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Fighting Climate Change Locally and Globally

Sustainability: Transportation planning was among the topics at the US-European forum in Virginia.
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“Think global, act local.” The motto of the United Nations Agenda 21 is more up-to-date than ever. A majority of greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries emanate from urban regions. Therefore, regional councils are uniquely positioned to develop and implement innovative policies.

The very first US-European Conference of Metropolitan Regional Councils was held last week to exchange such innovative practices, promote research policy and establish exchange mechanisms between the United States and Europe.

German and American representatives met in Alexandria, VA, for discussion and workshops on different aspects of the topic. Participants discussed how formal cooperation between US and European metropolitan regions can be strengthened and how sustainable climate and energy policies can be promoted with positive economic effects. Sustainable transportation planning, regional water management and green building were only some of the strategies debated in the four-day conference. The program was concluded by field trips to the Anacostia Waterfront in Washington, DC, and the Four Mile Run watershed.

At the same time, Germany is making an effort to promote benchmarking and knowledge transfer on climate policy and sustainable development on a global scale. In Berlin last week,
170 delegates from 60 developed and developing countries gathered by invitation of the German Government to prepare the establishment of an international agency to promote renewable energy forms. The agency, IRENA, will allocate the framework for the reinforced usage of renewable energies and ensure knowledge transfer between countries. The founding conference is to be held in the fall of 2008.

April 16, 2008

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