City leaders to attend ICLEI World Congress on sustainable urban solutions

Over 2,000 Mayors, city officials and experts will attend the ICLEI World Congress on 8-12 April in Seoul, South Korea to discuss and unveil “Sustainable Solutions for an Urban Future”.

Convened by leading cities network ICLEI-Local Government for Sustainability, the World Congress offers the delegates the chance to highlight their achievements, to connect with partners, and to learn from each other. It will also inspire Mayors and city officials to take home and implement the sustainable solutions we need for a viable urban future.

ICLEI Secretary General Gino Van Begin said: “The ICLEI World Congress 2015 marks our 25th anniversary as the world’s leading membership association for local sustainability. It is also a landmark occasion for local sustainability efforts in the run-up to the crucial talks in Paris in November 2015. We are delighted to welcome a range number of high-profile speakers to Seoul for what promises to be a fascinating and inspiring event.”

Confirmed speakers include:

• Peter Bakker, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geneva, Switzerland
• Yolanda Kakabadse, President, WWF International; former Minister of Environment,
• Ecuador
• Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility, Washington D.C., USA
• Patricia McCarney, President, World Council on City Data, Toronto, Canada
• Jørgen Randers, Member, Club of Rome
• Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme
• (UNEP), Nairobi, Kenya

The ICLEI World Congress 2015 will be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, at the iconic Dondaemun Design Plaza. Seoul Metropolitan Government has been an active ICLEI member since 1995. It is one of the world’s leading sustainable megacities, and it has developed a range of initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including the One Less Nuclear Power Plant initiative.

The One Less Nuclear Power Plant initiative aimed to cut energy consumption by two million tons of oil equivalent (TOE), corresponding to the capacity of one nuclear power plant. In June 2014, Seoul announced that it had achieved its target six months ahead of schedule through energy-saving practices and renewable energy generation with its citizens.

Van Begin added: “The ICLEI World Congress 2015 will feature plenaries, discussion sessions, interactive workshops, trainings, and 15 mobile workshops showcasing sustainability in action acrossSeoul City. The program will focus on delivering tangible city solutions across areas including: low-carbon development; resilience and adaptation; biodiversity; water; ecomobility; green urban economy; smart urban infrastructure, and much more.

Van Begin continued: “The World Congress will also help us and our members to build on the successes of 2014, which included the launch of two major initiatives: the Compact of Mayors, developed in cooperation with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and C40 Cities Network (C40); and the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC), developed in cooperation with C40 and the World Resources Institute (WRI)”.

ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability is the world’s leading network of over 1,000 cities, towns and metropolises committed to building a sustainable future. By helping our Members to make their cities sustainable, low-carbon, resilient, biodiverse, resource-efficient, healthy and happy, with a green economy and smart infrastructure, we impact over 20 per cent of the global urban population.

 

Media contacts:

Katrina Borromeo, ICLEI, Head of Communications, +49-(0)228 / 976 299-16 media@iclei.org