A Paradigm in Progress

C40

Signe Cecilie Jochumsen — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:09:57 +0000

Cities are one of the largest contributors to climate change, emitting over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions and consuming two-thirds of the world’s energy. Global leaders decided that action was necessary in order to combat global warming and climate change, and created C40 Cities: Climate Leadership Group.

Green Growth Leaders

Signe Cecilie Jochumsen — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:20:35 +0000

Shaping sustainable economies is the fundamental challenge of our time. Facing it, however, requires outstanding leadership, new means of communication and innovative collaborations across borders, sectors and mindsets. The Green Growth Leaders (GGL) is a global alliance of cities, regions, countries and corporations, sharing a vision of building prosperous, green economies and communities - and a better tomorrow for their citizens.

One Planet Living

Anna Esbjørn Hess — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:46:05 +0000

One Planet Living is a global initiative based on 10 principles of sustainability:

1.   Cero Carbon
2.   Zero Waste
3.   Sustainable transport
4.   Local and sustainable materials
5.   Local and sustainable food
6.   Sustainable water
7.   Natural habitats and wildlife
8.   Culture and heritage
9.   Equity and fair trade
10. Health and happiness

Danish Commission on Climate Change Policy: Green energy

Signe Cecilie Jochumsen — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:16:36 +0000

It is unnoticeable that the world society is facing mayor challenges regarding both climate change, an escalating world population, and its proportionally increasing demand for energy. According to the Commission there is no time to waste - action must be taken now. Firstly, the man-made global warming must be limited. The present environmental (and economic) challenges call for strict legislation and socio-cultural transformations in order to reduce the present release of carbon derived mainly from oil, coal, and gas.

Brundtland Report: Our common future

Anna Esbjørn Hess — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:19:22 +0000

In 1983, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) convened by the United Nations was created to address growing concern about the consequences of the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and the natural resources. The outcome of the work by the WCED was the report ‘Our Common Future’.

Cradle to Cradle – improving the future

Malene Freudendal-Pedersen — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:10:15 +0000

Cradle to Cradle is a holistic economic, industrial and social framework which seeks to create systems that are not just efficient but essentially waste free. It models human industry on nature's processes in which materials are viewed as nutrients circulating in healthy, safe metabolisms.

Vancouver EcoDensity Charter: Green liveable cities

Anna Esbjørn Hess — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:34:37 +0000

Vancouver is often praised as one of the most liveable cities in the world with its location between the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. For many years, planners in Vancouver have worked towards a high-density city. Despite this, Vancouver – like most other North American cities – has a large environmental impact.

Cittaslow: Putting quality of life first

June-Catherina Starling — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:12:24 +0000

The Cittaslow movement aims to rediscover aspects of urban life by creating space for “The good, slow life” with room for thought, sustainable environment and quality food, music and building culture. The Cittaslow Charter was created and later signed by Carlo Parlo Petrini mayor of Bra, together with the mayores of Greve in Chianti, Positano and Orvieto. Cittaslow is Italian for "slow city" or "slow town".

Aalborg Commitments: Getting cities going

June-Catherina Starling — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:09:54 +0000

After the Rio Summit in 1992, only a few European countries put Local Agenda 21 on the urban agenda. To encourage change in this direction, the EU Commission was keen to launch a global initiative. Aalborg City and the Commission took the initiative to the first pan-European conference on Sustainable Cities in Aalborg in 1994. At the conference the so-called Aalborg Charter was adopted and approved by the participants.

Rio Declaration: The right to development

June-Catherina Starling — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:04:46 +0000

The Rio Declaration states that the only way to achieve long-term economic progress is to link it to environmental protection. Therefore, nations must establish a new and equitable global partnership involving governments, populations and key sectors of societies and build international agreements that protect the integrity of the global environmental and the developmental system. The Rio declaration reaffirms and builds upon the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, adopted in Stockholm 1972. World leaders from 179 countries attended.

Melbourne Principles: Respect for people and nature

June-Catherina Starling — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:01:44 +0000

The Melbourne Principles for Sustainable Cities are the product of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) International Workshop on Building Urban Ecosystems held in Melbourne in 2002. The principles aim to assist cities wishing to achieve sustainable development and provide 10 simple statements on how a sustainable city must function, followed by an elaborate description, providing additional information on its meaning and application.

Johannesburg Declaration: A human global society

June-Catherina Starling — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:57:25 +0000

The Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development was adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), sometimes referred to as Earth Summit 2002. The Johannesburg Declaration builds on the earlier declarations from the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm in 1972 (Brundtland Report) and the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (Rio Declaration). While committing the nations of the world to sustainable development, it also includes substantial mention of multilateralism as the path forward.