The Basque Declaration goes global in a session in Quito (Ecuador) on 19 October at the Sustainable Cities Campus during Habitat III. In an urgent call for a transformation of our societies and in response to the current societal, environmental and economic crises in Europe, 800 delegates from local governments and civil society adopted the Basque Declaration at the 8th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns in April 2016. The session in Quito will sound out as to how far the declaration can also support cities beyond Europe.

The Basque Declaration expresses a cohesive spirit for societal transformation. It recognises sustainability as not only being a technical issue, but rather puts emphasis on the social and cultural dimension of transformation needed in our societies in order to be successful. Involving citizens actively in shaping sustainable urban environments and thereby making them responsible citizens is the challenge today. This needs to happen in an inclusive way that leaves no one behind. The session will detail how The Basque Declaration supports the implementation of global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda, to be adopted at HABITAT III.

Ana Oregi, Minister of Environment and Territorial Policy of the Basque Country will showcase how the Basque Country and the cities in the area are leading by example. Ms. Oregi will introduce transformative actions implemented in the Basque Country that support Europe to be more inclusive and liveable. Damien Caràªme, Mayor of City of Grand-Synthe and Vice President of the Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque, France, will present on how the inclusion of migrants is an essential part of the transformation of our societies. Other political representatives from cities around the world will showcase how transformative actions can support the SDGs. The Sustainable Cities Campus is a venue hosted by Quito to discuss the role of cities in the New Urban Agenda. The event is free of charge and is open to the public.

To register, click here.
To endorse the Basque Declaration, click here.Image copyright: Image (ICLEI Europe) more   26 September 2016 New guidance on procuring sustainable mobility availableThe CIVITAS Initiative has released new guidance on public procurement that provides local and regional policymakers and transport practitioners with policy reflections and practical insight from European procurement experts. The report outlines how public authorities should rethink how they meet their mobility needs, and how their procurement strategies can have broader positive (or negative) impacts on sustainable urban mobility patterns.

It describes what cities need to do before procuring vehicles, such as assessing needs and priorities, provides a methodological approach to greening public fleets and sets out how public authorities can go further and be bolder "“ for example, by procuring together with other cities or beyond local markets. The guidance builds upon existing initiatives and projects and offers some of the most inspiring good practice examples on sustainable mobility procurement in Europe.

Sustainable public procurement is a topic that touches upon many, if not all, of the 10 CIVITAS themes. Examples include purchasing new vehicles or infrastructure that is more sustainable than traditional alternatives, and procuring public transport vehicles that clean or maintain roads and paths. Concepts such as more efficient distribution systems for urban freight and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), which takes a holistic view of the environmental impact of a product, can also be invaluable tools to cities seeking to reduce their carbon footprint.

To download the guidance, visit civitas.eu.Image copyright: Image (Eltis) by "Carlos Corao", licensed under CC BY 2.0 more

» Publication Date: 27/09/2016

» Source: Iclei Europe

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