 |
<< Back to: ICLEI e-News | issue 12, 2008
|
 | 
Canton Basel’s Governing President Dr. Guy Morin (left) and President of the Building Department Barbara Schneider receive a certificate acknowledging Basel as 900th Member of ICLEI from Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmermann.
Located in north-west Switzerland on the river Rhine, Basel functions as a major industrial centre for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. The city borders both Germany and France.
|
City of Basel (Switzerland) welcomed as ICLEI’s 900th Member
21-08-08
The Canton of Basel-City (Switzerland) has joined ICLEI, and Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmermann took the opportunity to visit the city and personally welcome it as the 900th Member to the association.
Governing President Dr. Guy Morin and President of the Building Department Barbara Schneider were happy to receive a certificate that acknowledges Basel’s Membership in an ever-growing movement of local government for sustainability.
Mr Otto-Zimmermann emphasized that ICLEI is particularly happy with the decision by Basel’s Governing Council to join the movement since Basel is known as an international city with 150 various ethnic groups within its population in the tri-border region where France, Germany and Switzerland meet. It is a city that has managed to reconcile its historical assets with an industrial economy that faces heavy environmental challenges.
Senior officials from Basel share their enthusiasm about ICLEI
Dr. Guy Morin was happy to see Basel become part of a global network of like-minded cities that advance sustainability both locally and globally. He said that Basel’s membership in ICLEI opens doors to increased international exchange and cooperation on advanced solutions to urban environmental challenges.
Barbara Schneider said that Basel’s decision to join was timely since the City will be hosting Global Energy Basel, the irst global platform to promote and build partnerships for integrated energy solutions, which has secured ICLEI’s partnership as the world-largest cities network specialized on energy, climate and sustainability.
Next milestone: 1000 Members
ICLEI’s membership has grown from 450 to 900 Members in all regions of the world since the last ICLEI World Congress in 2006 held in Cape Town (South Africa). And while Basel was celebrated as 900th Member after Hamburg (Germany) had become the 898th Member and Darwin (Australia) number 899, ICLEI’s Membership has already surpassed the 900-mark with Albuquerque, NM and Rockland County, NY (USA) joining.
ICLEI Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmermann is confident to reach 1000 Members in the organization before year-end. “This milestone will show that urban leaders, when connected to one another, can engage to make positive change happen” says Otto-Zimmermann.
About the Canton of Basel-City (Switzerland), 900th Member
As ICLEI's 900th member, the City of Basel is already showing leadership by hosting Global Energy Basel, an international event where local governments’ decision-makers will meet together and businesses ready to offer sustainable energy solutions. The Canton of Basel was the first Swiss administration to pursue its own energy policy. The first law to save energy was implemented in 1983 to reduce energy consumption and bring a more efficient use of energy resources.
A most remarkable initiative is a 5% levy on every electricity bill; citizens approved this proposal in 1984 by referendum. The Department for Environment and Energy manages an annual budget of 10 million Swiss Francs (923,000 USD). It spends the funds on the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy consciousness and ideas for the future.
Basel has a lot to offer in terms of advanced sustainability solutions - just one reason why municipal decision makers should seek to attend Global Energy Basel from 12-14 November 2008 and take a tour of the City.
About the City of Hamburg (Germany), 898th Member
ICLEI's 898th Member, the City of Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city with 4 million people in its metropolitan area. The administration expects to decrease the city’s CO2 emissions by 2 million tonnes in 2008 under an impressive climate protection initiative. It has initiated the ‘Eco-Partnership’ program involving local businesses in achieving voluntary reduction targets.
About the City of Darwin (Australia), 899th Member
The City of Darwin in Australia, the capital city of the Northern Territory in Australia, also joins the celebration as 899th Member. Darwin City Council has been a participant in the Cities for climate Protection Campaign Australia since 2004, and passed milestone 3 (Corporate and Community) earlier this year when it developed action plans to help meet its emissions reduction goal of 25% below 2001 levels by 2010.
About the City of Albuquerque and Rockland County (USA), 901th and 902nd Members
Albuquerque, NM and Rockland County, NY in the United States join Basel as 901st and 902nd Members of ICLEI. From a handful of US cities participating in a pilot project in the early 1990s to more than 450 local governments, ICLEI USA’s member network continues to lead a countrywide movement towards advancing climate protection and sustainability. ICLEI Members drive progress and innovation in 48 States, their populations range in size from 473 people in Point Arena, California, to more than 8 million in New York City! Albuquerque hosted ICLEI’s Local Action Summit North America in May of this year.
Global Energy Basel - 12 to 14 November 2008
Global Energy Basel is a new initiative for the promotion of integrated energy solutions under the Patronage of former UNEP Executive Director Prof Dr Klaus Töpfer who chairs its Advisory Board. If cities want to address climate change and reduce urban greenhouse gas emissions, they must look at the urban energy system in a holistic way, identify technological and operational opportunities across the various operators of infrastructures, and forge partnerships between the various public and private actors to arrive at effective projects and investments. Global Energy Basel is designed to be a meeting place where municipal policy makers, planners and decision makers can meet providers of technological, operational and financing solutions.
ICLEI has entered into a partnership with Global Energy Basel and will identify cities prepared to pioneer integrated energy solutions. These local governments will benefit from exchanges and interactions with partners from the business and expert sectors and form an Energy Smart Cities network to advance integrated projects in their cities.
More information on membership
City of Basel: www.basel.ch/en/basel
Global Energy Basel: www.globalenergybasel.com
How to join ICLEI
|
|
|
