Declaration on Sustainable Cities
Draft 24.4.2008

We, the representatives of the Global Greens at the Global Greens Congress 1-4 May 2008 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, agree the following declaration for the development of sustainable cities.

Today, more than 50% of the world’s population live in cities. By 2025 this figure will reach 60%. While New York and Tokyo were the only cities with more than 10 million inhabitants in 1950, today there are more than 20 mega cities, most of them in the southern hemisphere. This progressive urbanisation causes serous social dislocation and ecological problems but it could also provide the opportunity for a better future. Towns and cities are responsible for two thirds of the world’s damaging CO2 emissions and are one of the main causes of our planet’s ecological crisis. It has been estimated that one third of the world’s urban dwellers live in slums. At the same time, however, cities drive economies, are the cradle of democracy, provide a social melting pot and a stage for intellectual and cultural life.

The effects of climate change present the world’s cities with enormous challenges: social and geographical polarisation; urban sprawl; increasing traffic; rising primary energy consumption; inadequate water supply and deficient effluent treatment. These problems are particularly serious for urban centres in developing countries.

Cities must be at the cutting edge of sustainable development.

Cities have the potential to play a key role in the battle against climate change. The Utopian view of zero emission cities is possible. At the same time, cities must promote the social integration and political participation of all their inhabitants. Without improving the conditions of the poor and involving all citizens in future developments, there will be no solution to the crisis. Cities need policies that combat urban sprawl and fight social, economic and cultural disintegration. These policies must improve the quality of life for the population in general, protect public property from private exploitation, eliminate social extremes and reduce the impact of urban areas on the environment. The cities hold the key to solving mankind’s most pressing problems: climate change and poverty.

Climate change presents one of the greatest threats to human security and sustainable affluence in the 21st century. Preventing dramatic climate change is also a question of justice. Catastrophic climate change poses a particular threat to the livelihoods of the poor, who have done almost nothing to contribute to its cause. There is still time to avert a global crisis. There is a chance that we can attenuate the worst effects of climate change but it requires us to act swiftly: public authorities, private business and civil society need to cooperate; governments must recognise their responsibilities and ensure there are mandatory regulations for the protection of natural resources; and all of us must adopt a responsible attitude to natural resources.

Besides the energy sector, cities carry the main responsibility for climate protection and sustainable development. Many local authorities have already started down the path to an improved social and ecological future. Some 6400 Agenda 21 initiatives in 113 countries as well as successful networks such as the Climate Alliance demonstrate the global dynamism of this process. We see cooperation between municipal authorities, civil society and business as the way to bringing about lasting change in urban policy.

Cities need to free themselves from reliance on fossil fuels and atomic energy and drastically reduce their energy requirements. This can only be achieved through substantial incentives to save energy, make transport and buildings more energy efficient and promote alternative energy sources. Modern technology and better insulation alone can reduce heating and cooling energy consumption by at least 50%. The cost of investment to do this can be recouped in a relatively short time by reduced energy bills. New public and commercial buildings should only be constructed if they meet the latest ecological standards. Energy autonomous and zero emissions buildings should be promoted as pilot projects. A welcome side effect of building renovation, the installation of solar panels and water conservation systems, will provide a steady increase in local employment opportunities.

In urban areas the transport sector plays a significant role in the quality of life, use of land resources and environmental balance. Forward-looking urban policies require traffic reduction measures that: integrate housing, employment and recreation in decentralised areas; affordable and extensive public transport; and measures to discourage the use of cars such as tolls, traffic reduced areas, car free Sundays, car sharing and strict emission levels for vehicles.

Taken together these measures must and can reduce the individual CO2 emissions of city dwellers by at least 50% by the middle of the century. This will play a substantial role in climate stabilisation.

To combat poverty cities have an important contribution to make in that they must ensure that all citizens have access to education, health and social services. Disadvantaged areas must not be ignored and left to their own devices. Special efforts must be made to break the cycle of poverty, lack of education, crime and social exclusion.

Democratic society first emerged in towns and cities. Today, however, the contact between local politicians and citizens is weaker than almost at any time in the past. For cities to be sustainable local democracy needs to be revitalised. This requires open government with a competent and honest administration that operates according to the law and broad consultation that involves all the population in building construction, social and financial decisions. Strengthening municipal authorities and giving towns and cities the means to solve their own problems will require political and financial support from national governments and parliaments. Free and fair local elections should be supplemented by decentralised participation structures. In paricular, those with lower incomes need a stronger say in local policy to protect their interests. In many places grassroots organisations have provided innovative solutions to pressing urban problems. A good example of this can be found in Brazil where citizens’ councils and citizens’ budgets have been introduced.

As well as municipal and civil society, business also has a central role in promoting sustainable development. Stabilising the world’s climate and reducing ecological damage to manageable proportions require nothing less than a new industrial revolution. Environmentally friendly technology, products and services are the markets of the future. In this context, towns and cities, with their potential for innovation, their combination of research institutions, businesses and qualified labour force, have an important role to play. As a general rule, urban dwellers have a higher per capita income, more effective institutions and are better equipped to face global economic risk. In particular the promotion of small and medium enterprises is of great importance for urban finances and local employment. We therefore encourage partnerships between civil society, public authorities and local employers.

Taken together these measures must and can help cities contribute significantly to climate stabilisation, reduce pressure on rural areas and ensure a better quality of life for their inhabitants. The future of the city has only just begun.