Green Week Report Back

 

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability took part in a very successful European Commission’s Green Week Conference from 1 – 4 June 2010, in Brussels, Belgium.

 

The focus of Green Week was biodiversity, and ICLEI’s exhibition stand showcased ICLEI’s global biodiversity programme, Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB). The stand drew much interest amongst delegates and ICLEI staff had many interesting and enjoyable meetings with new contacts, stakeholders, partners, supporters and friends.

 

IUCN’s Russell Galt and Elisa Calcaterra, with LAB’s technical head, Andre Mader, Communication Officer Leanne Raymond, and director of ICLEI’s Office in Brussels, Peter Defranceschi at the ICLEI exhibition stand

 

The LAB Session, entitled: Urban Nature: Local Solutions to Global Challenges, showcased examples of biodiversity management at a local level to a packed session hall. Representatives from Amsterdam and Brussels Capital Region presented some of their achievements and challenges in this regard; an outline of the LAB Programme and its recent activities was presented; and representatives from France and Slovakia presented the European Capitals of Biodiversity Competition.

LAB technical head, Andre Mader, gives a presentation on the benefits of LAB in assisting local authorities with biodiversity management

 

The Biodiversity Roadmap process leading to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) COP10 in Nagoya in October 2010 and the European Biodiversity Capital competition were also discussed in the session which was facilitated by the Head of ICLEI’s Brussels office, Peter Defranceschi.

The ICLEI Local Action for Biodiversity Stand

 

During the event, Andre Mader of the LAB Coordination Team was interviewed by three European television stations on the topic of cities and biodiversity, during which he provided examples of what some of the LAB cities have achieved. Peter Defranceschi of ICLEI's Brussels office was also interviewed by a Madrid-based radio station on this topic.

Andre Mader being interviewed by Turkish national television

 

The LAB team had the opportunity to meet with the Brussels Minister of the Environment, Mrs. Evelyne Huyttebroeck. Leanne Raymond, LAB’s Communications and Marketing officer , attended the opening of a 63km green cycle path through the city, followed by sampling a section of the green route on bicycles. The cycle took them through some of Brussels’ wonderful parks and biodiversity rich areas.

 

We would like to thank all our partners, participants and friends, new and old, who met up with us during the Green Week event, and so doing made it such a successful experience.

Cycling with the Brussel Capital Region Minister of Environment through some of the city’s wonderful parks, Brussels launched a 63km green cycle through the city’s park areas while the team visited