Nevsky International Ecological Congress

St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 15 May 2009

Speech by Ian Micallef, President a.i. of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Mr Chairman,

Dear members of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly,

Dear member of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour for me to address this important Ecological Congress. Indeed, I see the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and of course the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe as close institutional partners of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities which I represent.

It is only natural as we share so much in our public action – the common cause of furthering democratic development, the common objective of improving the well-being of our societies, the values and principles which we apply in our work, finally, the methods – using the power of elected representatives to advance our cause.

The issues of sustainable development in all its different aspects, including environmental protection and ecological concerns, are in the centre of the activities of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. We, local and regional authorities, regard sustainable development as the basis to ensure our citizens a good quality of life, employment and a reasonable future for their children. We are keen on creating the best conditions for a new urban and rural environment in which citizens’ concerns are placed in the centre of public action; an environment which integrates political, economic, social, ecological and cultural aspects of every-day life of our citizens; finally, an environment in which citizens can exercise and realise their rights and potential freely and to the full.

This spirit is reflected in the European Urban Charter II: Manifesto for a new urbanity, adopted by the Congress in May 2008, which sets out principles for modern urban governance and living. The Manifesto calls on all actors involved to implement the principles of ethical governance, sustainable development and greater solidarity in their public policies, aimed at building a sustainable and environmentally friendly city, developing urban ecology, reducing the ecological footprint of our towns and cities, preserving natural resources and biodiversity, and saving energy.

We strongly hope that this new Charter will inspire local authorities in Europe and beyond as a guide towards, as its title says, a new urbanity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

         

We in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, a representative body of more than 200,000 European territorial communities, are convinced that today, these communities, representing our cities and our regions, and their authorities are the stakeholders that governments cannot do without. Today, solutions to even the most taxing problems require their necessary involvement. Global challenges facing our societies – climate change, migration, social and economic upheavals, demographic change – all call for responses from local and regional level.

Tackling climate change and global warming, for example, necessitates building adaptive capacities of local and regional communities and finding ways for optimal use of local resources, be it water management, waste disposal, optimisation of public transport networks, sustainable use of energy sources or industrial applications. It also means introducing innovative approaches, because new problems require new solutions, and here local and regional authorities have been showing remarkable ingenuity experimenting with what fits best in their communities.

Numerous municipal networks existing in Europe today and focusing on specific aspects of sustainable development – such as, for example, Energy Cities – are just another proof of it. With their wealth of experience, territorial communities have much to share with their counterparts and, yes, with national governments which have no other way than to take them on board – because, after all, it is the communities that bear the brunt of the consequences of the governments’ decisions.

Energy is not just another commoditiy. Like water, air, raw material and food, energy is essential for all human activities. This is why it is our strong belief that local and regional authorities must play a key role in addressing the question of ecological security and the use of energy resources, which are among the main themes of the Nevsky International Ecological Congress. In fact, our Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has recently spoken for a new energy culture and made recommendations on a number of issues on today’s agenda.

 

We also believe in the ability of local and regional authorities to take up the new challenges of energy use and production which needs to “go local”. Local and regional authorities must be involved in the decision-making process on energy issues through a system of consultations, and must be responsible for informing their citizens about energy-related decisions.

On the other hand, local and regional authorities can promote a more efficient use of energy, and offer innovative ideas and practices. They can influence the sectors for which they have responsibility as consumers, as service providers, as spatial planners and as transport policy-makers; as energy producers and suppliers and as advisers, inciters and models for the population as a whole. They can implement exemplary policies to reduce the level of energy consumption and focus on their capacity to develop renewable resources.  In practical terms, local and regional authorities have numerous possibilities in their action to reduce the energy fossil dependency.  Encouraging car-sharing or the use of bicycles against cars, using ecologically clean vehicles for public transport, improving heat insulation in buildings, inviting “cleaner” industries for local production, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels – all these issues are within the competences of local and regional authorities.

There is no doubt that they are also part of the overall solution to the problem of ecological security – to consume better, using services of higher quality; to consume more efficiently, maximising the effectiveness and diversifying energy sources; to consume responsibly, reducing overconsumption and increasing the use of ecologically clean and renewable sources. In the long run, it will mean consuming less.

The necessary technology, materials and equipment already exists. What is needed is a shift in attitudes and behaviour, a new energy culture and an integrated energy strategy, which would involve all levels of government and all sectors of society. This strategy must be aimed at pursuing efficient production processes while reducing waste, using fuels more efficiently and relying more on renewable energies. In order to elaborate and implement such a strategy, a cooperation network is necessary, involving national, regional and local authorities.

This is where forums such as the Nevsky International Ecological Congress, and organisations such as the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS, the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly and its Congress of Local and Regional Authorities come into play. We need to create synergies for practical cooperation, exchanges of ideas, and sharing of experiences and best practices in order to contribute to finding solutions, developing a new energy culture and elaborating an integrated energy strategy.

I am especially pleased that this Congress is taking place in the Russian Federation, a country with which the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has long established a relationship of constructive interaction and close involvement. We have been deeply engaged in developing legal frameworks for federalism and local self-government in Russia even before this country joined the Council of Europe, and we continue to follow closely the practical application of the relevant legislation. Our Committee on Sustainable Development held a special meeting in Kemerovo in September 2005, where it examined several issues which are also of relevance to today’s conference – such as waste disposal, regeneration of mining areas, sustainable water management and environmental accounting, in particular in Siberia. Some of the sustainable development questions were also discussed during the Autumn Session of our Congress in Moscow in November 2006.

I am convinced that with the help of the Russian delegation to the Congress, which is very active, and our partners in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, we will be able to establish further cooperation with the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS – cooperation which will not be limited only to sustainable development issues. On the other hand, I also hope that the Interparliamentary Assembly will pay closer attention to the work of local and regional authorities and their associations in your respective countries. Their experience is of particular importance today, at a time of the financial and economic crisis.

Together, we can offset the effects of this crisis. Together, we can offer our citizens a better quality of life in their communities. Together, we can make sure that the Declaration which will be adopted today will be heard and taken on board.

I wish this forum every success in its work.

Thank you.