The Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque and its president, Michel Delebarre, and the European Sustainable Cities & Towns (ESCT) Campaign have the pleasure to invite you and a delegation of your region, city, town or municipality to the 6th European Sustainable Cities & Towns Conference, which will take place in Dunkerque, on 19-21 May 2010.

Dunkerque 2010 will explore how sustainable development can help local governments to face the current economic, social and climate challenges and how it can be further implemented in the current context of crisis. It will convene key actors to identify what changes are needed to our political frameworks and will explore how different sectors can cooperate to advance sustainable development in Europe. This event is the next large conference in Europe to address climate change after Copenhagen 2009 (COP-15) and it will offer a unique opportunity to position local governments as willing partners and leaders on emissions reductions and innovative solutions. The culmination of Dunkerque 2010 will be the conveyance of a political message to Europe and the world on climate and the wider local sustainability agenda.

The largest European event dedicated to local sustainable development
After the successful conferences of Aalborg 1994, Lisbon 1996, Hanover 2000, Aalborg 2004 and Sevilla 2007, more than 1500 local government leaders from all over Europe as well as representatives from European and national networks of local governments, European institutions, international organisations, business, NGOs and research institutions are expected to take part in the largest European conference dedicated to local sustainable development.

We invite you to visit the programme section for more information about the objectives and the themes of this conference.