Sustainable development

During its General Assembly in Cadiz, Spain, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is notably organising an interactive roundtable on local sustainable development exclusively open to local and regional elected representatives.

This session, entitled “Sustainable development: new models for a more resource-efficient society”, will take place on Thursday 27 September between 14:30 and 16:15. Divided up into several different roundtables, the session will focus on three major issues affecting local and regional authorities.

Participants will be able to discuss the added value of “eco-neighbourhoods” which are already in place in several European towns and cities. Furthermore, representatives will exchange views on the local dimension of the Local Agenda 21 and the possibilities it gives to municipalities in order to prepare a long-term sustainable development strategy. CEMR will also present and promote the reference framework for sustainable cities, a new measure which is directed at improving sustainable and integrated urban development. Finally, the impacts as well as political dimension of the Covenant of Mayors will be explored at a fourth roundtable.

This session will be moderated by Ronan Dantec, French senator, chair of the environment committee of CEMR’s French section (AFCCRE) and advisor to the Nantes Métropole Urban Community, who will present the main results of the UN conference on sustainable development, Rio +20.

Among the session speakers is also Ronan Uhel, chair of the European Environment Agency (EEA) , who will explain the agency’s latest findings on the state of the environment and climate in European cities.

Local and regional representatives who wish to participate can register on the Congress website.