2010Shanghai.eu - European Green Capitals: Looking to Cities of the Future

European Green Capitals: Looking to Cities of the Future

hamburg The European Commission, the City of Stockholm and the City of Hamburg are co-organising a conference on Sustainable Urban Development at the Belgian-EU Pavilion on 8 September.

The European Green Capital Award (EGCA) is awarded each year to a city, though not necessarily a capital, which is leading the way in environmentally-friendly urban living and which can act as an inspirational role model for other cities. The EGCA recognises and rewards the efforts made at local level to improve not only the environment and the economy, but also quality of life for urban populations, which are growing across Europe.

With four out of five Europeans living in towns and cities, the creation of the award is timely. Most of the environmental challenges facing our society originate from urban areas, and these urban areas can bring together the commitment and innovation needed to resolve them.

The first two proud winners are Stockholm for 2010 and Hamburg for 2011, which were both recognised for their ‘consistent record of achieving high environmental standards' and 'commitment to ambitious goals for further environmental improvement and sustainable development'.

On 8 September, the European Commission, the City of Stockholm and the City of Hamburg are co-organising a one-day conference at the Shanghai Expo on sustainable urban development, entitled "European Green Capitals: Looking to Cities of the Future".

At the conference, representatives from these two first European Green Capitals will share their views on sustainable urban development and use concrete examples to illustrate how it is possible to improve quality of life for Europe's city-dwellers. The City of Wuxi and the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau will also showcase their best practices. The conference will demonstrate the ambitious vision and green urban mindset needed for Cities of the Future. If cities want to prosper, they must learn to safeguard the natural resources that underpin their economies and quality of life for their growing urban populations.

For a programme, more information and to register, please click here:
green-capitals.shanghaiexpo.eu
or send an e-mail to green-capitals(at)shanghaiexpo.eu

For more information about the European Green Capital Award, please click here: www.europeangreencapital.eu