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Wednesday 19 May

The opening day explored how sustainability policies help local governments to respond to current financial, social and climate challenges. It opened with an inspirational vision of a sustainable city, followed by related key-note speeches and an interactive plenary debate among participants that informed further plenaries. Parallel sessions took a closer look at innovative European local achievements.

   8.00

Registration opens

   9.30

Opening (Plenary P1)

Master of ceremony: Jean-Michel Lobry, President of Wéo, France

  • Michel Delebarre, Former Minister of State, Mayor of Dunkerque, President of the Metropolitan Council of   Dunkerque, Chair of the Commission for Territorial Cohesion (COTER), Committee of the Regions, France
  • Myriam Cau, Vice-President responsible for Sustainable Development, Regional Council Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
  • Michèle Pappalardo, Commissionner for Sustainable Development, Ministry of Ecology, France
  • Gino Van Begin, Regional Director for Europe, Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI -Local Governments for Sustainability
  • Emanuele Burgin, Province of Bologna; President of Agende 21 Locali Italiane, Italy

Europe 2050 - Where are cities going?

Presentation of what a sustainable city could look like, outlining an inspirational vision for the future and highlighting shifts in policies and development that are necessary to achieve this vision.

11.00

Coffee break & Agora presentations

  11.30

Climate change, economic crisis and social challenges (Plenary P2)

What are the current challenges for local governments in Europe? What is the role of the sustainable city concept in the struggle to restructure the global economy, secure employment and fight climate change? How can it help our societies to cope with demographic shifts, migrations and integration challenges? Can sustainability be further implemented under reduced financial and depleted natural resources?

Facilitator: Steve Waller, Sustainability Advisor, Improvement & Development Agency for Local Government, UK

  • Climate change: What does science really say and what are our options? (Abstract_EN)
    Katherine Richardson
    , Chairperson of the Danish Commission on Climate Change Policy; Vice Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (Presentation_EN)

  • A world in crisis: The Empathic Civilization
    Jeremy Rifkin
    , President of the Foundation on Economic Trends; Bestselling author, USA

Reactions from European mayors and European Commission

  13.00

Agora presentations & lunch - offered by Véolia

  14.30

Interactive debate: Turning challenges into solutions - The local approach (Plenary Debate P3)

 

Local government representatives discussed what they can do and what changes in framework conditions they need at the national and EU levels. In small round table groups supported by a facilitator, participants had the opportunity to interact and discuss questions in depth among themselves. The outcomes of the debate were captured to feed further plenaries.

Introduction: Stefan Kuhn, Director, Urban governance, ICLEI -Local Governments for Sustainability

Debate facilitators:

  • Stella Aaltonen, Network Manager, UBC-Union of the Baltic Cities, Turku, Finland
  • Camilla Alfredsson, Head of Environmental Strategy, Helsinborg, Sweden
  • Dora Almassy, Junior Expert Environmental Financing, REC, Szentendre, Hungary
  • David Artom, Deputy Director General, Ashdod, Israel
  • Gregory Azoulay, Consultant - Local Sustainable Economy, AlterSenso, Vinciennes, France
  • Wolfgang Beckröge, Head of GIS & Territorial Survey, Regional Association Ruhr, Essen, Germany
  • Tina Billeter, Project Officer, Environment & Health Protection, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Andrea Binder-Zehetner, Managing Director, Local Agenda 21, Vienna, Austria
  • Lucie Blondel, Project Manager, Climate Alliance, Brussels’ Office, Belgium
  • Orsola Bolognani, Member of the Board of Directors, Ambiente Italia Research Institute, Milano, Italy   
  • Frédéric Boyer, European Affairs Officer, Energie-Cités, Bruxelles, Belgium   
  • Marie Bullet, Policy Officer for Sustainable Development, CEMR, Brussels, Belgium
  • Andrea Burzacchini, Director, Aiforia Agency for Sustainability, Freiburg, Germany
  • Cécile Callewaert, Director for Culture, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Susana Cuesta Márquez, Head of Urban Environment, Government of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain
  • Michael Damm, Head of Environmental Department, Aalborg, Denmark
  • Marc Dumoulin, Project Officer, Harbour Relations, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Olivier De Clercq, Coordinator of Brussels Office, ACR+, Brussels, Belgium   
  • Stéphane Durand, Director of Sustainable Development, Echirolles, France
  • Ousmane Drame, Mayor of Nioro; President, Association of Senegal Mayors, Senegal
  • Giovanni Fini, Head of Environmental Quality Unit, Municipality of Bolgna, Italy
  • Marianne Fontan, Senior Local Civil Servant, CNFTP - INET, Paris, France
  • Vincent Gibot, Director of Engineering, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Juan Carlos Gimeno Gascón, President, Foundation Ciudades Sostenibles, Valencia, Spain
  • Trevor Grahamn, Head of Sustainable Development Unit, Municipality of Malmö, Sweden
  • Rebecca Guinard, Mobility Officer, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Hannele Häkkinen, Director Brussels Office, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Belgium
  • Samuel Horion, Director General of Urban Development, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Didier Hubert, Director of Transport, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Andreas Kress, Project Manager, Climate Alliance, Germany
  • Steffen Lervad Thomsen, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Aalborg, Denmark
  • Olivier Lemaire, General Director, International Association Cities and Ports, France
  • Bernard Levoisier, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Fabienne Lesieux, Development Adviser, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Deirdre Maes, Local Policy Officer, Flemish Platform for Sustainable Development, Brussels, Belgium
  • Jimmy Mary, Climate Officer, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • William Maufroy, Manager, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Philippe Mertens, Sustainable Development Adviser, Belgian Association of Cities & Municipalities, Belgium
  • Marité Moras, Secretary, Sustainable Development Commission, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Council of Europe
  • Jonathan Morice, Senior Local Civil Servant, CNFTP - INET, Strasbourg, France
  • Sarah Nilsson, Head of  Strategic Environmental Issues, Växjö, Sweden
  • Rafael Ocana, Pronvincial Council of Barcelona, Spain
  • Joan Parpal Marfà, Secretary General, MedCities, Barcelona, Spain
  • Frédéric Plaisant, Head of Financial Action, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Eric Ravou, Directorate General of Human Resources, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Kenty Richardson, Head of the Executive Director’s Office, REC, Szentendre, Hungary
  • Ana Maria Rodriguez Eneriz, Mayor, Government of Navarre, Cabanillas, Spain
  • Heidi Romming, Councilor, Oslo, Norway
    Christophe Rouillon, Member of the CoR; Mayor of Coulaines, France
  • Laurence Rousseau, Senior Local Civil Servant, CNFTP - INET, La Madeleine, France
  • Walter Sancassiani, Director, Lab Research and Projects, Modena, Italy
  • Michael Sattler, Deputy Head of Executive Office, Climate protection measures, Vienna, Austria
  • Claire Schiettecatte, Coordination Assistant, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Christian Schrefel, Programme Manager, Local Agenda 21, Vienna-Josepfstadt, Austria
  • Kari Silfverberg, Environmental Planner, Local Agenda 21 Coordinator, Helsinki, Finland
  • Fabrice Truant, Technician of Environment, Metropolitan Council of Dunkerque, France
  • Frederic Tsitsonis, Deputy Mayor for Heritage & Resources, City of Montpellier, France
  • Damien Vanoverschelde, Deputy General Director of Services, Municipality of Toulon, France
  • Venelina Varbova, Expert Environmental Financing, REC, Szentendre, Hungary
  • Risto Veivo, Advisor to Deputy Mayor, City of Turku, Finland
  • Jan Westerberg, Head of Environment, Mariehamn, Finland
  • Hara Xirou, Project Manager, ACR+, Brussels, Belgium

  16.00

Coffee break & Agora presentations

  16.30

Innovative solutions to local challenges (Parallel sessions A) 

A1 - New challenges for port cities

A2 - Sustainable mobility choices and accessibility

A3 - Building: the challenge of the existing stocks

A4 - Quality of Life - Strengthening local economy

A5 - Socially inclusive societies

A6 - Responsible consumption and waste reduction

A7 - Adaptation to climate change - Building local strategies

A8 - Local renewable energy

A9 - Biodiversity - Why local governments are key stakeholders

A10 - Towards a water-sensitive city

  18.00

End of day 1

  19.00

Evening reception and dinner - Offered by GDF SUEZ