Don’t forget the Green Deal: 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns will take place in Aalborg

The event, which gathers local and regional governments from the continent, takes place once every four years

Much like the Olympic Games, the annual European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns (ESCT) takes place once every four years. 2024 is one of those scheduled years, with the Danish city of Aalborg and ICLEI Europe preparing to host the event from 1-3 October.

The ESCT may not have the global scope of the Olympics, but it sure seeks to reaffirm and push progress on a subject that is dear to all Europeans – climate change and urban resilience. However, there’s also a growing scepticism around the European Green Deal, which is why the participants in the event will aim to affirm and shape a climate-neutral, resilient and just future through the implementation of Local Green Deals (LGD), and other place-based sustainable solutions, in line with the original European and global goals.

In Aalborg, we do not wait around for solutions, but develop them together. Therefore, it is important that we dare to take the lead and push for more green development throughout Europe. In my view, sharing experiences amongst communities is one of the most important things we can do in order to speed up the green transition, and I am very pleased that we are hosting Aalborg2024. I look forward to both sharing experiences and developing new approaches in order to promote sustainability in European cities," shares Aalborg Mayor Lasse Frimand Jensen.

As the level of governance closest to the people, and with an estimated 70% of global CO2 emissions coming from urban areas (IPCC, 2022), local and regional governments are in a unique position to implement a democratic and sustainable transition with support from national governments and European institutions.

This will be Aalborg's third time hosting the ESCT conference, building on the legacy of previous editions and outcomes, including the most recent 2020 conference which led to the Mannheim Message. The conference will be opened by Aalborg Mayor Lasse Frimand Jensen, jointly with ICLEI Europe's President, the Mayor of Freiburg (Germany), Martin Horn.

Shared governance as a pillar in democratic climate action

The 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns also marks the 30th Anniversary of the Aalborg Charter (1994) and the 20th Anniversary of the Aalborg Commitments (2004). To mark the occasion, as well as respond to the needs of the ongoing climate emergency, this year’s event promises to set the highest bar for success yet.

Building on the discussions and the 2020 Mannheim Message, Aalborg2024 will also underscore the importance of democracy in spearheading local solutions to a variety of sustainability-related challenges, including three key policy shifts, outlined recently in a joint letter to the European Commission from eight leading networks of cities and regions: bottom-up shared governance, more efficient integrated finance and a more inclusive, cohesive transition.

From onsite and offsite workshops to exhibits and deep dive sessions, the conference will provide a myriad of opportunities for attendees to contribute to the sustainable transformation of Europe's towns and cities. 

To take advantage of reduced early-bird tickets to the event, visit the ESCT website and register for Aalborg2024 before 30 June.