Six-year Agenda for the UBC
At the moment, the Baltic Sea Region and
Baltic Cities are not sustainable. There are numerous environmental,
economic and social challenges that need to be tackled in
order to enable a meaningful and healthy life for future
generations.
However, almost all UBC member cities are
currently implementing their own local Agenda 21 action
programs, and the UBC has become the most important source
of working models and good practices on sustainable development
to its members. Following this success, and building on
the current needs of Baltic cities, as well as on Baltic
Sea Regional, European and Global policy developments, the
UBC is now committing to a new sustainable development action
program for the years 2004-2009. The emphasis of this new
program will be on implementation of concrete sustainable
development actions in the cities.
For our guidance in that work, the VII UBC
General Conference will (most likely) decide on five goals
for Sustainable Baltic Cities. This means that during 2004-2009
the UBC will work on:
- Sustainable management and good governance of cities,
- Sustainable use of energy and resources,
- Good living environment and nature protection,
- Sustainable economy and transport, and
- Social integration and health.
To work on each of these goals, the UBC will
implement a number of projects and utilise its regular network
activities such as exchange of good practices and policy
liaison. The largest "toolbox" to be applied will
be the projects. They will mobilise the majority of member
cities and several other partners, and will altogether cost
approximately 8 Million euros. The progress on the five
goals will be monitored three times during the program period.
by Risto Veivo, UBC EnvCom Secretariat
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