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Challenges of Kotka
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by Hannu Tuittu & Matti Erävala
The new Local Strategy of Kotka for 2008
- 2016 was approved on 14 April 2008 by the City Council.
The clean and safe environment was specified as one of the
five main priorities. The city wants to be one of the pioneers
to prevent climate change in Finland. The decision-makers
are committed to ensure sustainable development in Kotka
for the new council period 2009-2012. Kotka has also signed
the Aalborg Commitments in 2005. The will of Kotka is strong
and the work with stakeholders is now continuing by the
baseline review which is sustainable basis to set environmental
goals. Mayor Mr. Henry Lindelôf himself has declared
to be the bow of the sustainable strategy process.
Several baseline review meetings with stakeholders
were arranged during 2008 e.g. with chamber of commerce,
industry, enterprises, research centres, polytechnics, schools,
other city organisations, nature organizations, commercial
organizations, third sector, etc.The Aalborg baseline review
will be ready and approved in spring 2009. The next steps
will be then presented and approved by the decision - makers.
The workshop with stakeholders in Kotka The MATRUSCHKA group with experts and stakeholders
is preparing further plans and project applications at the
local and cross-border level. In the budget for 2009 Kotka
has reserved the"seed money" for self-financing
of future projects.Theaim is to get more support for the
project and at the same time to create and open the office
of the EcoKotka - project in spring 2009.
The main challenge is to carry out our own
strategy and its goals.The work for sustainable development
itself is a big challenge locally. It is a long process
that never ends. Legislative reforms, climate change, responsibility
for natural resources and the lack of them can get more
force to the efforts. The cooperation with experts, stakeholders,
networks in a large scale is the most important. Kotka is
also interested in looking for the new challenges and taking
new steps in sustainabil-ity projects. As MATRUSCHKA slogan
states: "Many steps ahead both back and forth, up and
down will betaken."
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