 

Public authority spending represents 

19 percent of national GDP in the EU 

and therefore has the potential to 

drive markets towards innovation and 

sustainable solutions enabling green 

growth and the establishment of a 

green economy. 

New guidance and policies 

At an international level, the Rio+20 

Summit in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) 

this June will discuss the importance 

of developing a green economy and 

SPP may have a key role to play. SPP 

Malmö was shortlisted for the European 

Green Capital Award in 2012 and 2013 

Image: Ewa Levau 

has already been put forward as a key 

“enabling condition” for a transition 

towards a green economy in UNEP’s 

Green Economy report. 

At the European level there has been 

a steady stream of guidance, policies 

and new legislation all emphasising 

the importance public procurement 

plays in achieving various goals and 

objectives such as energy efficiency, 

sustainable consumption and 

production, social and health benefits, 

sustainable growth and jobs. 2011 alone 

saw the release of the Commission’s 

Buying Social handbook, the second 

edition of the Buying Green handbook 

and the proposed Public Procurement 

Directive. 

In addition, the European 

Commission’s Flagship Initiative 

“Innovation Union” underlines that 

public procurement policy should 

contribute to the achievement of 

common societal goals, including 

the fight against climate change and 

the promotion of innovation, which 

are important new challenges facing 

Europe. The Innovation Union states 

the Commission will provide guidance, 

set up financial support mechanisms, 

pool demand and draw up common 

specifications to help public authorities 

undertake public procurement of 

innovation. 

The Commission’s objectives for 

the proposed Public Procurement 

Directives are to improve the efficiency 

of procedures and to allow for greater 

strategic use of public procurement 

to further environmental, social and 

innovation policies. It is encouraging 

to see that new provisions addressing 

social and environmental aspects 

have been included. However, the 

introduction of complex rules and the 

lack of clarity for some of the provisions 

may limit their usefulness. EcoProcura 

2012 will look at the new proposals and 

how they impact the implementation 

of sustainable procurement by 

gathering procurers and key players 

from all levels of government, policymakers, 

business, multipliers and 

representatives from the European 

Commission and European Parliament. 

EcoProcura 2012 

The EcoProcura conference series has 

been running for 14 years, the latest 

edition, EcoProcura 2012, takes place 

from 19-21 September 2012 in Malmö, 

(Sweden) and will present and discuss 

the emerging context in which SPP 

operates. It will look at the reality of 

the global recession, shrinking public 

budgets and the economic arguments 

that now demand an improved 

efficiency of public procurement whilst 

using purchasing power to bring about 

environmental, social and economic 

benefits locally and globally. 

Malmö Sustainability Week 

Following EcoProcura 2012, Malmö 

is organising a Sustainable Weekend 

from 22 to 23 September. The event 

will include a variety of study tours 

in Malmö to inform its citizens 

about sustainable living. Green 

roofs, waste disposal and renewable 

energy sources are just of the many 

few examples that will be showcased. 

EcoProcura participants are 

welcome to join these public events 

on Saturday 22 September to explore 

sites in the city that demonstrate 

the huge environmental, social and 

economic development that Malmö 

has undergone since the ninties. 


Image: dreamstime.com / Piotr Wawrzyniuk 

With legislation in the pipeline and 

numerous policies at the European 

and national level, understanding 

the changes and ensuring SPP 

is implemented correctly can be 

challenging. The conference will focus 

what the latest legislation, strategies, 

guidance and practical solutions mean 

to public authorities implementing SPP. 

The integral role of procurement 

The proposed EU 

Procurement Directives - 

mixed offerings for SPP 

The proposed Public Procurement 

Directives include provisions 

addressing social and 

environmental aspects. Yet several 

rules included in the Directive 

related to eco-labels and life-cycle 

costing may in fact make it more 

difficult for contracting authorities 

to use these in their procurement. 

The lack of clarification and the 

potential difficulty in using some of 

the new provisions runs the risk that 

the procurement process of public 

authorities can be more easily 

challenged by bidders and may 

even discourage public authorities 

from including environmental and 

social aspects in the first place. 

Implementation on the ground does 

not only need new guidelines, it also 

needs a change in mindset amongst 

procurers and those that request the 

product and service. What is now 

urgently required is a shift towards 

an understanding that spending 

public money is an opportunity 

to directly foster sustainable 

development and innovation. The 

EcoProcura conference series seeks 

to initiate this shift by facilitating 

exchange and dialogue between the 

main players involved. 

in public authority operations will 

be explored and how this enables 

procurers, suppliers, service providers 

and subcontractors to effectively 

collaborate and build sustainability 

across the entire supply chain. 

Participants will be engaged through 

dialogue and exchange with speakers, 

policy makers, suppliers and procurers. 

Malmö has invested in 40 miles of bicycle lanes 

Image: Anders Ekström 

Topics to be addressed include how 

public procurement can stimulate new 

technology and address social and 

ethical issues in procurement. Breakout 

sessions will go into more detail on 

specific issues such as innovation and 

sustainability in the public construction 

sector, purchasing clean vehicles and 

life-cycle costing. 

The market lounge will be comprised 

of around 25 round tables where small 

groups will have in-depth discussions on 

good practice from public authorities, 

new solutions from suppliers, the 

latest research and guidance and tools 

designed to assist public authorities in 

improving SPP practices. 

Sustainable Malmö 

Over the past 15 years Malmö has made 

major progress in the move towards 

becoming a more sustainable city through 

major investment from public and 

private partners in sustainable housing, 

retrofitting, renewable energy, clean 

transport, sustainable food, fairtrade and 

education for sustainable development. 

Currently the city is in the process of 

upscaling and mainstreaming many 

of its existing pilot projects, with new 

initiatives for a more sustainable city. 

The EcoProcura conference will be 

held in Malmö Expo, which is one of 

Europe’s most sustainable exhibition 

and conference venues in a dynamic 

new development zone with strong 

sustainability credentials. 

For more information, contact: 

ecoprocura2012@iclei.org or visit: 

http://www.ecoprocura.eu/malmo2012 

For information on Malmö as a sustainable 

city, visit: http://www.malmo.se/ 

sustainablecity 


9

Urban GovERNANCE & 

SUSTAINABILITy MANAGEMENT 

European Roundtable for 

Local Sustainability: Cities, 

universities and Rio+20 

The European Roundtable for Local 

Sustainability recently convened to 

discuss how national institutions 

can support cooperation between 

researchers and local policy makers to 

accelerate progress towards sustainable 

cities. The event took place from 16-17 

February in London (UK) and those 

present agreed that, despite promising 

initiatives appearing mostly in northern 

and northwestern Europe, policy making 

and research still operate in parallel, 

even if tackling similar subjects. 

Kate Theobald of Northumbria 

University (UK) presented 

recommendations on how to bridge 

the gap between cities and universities, 

based on experience collected by the 

Informed Cities initiative, while Stefan 

Kuhn, Director for Urban Governance 

at the ICLEI European Secretariat, 

introduced a new tool to visualise 

local sustainability data on a European 

scale. The meeting also provided an 

excellent opportunity to exchange on 

national preparations for the Rio+20 

Conference, with presentations from 

France, Italy, Spain and the UK. 

A number of countries have decided 

to showcase local sustainability 

initiatives as part of their contribution 

towards Rio+20, clearly recognising 

the potential of local action for 

sustainable development. Participants 

highlighted the need to reform existing 

governance framework for sustainable 

development, aiming for a multi-level 

and multi-sectoral approach, a proposal 

that lies at the heart of ICLEI’s advocacy 

towards Rio. 

The European Roundtable for Local 

Sustainability is a group of national 

institutions, such as ministries, 

municipal associations, or service 

agencies from European countries that 

have an official and/or acknowledged 

role in promoting local sustainability. 

The 2012 Roundtable was hosted by 

the UK Local Government Information 

Unit. 


http://roundtable.localsustainability.eu 

or contact: ania.rok@iclei.org 

Local response to climate 

change gains support 

The CHAMP – Local response to 

climate change project has come to an 

end, leaving a legacy that includes a 

multitude of supporting tools for local 

governments to manage their response 

to climate change. These include a 

web-portal and a network called the 

European Partnership for Integrated 

Management Systems. 

CHAMP’s goal was to support local 

governments in developing and 

managing their local climate mitigation 

and adaptation strategies. A core element 

of this was the implementation of 

trainings for local governments in over 60 

cities in the four participating countries - 

Finland, Italy, Germany and Hungary. 

As the project was part of the Managing 

Urban Europe Initiative, which aims 

to establish a long-term movement 

for integrated local sustainability 

management, another crucial objective 

was to contribute to the already existing 

toolbox available for local governments 

in this context. One example is the 

Local Management web portal, 

where comprehensive guidance and 

training material on local climate and 

sustainability management is available. 

Users can also find information on the 

European Partnership for Integrated 

Sustainability Management (IMS), 

offering a platform for organisations 

supporting the development of training 

and implementation capacity for local 

IMS and the exchange of experiences 

for local governments, consultants, 

trainers, and auditors all over Europe. 


http://www.localmanagement.eu or 

contact: pamela.muehlmann@iclei.org 

EMAS study supports 

environmental improvements 

in public administration 

ICLEI, on behalf of the EU Joint Research 

Centre, Institute of Prospective Studies 

in Seville (Spain) has developed a 

background study supporting the 

elaboration of the reference document 

for the public sector in the framework 

of the European Eco-management and 

Audit Scheme (EMAS). 

The study targets the public 

administration sector and will be used 

Image: Flickr / mx2-foto 


mobility 

as guidance by local governments 

implementing environmental management 

and by environmental consultants 

and auditors supporting them. 

The document is one of the new 

elements of the revision of the EMAS 

regulation (EC) n. 1221/2009, which 

came into force in 2010. The study 

presents the best environmental 

management practices in the field of 

energy, water, mobility, green spaces 

and biodiversity, environmental 

services, integrated management and 

green procurement. 

Conclusions are drawn with respect 

to key environmental performance 

indicators and benchmarks of 

excellence highlighting relevant 

examples and useful actions for other 

local governments to replicate. 

The background study was developed 

based on information exchange and 

consultations with experts and public 

officials, a literature review and site 

visits. The EMAS reference itself will be 

matter to further consultation and is 

expected to be published in the second 

half of 2012. 


cristina.garzillo@iclei.org 

Sustainable mobility, cities 

and the green economy 

Twenty years after Rio played host to 

the first conference on sustainable 

development, representatives from all 

levels of government, civil society and 

business are once again meeting there 

to set the agenda for the future. But 

what should change if our transport 

system is to fit into this new paradigm? 

shifting to more environmentallyefficient 

modes and improving fuel 

and vehicle technology. The good news 

is that research and piloting is already 

taking place in these areas, with many 

cities leading the way. In terms of 

trip avoidance through integration of 

transport and land-use planning, ICLEI 

Europe host city Freiburg (Germany) 

is a leader in the field. By favouring 

centralised development over peripheral 

growth, the number of cars entering 

the city centre has been reduced from 

16,000 to 6,000 cars per day. 

Environmentally-efficient modes of 

transport are receiving backing to 

make them more attractive to citizens, 

and initiatives such as CIVITAS, 

funded by the European Commission, 

are supporting this change. Nantes 

(France), one of the 58 cities that 

have participated in the Initiative, 

implemented fundamental changes in 

the composition of its public transport 

fleet with 90 percent of all trips made by 

citizen done on clean vehicles by 2004. 

Business also needs to make greener 

transport choices – for example urban 

freight distribution can make a huge 

difference to emission and noise levels, 

not to mention congestion. CIVITAS 

city Bristol (UK) managed to reduce 

delivery trips to the city centre by 76 

percent with the introduction of its 

freight consolidation platform. 

However, it is the transport sector’s 

over-dependency on fossil fuels, coupled 

with the need for energy efficiency that 

must drive technological innovation to 

diversify fuel sources. Whatever happens 

post-Rio+20 change is afoot; the current 

pressures on resources, climate and 

society mean that our transport system 

will have to change, cities are at the 

forefront of these activities. 

Nantes has introduced an 

impressive bus system 

Discover the logistics world 

of tomorrow with Trailblazer 

The final TRAILBLAZER Delivery and 

Servicing Plan Workshop takes place in 

Bonn (Germany) from 27-28 September 

2012, gathering local authorities from 

across Europe to discuss urban freight 

and mobility. 

The TRAILBLAZER project promotes 

best practice in freight energy efficiency 

amongst local and regional authorities 

and the private sector in Europe, and 

the final workshop is hosted by DHL 

Solutions and Innovations. 

Participants will have the opportunity 

to explore the DHL Innovation Center 

and its showroom, laboratory, handson-lab 

and the conference area where 

they will discover the logistics world of 

tomorrow. They will also learn about 

the work of the other TRAILBLAZER 

members who are implementing their 

own delivery and servicing plans. 

Image: Flickr / Jean Louis Zimmermann 

UNEP identified three principles to be 

followed to help transport make the 

transition: trip avoidance strategies, 


http://www.civitas.eu or contact: 

ciara.leonard@iclei.org 


http://www.trailblazer.eu or contact: 

secretariat@trailblazer.eu 


11

CLIMATE AND AIR 

Giving cities and towns a 

helping hand to develop 

local energy action plans 

Local governments across Europe 

continue to break new ground in their 

quest to tackle the urgent challenge 

of developing sustainable energy 

communities. Their actions come as 

part of the Covenant capaCITY project: 

Capacity building of local governments to 

advance Local Climate and Energy Action 

– from planning to action to monitoring. 

Led by ICLEI Europe, a consortium of 

19 partners are training and supporting 

local decision-makers and technical 

municipal staff in dealing with local 

energy action planning, conducting 

community greenhouse gas inventories 

and facilitating stakeholder involvement. 

A comprehensive European capacity 

building programme for local 

government is in development to 

support each phase of implementing 

a sustainable energy action plan 

(SEAP) - from motivation, planning, 

implementation, to monitoring and 

Opportunities for local 

governments 

Covenant capaCITY Conference – 

Energy Action Planning made easy! 

Malmö, Sweden 

18 September 2012 

Training for Covenant of Mayors 

Coordinators and Supporters 

Krakow, Poland 

5 October 2012 

evaluating. Prospective trainers from 

across Europe, including local 

governments, will benefit from free 

train-the-trainer events. 

Using eight thematic modules as a basis 

for the learning approach, each module 

will provide an introduction with practical 

guidance and tools. It addresses both 

the start-up level – helping learners to 

understand the main challenges and 

explore key issues under guidance - and 

the more intermediate/advanced level, 

i.e. where an existing SEAP is under 

review. Ideally this will result in them 

signing up to the Covenant of Mayors. 

Representatives of local government 

associations and networks, as well as 

energy agencies are invited to apply for 

specialised training to become a trainer 

and multiplier of this unique capacity 

building programme. 


http://www.covenant-capacity.eu or 

contact: covenant-capacity@iclei.org 

Preserving cultural heritage 

through energy efficiency 

Historic buildings are the trademark 

of numerous European cities, towns 

and villages and a living symbol of 

Europe’s rich cultural heritage. Yet, 

they also have a significantly high level 

of energy inefficiency and contribute 

a huge percentage of greenhouse gas 

emissions. The Efficient Energy for EU 

Cultural Heritage (3ENCULT) project 

deals with bridging the gap between 

the conservation of historic buildings 

and climate protection. 

The project aims to turn European 

cities with their historical and cultural 

trademarks into living energy efficient 

buildings for the future. Several 

heritage test and demonstration sites 

have been selected, representing 

The Palazzo d´Accursio in Bologna is being 

renovated as part of the 3ENCULT project 

different climates and urban contexts 

across Europe, as well as different ages 

of construction – from medieval to the 

early 1990s. Each building is unique 

and requires an assessment to identify 

its main problem areas for renovation. 

Aiming to find an optimal balance 

that deals with maintaining the site 

as a historical monument on the one 

hand, and on the other to apply energy 

efficiency retrofit measures requires 

a careful approach. This includes 

discussions with different stakeholders 

to find a win-win solution for all. 

An example of an ongoing renovation 

is the 13th century constructed Palazzo 

d´Accursio, in Bologna (Italy). The 

sandstone palace is owned by the 

Municipality and represents a unique 

combination of architectural and 

decorative styles. 

The energy efficient refurbishment 

currently underway helps to build 

valuable knowledge about potential 

approaches and technologies that 

can be utilised in this building type. 

Once completed, it will be a beacon of 

historic building renovation attracting 

interest from local citizens and the 

owners of other cultural heritage sites 

across Europe. A centuries old building 

in use as a living, valuable energy 

efficient historic monument. As part of 

3ENCULT, study tours and workshops 

are available for local government 

representatives from the energy and 

building departments, as well as the 

heritage protection office. 


http://www.3encult.eu 

or contact: ccp-europe@iclei.org 

Image: City of Bologna 


European Union marks 2012 

as key year for progress on 

adaptation in cities 

It is clear that 2012 will be a decisive 

year for the EU’s action on climate 

adaptation. Work on the forthcoming 

EU Adaptation Strategy is intensifying 

with a comprehensive draft to be 

released in September. The Strategy is 

expected to be published in March 2013 

and will provide a pan-European policy 

framework for adaptation action. 

Following on from the 2009 EU 

Whitepaper on Adaptation, the Strategy 

is expected to focus on developing 

a European knowledge base and 

mainstreaming adaptation into 

relevant policies at all governmental 

levels and the role of the EU in a 

multi-level governance framework for 

climate adaptation. In addition, the EU 

Adaptation Clearinghouse Mechanism, 

a public online portal and knowledge 

base for climate adaptation, launched 

in March and will heavily contribute to 

achieving the objective of providing a 

knowledge base to support decisionmaking 

for adaptation action. 

The launch of the Adaptation Strategies 

for European Cities project in January 

kicked off 2012, with the Commission’s 

Directorate General for Climate Action 

focusing on advancing adaptation at 

local level. The project, implemented by 

AEA Technology and ICLEI and various 

other partners, seeks to have a tangible 

impact on the EU’s work to develop an 

effective framework for adaptation in 

cities and urban areas. 

One of the main outputs will be guidelines 

on adaptation processes, to support 

local decision-making and management 

in preparing to preempt and combat the 

effects of climate change. The project 

is open to 20 European cities who have 

the opportunity to benefit from the 

peer-to-peer reviews and trainings on 

offer. Three stakeholder fora on climate 

adaptation in European cities are also 

planned. If your city wishes to get 

involved, contact ICLEI. 


holger.robrecht@iclei.org 

Inspiring change through 

sustainable events 

Following the success of the Green 

Meeting Guide 2009: Roll out the Green 

Carpet for your Participants, which 

provided guidelines on how to green 

meetings of up to 200 participants, 

ICLEI has now produced the Sustainable 

Events Guide. 

The Guide broadens its scope to cover 

events with up to 10,000 participants 

and reflects social considerations, in 

addition to environmental ones. Event 

organisers have the opportunity to 

not only minimise potential negative 

impacts but also, given the large 

number of stakeholders involved in 

this type of events, concretely influence 

change by leaving a positive legacy in 

Image: ICLEI European Secretariat 

the local community and inspiring 

those involved to live more sustainably. 

Organising sustainable events also 

directly benefits the host/organiser, 

through financial savings, image 

improvement and by developing its 

reputation as a “sustainable host”. 

ICLEI, with the support of UNEP, the UN 

Office at Nairobi and the International 

Annual Meeting on Language 

Arrangements Documentation and 

Publications, developed the Guide to 

offer advice on management issues, 

with sector-specific recommendations, 

action-oriented checklists and a 

simplified reporting template that is 

aligned with the newly launched Event 

Organizers Sector Supplement, from 

the Global Reporting Initiative Global 

Reporting Initiative. Several case 

studies and good practices, many of 

them featuring ICLEI members, offer 

concrete examples and inspirations. 


http://www.iclei-europe.org/productsactivities/training-events/sustainableevents 

Using recyclable furniture is one way of 

ensuring an event is sustainable 


13

sustainable 

PROCUREMENT 

Sustainable and fair forest 

products 

Many public authorities have 

introduced sustainable timber 

purchasing policies – to ensure that the 

wood-based products they buy come 

from sustainably managed forests. 

However, how can we also ensure that 

forest communities and small forest 

producers benefit from this trade? 

currently undergoing consultation. The 

final version is due to be published in 

September 2012. Those interested in 

participating in the consultation, or 

in piloting sustainable and fair timber 

procurement, see contact details below. 


procurement@iclei.org or visit: 

http://www.sustainable-timber-action.org 

For many smaller producers in the south, 

sustainable forestry certification is simply 

too expensive to achieve, with the costs 

typically borne by the producers and not 

the consumers. Applying the successes 

of the fair trade approach to the timber 

sector may be one way to address 

this problem and help to improve the 

livelihoods of these communities. 

Image: Ignacio Izquierdo 

The Sustainable Timber Action project 

aims to help public authorities discover 

how to purchase timber products 

produced in line with the principles 

of both sustainable forestry and fair 

trade. Draft procurement guidance is 

LANDMARK project on the 

move 

By changing the consumption patterns 

of public authorities, the living and 

working conditions of workers in 

Asia and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, 

particularly those in the textiles, food, 

construction and electronics sectors can 

dramatically improve. The LANDMARK 

project enables European local 

authorities to act as key drivers for the 

promotion of fair working conditions in 

global supply chains for products and 

services purchased by the public sector. 

The training and capacity building 

programme successfully kicked-off with a 

training given to the Federal Procurement 

Agency of the Ministry of the Interior 

of Germany in February 2012. This 

strengthened the capacity of professional 

trainers to include aspects of social 

responsibility in their curricula, with a 

special focus on the impact on the supply 

chain and decent working conditions. 

The LANDMARK project also published 

a legal guidance document that 

provides useful information for verifying 

compliance with social criteria along the 

supply chain. It includes an analysis of the 

strengths, weaknesses and opportunities 

for a public authority that wants to make 

social responsibility a key component of 

their purchasing decisions. 


http://www.landmark-project.eu 

Textiles, ICT and food are some of the 

various groups LANDMARK focuses on 

Sustainable Procurement 

Resource Centre 

Gathering the latest and most relevant 

information in one place, the Sustainable 

Procurement Resource Centre is a one-stop 

access point for procurers, policy makers, 

researchers and other stakeholders. 

The Sustainable Procurement Resource 

Centre contains key knowledge on how 

to effectively undertake sustainable 

procurement, saving public authorities 

money and driving the market towards 

sustainable solutions. 

The latest news and events on 

sustainable procurement are available, 

and visitors can also take advantage 

of networking opportunities, discover 

ongoing initiatives to participate in 

and tap into an extensive searchable 

database. Examples of what can be found 

include procurement criteria, policies 

and strategies, tools and guidance and 

good practice cases, studies and reports. 


http://www.sustainable-procurement.org 

Image: istockphoto.com / Micky Wiswedel 


EvENTS 

Tacking the challenge 

of carbon responsible 

transport 

Integrated urban planning and new 

technological solutions can create 

opportunities to initiate a shift towards 

sustainable mobility. To do so, the 

habits and needs of people must be 

addressed. This was one of the key 

findings of the CARE-North Final 

Conference in Bremen (Germany). 

The event took place from 20-21 March 

2012, with local governments, business, 

transport providers and researchers 

gathering to share knowledge and learn 

from the findings of the CARE-North 

project. The project kicked off in April 

2009 and focused on the practical 

and strategic dimension of low-carbon 

mobility solutions, such as car-sharing, 

alternative fuels and vehicles or 

improved collective transport. 

In the final panel, Dr. Rita Kellner- 

Stoll from the City of Bremen, Carsten 

Westerholt, Unit Manager of the North 

Sea Region Programme Secretariat, 

John Corall from Aberdeen City Council 

(Scotland) and Wolfgang Teubner, 

Managing Director of ICLEI Europe 

declared their support for the CARE- 

North message for Rio+20 calling for 

a new culture of mobility. ICLEI will 

present the message at the upcoming 

UN Conference on Sustainable 

Development in June 2012. 


http://www.care-north.eu/finalconference 

ICLEI World Congress: A 

gateway to Rio+20 

The ICLEI World Congress 2012, taking 

place from 14-17 June 2012 in Belo 

Horizonte (Brazil), is an opportunity 

to showcase your municipality’s work 

in making sustainability happen and 

work with local authorities facing 

similar challenges. Learn from global 

strategists and experts on the role of 

local governments in the next 20 years. 

As the gateway to the UN Rio+20 

conference, the ICLEI World Congress 

targets the entire ICLEI Membership, 

and is particularly relevant for mayors 

and high-ranking officials, as well as 

technical experts on a range of topics, 

including low-carbon development, 

biodiversity, resource efficiency, and 

many more. 

The congress programme explores all 

dimensions of creating sustainable 

urban areas, including urban nature, 

ecosystems and food security, resource- 

The partners of the CARE-North project gathered in Bremen at the kick-off meeting 

Image: City of Bremen 

Image: Arquivo 

Belo Horizonte is the first Latin American host 

of an ICLEI World Congress 

efficiency, low carbon and resilient 

cities and communities, green urban 

infrastructure and healthy and happy 

communities. There will be a special 

focus on the green urban economy and 

achieving citizen engagement through 

changing citizens, changing cities, and 

greening events. Keynote appearances 

will include Jeb Brugmann, Founding 

Partner of The Next Practice, Brice 

Lalonde, Executive Coordinator of 

Rio+20 and Gil Peñalosa, Director of 

8-80 Cities. 

Several ICLEI side events will also take 

place in parallel, namely the Urban 

Nature Conference, 12-14 June 2012 

showcasing leading local solutions 

to global challenges in the field of 

biodiversity and ecosystem services. 

The third International Urban Research 

Symposium, 15-17 June 2012 will also 

provide opportunities for municipal 

officials to interact directly with 

researchers to jointly identify research 

needs and to share interesting local case 

study examples. 


http://www.iclei.org/worldcongress2012 

or contact: world.congress@iclei.org 


15

UPCOMING EvENTS 

Resilient Cities 2012 

12 - 15 May 2012 

Bonn, Germany 

05 

Now in its third year, the Resilient 

Cities series has become a milestone 

event in the field of urban resilience 

and climate adaptation. Gathering over 

500 participants and over 30 endorsing 

partners from diverse geographical and 

professional backgrounds, Resilient 

Cities is an unmissable event. 

Local Renewables 2012 

25 - 26 October 2012 

Freiburg, Germany 

10 

The fifth Local Renewables Conference 

focuses on the combination of locally 

generated renewable energy, smart 

grids and smart end-users. The 

interconnection and need for close 

cooperation between cities and regions 

is essential in this context. Becoming a 

low carbon and a 100 percent renewable 

community is challenging but possible. 

7th European Sustainable 

Cities & Towns Conference 

17 - 19 April 2013 

Geneva, Switzerland 

04 

Finance and governance will be at the 

forefront of the 7th European Sustainable 

Cities & Towns Conference (ESCT), which 

will take place in Geneva, a global leader 

in international finance and trade, and 

international diplomacy and cooperation. 

LOCAL 

RENEWABLES 

Image: Flickr / eGuide Travel 

Participants will have the opportunity 

to interact with authoritative experts 

and the audience to build bridges 

across the public and private sectors 

and fields of expertise and learn about 

groundbreaking topics. In addition, 

“Financing the Resilient City”, one of 

the main themes of Resilient Cities 

2011, represents an outstanding 

breakthrough towards more sustainable 

resources for local governments. 

The Mayors Adaptation Forum, where 

elected local decision makers gather 

and take the political lead in the field of 

climate change adaptation is another 

guaranteed highlight. 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. 


http://resilient-cities.iclei.org/bonn2012 

or contact: bonn2012@iclei.org 

A n 

I n i t i a t i v e 

Representatives from cities and towns, 

decision-makers from various levels of 

government, energy service providers 

and energy experts will discuss ways 

in which smart grids and solutions 

can be shaped – with urban-regional 

links seen as a core element in this. 

How can we ensure stable grids with 

stable energy provision in the transition 

towards renewable energy? What role 

does local government play in this? And 

where should key actors connect and 

cooperate to make it work? 

Following a Symposium on 24 October 

2012, which will celebrate the 20- 

year collaboration between the City 

of Freiburg (Germany) and the ICLEI 

European Secretariat, Local Renewables 

2012 will explore these fascinating 

concepts, aiming to identify critical 

elements needed to roll out smart grids 

in European cities and towns. 


http://www.local-renewablesconference.org/freiburg2012 

or contact: lr2012@iclei.org 

Building upon the conclusions of the 

previous ESCT Dunkerque 2010 and the 

outcomes of the Rio+20 Conference, 

which will focus on green economy, 

Geneva 2013 will seek to bridge the gaps 

between environmental, economic and 

social goals and connect governments, 

civil society and business through 

policy and action. 

Over 1,000 European local government 

leaders, as well as representatives from 

institutions and NGOs will convene 

in Geneva to seek new and creative 

answers to the global financial crisis in 

the context of sustainable development 

and international and local governance. 

Traditionally the largest European 

conference dedicated to local sustainable 

development, the event takes place in the 

International Conference Centre Geneva, 

located close to the UN “Place des 

nations” just minutes from international 

transport hubs and the city centre. 


events.europe@iclei.org 

CONNECTIONS Issue N° 41, 2012 


CoNNECTIoNS 41 - 2012

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