FIFTY MAYORS SIGN URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL ACCORDS

On June 6, fifty mayors signed the Urban Environmental Accords, a set of twenty-one non-binding commitments to maintain vibrant and livable urban centers for current and future generations. The signing of the Accords marked the culmination of the five-day 2005 UN World Environment Day conference in San Francisco, California.

The Urban Environmental Accords are a set of twenty-one non-binding commitments whose implementation will protect environmental and human health in cities around the world. The commitments were chosen to achieve four main goals: the advancement of sustainability, the fostering of vibrant economies, the promotion of social equity, and the protection of the planet.

The commitments in the Urban Environmental Accords fall into seven major categories: energy, waste reduction, urban design, urban nature, transportation, environmental health, and water. The goal for all signatories is to implement as many of the actions as possible by World Environment Day 2012.

The Accords address modern problems ranging from energy scarcity and water contamination to indoor air pollution and lack of access to locally-grown organic foods. One section calls for a plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by twenty-five percent by 2030. Another calls for the expansion of affordable public transportation coverage to within a half kilometer of all city residents by 2015. Other provisions address the construction of eco-friendly buildings, the expansion of access to safe drinking water, and the coordination of land use for multiple activities, to name a few.

Over 115 mayoral delegations attended the conference. The cities at the conference represented tremendous geographical and economic diversity, with delegations from cities such as Kampala, Uganda; Melbourne, Australia and Sinaia, Romania.

After seven years, a City Green Star rating will be established for all cities whose mayors have signed the declaration. Based on the number of accords implemented, each city will be assigned a certain number of stars, ranging from one star (for 8-11 actions) to four stars (for 19-21 actions). As a general rule, each city is encouraged to adopt three commitments per year.


Updated September 6, 2005

Official Green Cities Declaration and Urban Environmental Accords
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Urban Environmental Accords
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