Fifth Nevsky International Ecological Congress

St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 18 May 2012

Speech by Keith Whitmore, President Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

Council of Europe

Mr Chairman,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to address this Nevsky International Ecological Congress on behalf of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, a pan-European assembly of elected politicians representing more than 200 000 territorial communities from 47 European countries.

Holding the annual Ecological Congress in St Petersburg has become an excellent tradition, driven by the imperative of developing a new system of interaction between the humankind and the environment. Our rapidly changing world and society – a world which is becoming increasingly industrialised and globalised, a society which is characterised by constantly expanding consumption – bring to the forefront a vast range of issues which must be addressed urgently. Today, we are speaking about the need for ecological security and responsible consumption, about energy efficiency and sustainable use of energy – especially renewable and alternative energy sources – as well as about the development and application of “green” technologies in all spheres of human activity.

Some scientists are saying today that we have entered into a new geological era called the Anthropocene – an era where the evidence and impact of human activities on the ecosystems of our planet are so vast, deep and intense, and have been so for such a long time, that we can no longer draw a distinction between Man and Nature, and have to take them together as one single whole. In other words, it is no longer possible to speak of the environment without speaking of human activities which have become an integral part of the environment.

This means that the whole complex interrelationship between ecology and society must be seen in a new light. We cannot go back and “uninvent” industry, cars, electricity or nuclear energy, but we certainly can and must move forward, through innovation and modernisation, through “green” industries and new consumption patterns, to make sure that the sometimes disastrous and devastating impact of our activities on the environment is reversed.

The vocation of the Nevsky Ecological Congress is to bring together all stakeholders in this matter to discuss how to move ahead, to examine concrete ways, measures and good practices helping us with this forward motion. This is no task for one man, as they say: no government, scientific community or industrial sector alone can do it single-handedly. We need joint and concerted efforts of all stakeholders, and local and regional authorities, which the Council of Europe Congress represents, have a truly crucial role to play in this process.

Indeed, an overwhelming majority of the European population today lives in towns and cities. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP),[1] urban areas are now home to 50 per cent of the world’s population, and they account for 60 to 80 per cent of energy consumption and 75 per cent of carbon emissions. In Europe, urban communities are sadly the biggest polluters – through local industries, public and private transport, residential and industrial heating, construction and local consumption.

But at the same time, local authorities today are holding keys to many solutions, as it is within their competences to make choices on local industrial development, public transport or residential heating, to regulate construction materials and efficient uses of energy, to invite “green” industries to their communities, and to lead by example in changing consumption styles and waste recycling.

Local and regional authorities also must have a choice in what energy sources to use, even in the production of energy, in order to break off the dependence on what is imposed by national governments or large energy providers. This was indeed the emphasis of the latest report on the subject by the Council of Europe Congress, a report on energy supply and energy efficiency at local and regional levels, debated last October. I am pleased to say that our Rapporteur on this subject is from the Russian Federation, host country of this event – Mrs Svetlana ORLOVA, Head of the Russian delegation to the Congress and Vice-Chair of the Federation Council of Russia.

I would also add that local and regional authorities account for two thirds of all public expenditure, at least as far as European Union countries are concerned, which is to say that they have not only competences and responsibility but also means to make a difference for ecology. Today, of course, this has to be taken against the background of the battle with the economic and financial crisis, but here, too, “green” industries and more efficient consumption can offer more cost-effective and money-saving solutions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Council of Europe Congress has indeed been following closely the issues discussed here in St Petersburg, for the reasons I have just mentioned. Over the years, we have put forward a wide range of recommendations for both local and regional and national action in the ecological field – on energy, transport, water uses, urban biodiversity, sustainable consumption, responses to climate change, to name but a few. This is why our participation in the Nevsky Ecological Congress for many years has also become a good tradition, which should be continued in the future and lead to a substantive exchange of ideas and proposals for action.

I welcome the participants of this Fifth Congress and wish you fruitful and constructive discussions. Thank you.