At the end of the day
eco-friendliness is all about improving our living conditions.
According to Michael Cohen, Mayor of Kalkara, Malta, this is easily
forgotten in everyday talk about bans and restrictions which will
help us save our planet – but at the same time force us to
fundamentally change our way of living.
Local government is a key factor
Michael Cohen is a member of the Maltese Labour Party and PES Group Coordinator in the
Commission for Sustainable Development. Leading up to
the ‘Save our Planet’ event of the PES Group of the Committee of
the Regions he shares his thoughts on the PES manifesto and what
local governments can do to improve the environment:
“I think the most important environmental challenge in Europe
right now is the high population density. A lot of forest has been
burned and there’s not much land anymore. We need to plant more
forest and to ensure more open spaces. This is a particular problem
for Malta and other small European countries,” says Michael Cohen
and continues: “It’s vital to get local councils and governments
involved a lot more in environmental...read more
Sometimes it takes old
technologies to solve the problems of modern life! This is the case
in the Greater Manchester Region, United Kingdom, where good
old-fashioned rail helped the regions out of its problems with
traffic congestion and pollution.
"50 years ago Greater Manchester abandoned its tram system and
in the 1980s the area faced major congestion problems. With the
introduction of ‘Metrolink’ in 1992 a lot of these problems were
solved," explains Dave Quayle.
40 million car journeys off
‘Metrolink’ is unusual because the vehicles are running on both
‘traditional’, heavy rail lines and tram tracks. This makes public
transport in the...
read more
How do you encourage people to more sustainable life styles? By
setting a good example! Bernd Vögerle, Mayor of Gerasdorf in
Austria, explains about his city's efforts to become greener.
Green cities
On 15 May 2008 the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions will
host a conference on ‘Save our Planet’ in Torino, Italy. Leading up
to the event Yourspace invites local and regional politicians to
give their view on what the PES manifesto should say about the
environment. This article is the third in the ‘Green cities’
series, offering a local perspective on global challenges.read more
How can you encourage people to use public transport instead of
cars? This is a challenge that many local and regional politicians
struggle with. Bernard Soulage from the region of
Rhône-Alpes, France, and Member of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions presents a
solution: one single ticket for the entire transport network,
including bicycle rental!
Green cities
On 15 May 2008 the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions will
host a conference on ‘Save our Planet’ in Torino, Italy. Leading up
to the event Yourspace invites local and regional politicians to
give their view on what the PES manifesto should say about the
environment. This article is the second in the ‘Green cities’
series, offering a local perspective on global
challenges. read more
When speaking to Ilmar
Reepalu, Mayor of Malmö, Sweden, and member of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions, you realize
that mentality is really the key to change when it comes to
combating climate change. Since the mid-nineties Reepalu has been
working to change Malmö from an industrial town to a modern, green
capital of the region. And with great success – Malmö has received
numerous prizes for its green projects, most recently the
prestigious ‘LivCom’ award in London.
“The beginning of the nineties was a time of crisis for traditional
industry in Malmö and 26,000 people lost their jobs. We needed to
change the priorities of the town from industrial production to
knowledge economy and as a part of this process we wanted to go
green,” explains Reepalu.
Completely sustainable housing
For more than 15 years the city council has been working to inspire
a more eco-friendly mentality among the citizens of Malmö. The
approach is whole-hearted and grasps everything from encouraging
school children to plant trees to introducing better public
transportation. The flag-ship project...
read more
At the end of the day
eco-friendliness is all about improving our living conditions.
According to Michael Cohen, Mayor of Kalkara, Malta, this is easily
forgotten in everyday talk about bans and restrictions which will
help us save our planet – but at the same time force us to
fundamentally change our way of living.
Sometimes it takes old
technologies to solve the problems of modern life! This is the case
in the Greater Manchester Region, United Kingdom, where good
old-fashioned rail helped the regions out of its problems with
traffic congestion and pollution.
When speaking to Ilmar
Reepalu, Mayor of Malmö, Sweden, and member of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions, you realize
that mentality is really the key to change when it comes to
combating climate change. Since the mid-nineties Reepalu has been
working to change Malmö from an industrial town to a modern, green
capital of the region. And with great success – Malmö has received
numerous prizes for its green projects, most recently the
prestigious ‘LivCom’ award in London. 
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