Press release
07 December 2009
Ministry of the Environment
Focus on sustainable cities during UN climate conference in Copenhagen
The Ministry of the Environment, together with the cities of Stockholm and Malmö, is organising a side event 8th of December, at the Bella Center on the role of cities in the challenge of climate change during the COP15 climate conference. Participants include Elisabet Falemo, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment, Ulla Hamilton, Vice Mayor of the City of Stockholm and Head of the Environmental and Traffic Division, and Anders Rubin, Municipal Commissioner in Malmö.
The arrangement is part of the Swedish EU Presidency´s priorities for an eco-efficient economy, where growth and environmental considerations go hand in hand. The three organisers want to help more people realise the role that cities play in environmental efforts by showing positive examples of how urban engineering and planning become tools in these efforts.
"Sustainable urban development and the development of environmental technology are important in the work on climate change. The Swedish Presidency has placed great emphasis on this issue, and Sweden and the EU must take the lead in the work for sustainable cities, both at home and in cooperation with other parts of the world - not least in Africa and Asia, where cities are growing at an enormously fast pace," says Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren.
"Seeing as Stockholm has been selected as the European Green Capital 2010, climate-smart construction is at the top of my agenda. By building climate-smart housing and urban districts, with environmentally-friendly district heating, energy-saving housing and expanded public transport, we can tackle tomorrow´s climate challenges," says Ulla Hamilton, Head of the City of Stockholm´s Environmental and Traffic Division.
"Malmö is already at the international forefront when it comes to sustainable development efforts. Through our new environmental programme, our aim now is to become the world leader in sustainable urban development in ten years time, and our vision is that in twenty years, Malmö´s energy systems are to be supplied solely by renewable energy sources," says Anders Rubin, Municipal Commissioner with responsibility for housing and urban environment in Malmö.
Also taking part in the event are representatives of the European Commission, the World Bank, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) and Chinese cities. One particular area that will be in focus will be the potential for cooperation with China. The meeting will be chaired by Peter Örn, Chair of the Swedish Delegation for Sustainable Cities, and will build upon the conference on the role of cities in the work on climate change that was held in Stockholm in September.
Contact
Anna Bäckman+46 8 405 10 00
Ola Göransson
Desk Officer
Ministry of the
Environment
46 8 405 23 64
Helena Öhman,
Press Secretary to
Vice Mayor Ulla
Hamilton,
+46 76 12 29 222.
helena.oman@
stadshuset.stockholm.se
Bertil Månsson
Press contact
Malmö City
+46 70 623 85 71
