For the past 25 years, ICLEI Europe has hosted the flagship European Sustainable Cities and Towns conference series. The series has led to ground-breaking commitments and milestones in support of local governments driving sustainable development, including the Aalborg Charter (1994), Aalborg Commitments (2004), and the Basque Declaration (2016) for a socio-cultural, socio-economic and technological transformation.
The conference will take place for the ninth time from 30 September to 2 October 2020 in ICLEI Member Mannheim (Germany).
With over 800 participants anticipated, Mannheim2020 will offer cities and urban stakeholders inspiration, clear pathways for action, and a renewed commitment to take sustainability to the next level. It will accelerate bottom-up action to push global ambition for sustainability.
The world is facing major environmental, economic, and social challenges that require a substantial transformation across all aspects of society. A sense of urgency with respect to climate action is now widespread, as seen, for example, through global youth movements and elections. However, implementation of the necessary transformation is lagging behind, hampered by our current growth-based system that is not fit for long-term sustainability. In this landscape, we need courageous leadership.
As urbanisation continues and cities are proving themselves to be hubs of innovative solutions to global challenges, it is clear that local governments must – and are – assuming their crucial role in the necessary transformation. Responsibility for meeting global goals lies with decision-makers at all levels, including European institutions, the private sector, academia, and citizens.
Mannheim2020 will contribute to shaping European frameworks and accelerating meaningful local action. The role of cities will be highlighted and supported at the conference through connecting local actors with national and European governing levels.
Mannheim2020 will convene all of these stakeholders with a common vision for making change. Cutting-edge urban action will be showcased, organisations will present innovative ideas, and work towards transformation will be advanced. It is imperative that local government practitioners come together with other urban stakeholders to ensure that we transform Europe for a sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.
Stay up-to-date and be the first to know when registration opens, speakers are announced, and calls for submissions go live by subscribing to the Mannheim2020 mailing list (bottom of the homepage) and following the Sustainable Cities Platform on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
For more information, please visit: mannheim2020.eu.