Tuesday 19 June 2012

Meanwhile ... in Rio

Through side events, congress or round tables, Energy Cities is represented in Rio+20 by several of its board members. Eckart Würzner President, Evelyne Huytebroeck Vice-President and Bruno Charles, are the ambassadors in Rio of the booklet of proposals.

Eckart Würzner, Mayor of Heidelberg, present at the ICLEI Congress, takes part to a session regarding urban challenges in Cities.

Listen the Interview of Eckart Würzner

Evelyne Huytebroeck, Minister for Environment, Energy and Urban Renewal (Region of Brussels) will debate in the event "When cities breathe, people progress". This side-event organized by the Committee of the Regions will highlight the importance of a multi-level approach for environmental governance. It will showcase two major European initiatives: the European Green Capital and the Covenant of Mayors.

Bruno Charles, Vice-President of Grand-Lyon (Urban Community), will promote the Energy Cities’ proposals during these three side-events: "Financing governance of the local green economy", "Financing the energy transition" and "Urban transition in sustainable cities".

Most of topics covered in the International Summit Rio+20 are linked with the 30 Energy Cities proposals for the Energy Transition of Cities and Towns

Ensure that new neighbourhoods are "100% renewable"

By targeting a "100% renewable" objective from the start, we stand a better chance of building very low energy consuming neighbourhoods.

Frederikshavn (DK)
By 2015, the Danish member city of Frederikshavn will have realised its vision of using 100% renewable energy for electricity, heat and transport and help give birth to a 100% renewable Denmark.
As a model it will develop a coherent renewable energy system in co-operation with local energy utility companies and Aalborg University.
Thereby,Frederikshavn, with its 26,000 inhabitants and its local businesses will help achieve the Danish energy policy targets.

Unite all stakeholders in a local energy alliance

Unite interested private, public and associative players in local energy or energy transition alliances.

Totnes (UK)
This medieval market town of 23,000 inhabitants was not expected to become what some people call today “Britain’s town of the future”. Things changed the same year when Rob Hopkins, permaculture teacher, chose the city as the birthplace of the Transition movement.
more in Energy Cities Info n°40 p.6

Find all Energy Cities’ proposals on the wiki www.energy-cities.eu/wiki/transition/EN and contribute to this action.