BELGIUM

Brussels
One year ago, on 11 June 2004 the 1000 participants of the Fourth European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns, Aalborg +10, adopted the Aalborg Commitments as the conference declaration and representatives of 110 local governments signed the document on stage. This initiative has a number of similarities with the Urban Accords that are currently being developed for World Environment Day 2005 in San Francisco. The initiative is called the Environmental Aalborg Commitments.
The Aalborg Commitments encourage local governments to start target setting across the 10 fields of sustainability defined in the document. The initiative also includes several steps, namely: producing a baseline review of the local situation, setting local targets, defining action plans and monitoring the progress. The Commitments also aim to monitor the local sustainability processes and facilitate the exchange of experience and benchmarking among the local governments in Europe. To date approximately 250 local governments throughout Europe have signed the declaration. Aalborg Commitments FINAL.pdf (21.6Kb)

Brussels
As previous years, UNEP Brussels will give a high profile to World Environment Day (WED) celebrations. The UNEP Brussels team is developing and designing a series of leaflets, posters and a special WED edition of the UNEP Brussels fortnightly newsletter. The themes for this year's outreach materials are transport and mobility, and energy. Our aim is to raise awareness and facilitate change on these key issues closely related to our behavior patterns in urban areas. The leaflets give ideas and easy tips to help us look at our behavior, its environmental impacts, and to change it. Key areas of concern and benefits of change, even slight ones, are highlighted. The leaflets are designed in such a way that they provide a folder for other materials. We are considering the inclusion of a CD-ROM with UNEP’s TV campaign on public transport. These information materials will be widely distributed.
In its activities for WED, UNEP Brussels works with various partners, including the European Commission- DG Environment, governments, private sector, NGOs, associations and schools. We also focus on outreach and media coverage, through press conferences, TV and radio interviews or newspaper articles.
Since 2003, they have collaborated with the European Commission Green Week http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/greenweek celebrations (May 31 to June 3). Green Week takes place at the beginning of June to coincide with WED. This year’s motto is: Get to grips with climate change. Green Week is a four-day series of events, exhibitions and conferences to raise the public’s awareness on sound environmental practices. As in previous years, UNEP will have a stand to present its latest reports and initiatives, as well as to disseminate the leaflets developed in partnership with the European Commission.

FINLAND

Joensuu
ENO-Environment Online is a global web school for environmental awareness at 180 schools in 69 countries. ENO's bicycle parade and kite flying events on the occasion of World Environment Day will finish the 2004-05 school year. ENO will organize a bicycle trip with students to a local park or green area where they will be able to fly their kites. The kite is a symbol of the ENO programme, and with these activities they will celebrate the day, not only in Finland but in schools in 69 countries!

For more information, please contact:
Mr. Mika Vanhanen
ENO-Environment Online
Pataluodonkatu 4
80160 Joensuu
Finland
Tel: +358 40 5070725
E-mail:vanhanen@cc.joensuu.fi
Website: http://eno.joensuu.fi

GERMANY

Stockach
Tour de Twiel - enjoy the landscape on a walk at the Mountain "Hohentwiel" just beside the town Singen near Lake Constance (most of the Hohentwiel is a natur reservation zone) - enjoy the wine grown at the hillside of Hohentwiel - enjoy a lot of cultural activities - music, land art, theatre. This the effort of the organization Modellprojekt Konstanz GmbH and the city council of Singen to commemorate WED on 5 June 2005 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets per person available for 14 EUR (in presale, special prices for groups available).

For more information, please contact:
tourist-information of Singen
Tel. ++49 7731 85 262.
Website: www.tour-de-twiel.de

ITALY

Rome
To commemorate WED, Annarella Youth Community Association is planning to organise, in collaboration with the municipality of Rome and with the support of some Italian recycling firms and environmental associations, the following activities: · Bycycle parade; · Awareness campaign; · Environmental associations network; · Seminars; · Art using recycled materials; · Youth-led activities; · Use sustainable modes of transport.

NORTHERN IRELAND

County Antrim
In the week leading up to 5 June, the Ulster Wildlife Trust will hold two guided wildlife walks in the borough of Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. The 'Blackhead' coastal path walk from Whitehead will take place on 4 June 2005 at 17.00. The Carrickfergus urban wildlife walk will take place on 5 June 2005 at 17.00. The walks will be advertised in the local press as part of the WED celebrations and the Carrickfergus walk will look at urban wildlife, thus also reflecting the theme of this year's UN WED. The walks will be guide-led and will last for one hour. The trust will produce some trail leaflets to go with the walks and there will be a short section on the history of WED.

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Chisinau
On the occasion of World Environment Day (WED), the youth environmental NGO SalvaEco, in collaboration with another NGO, Viitorul Verde (Green Future), will organize an awareness campaign entitled "Take Care of Your Waste at Home". This activity will take place at the national level, and articles will be published in magazines and newspapers. Media coverage will also include radio, TV and Internet. In addition, SalvaEco volunteers will distribute plastic bags with flyers in public places to enhance environmental awareness and action.

SPAIN

Valencia
On the occasion of WED, the Scouting Group "VALLDIGNA" (Valencia-Spain) is organizing activities, together with the Clean-Up- the-Mediterranean action, including: talks in two Primary School; cleaning of the Sea Shore in the beach, and an ecological walk through the sand dunes, explaining the importance of Sustainable Developlent and the preservation of such an important ecosystems. This activity will be opened to all scholars in the town, in small groups.

UNEP's Regional Office for Europe (ROE)

On the occasion of World Environment Day, UNEP's Regional Office for Europe (ROE) is organizing on 3 June a roundtable of Green Cities officials from Geneva and two or three nearby Swiss, French or German cities, followed by a reception hosted with the Swiss. The aim is to illustrate the theme of the day through a series of satellite images of Geneva and other cities around the globe representing "yesterday and today" features and the need to pursue Green Cities strategies more energetically. This project is being undertaken by ROE, through its Geneva Environment Network (GEN) project, and GRID/Geneva. The illustration may take the shape of a series of images to hang on the walls or be produced as a brochure.

ROE is also considering using a selection of the paintings produced by children for the 14th International Painting Competition, either as posters or to be hung on walls.

The following week, ROE/GEN will be involved in what has now become an annual event organised by the Town of Geneva called "Journées de développement durable" (Sustainable Development Day) - a three-day fair aiming at raising the public's awareness on sound environmental practices.

As customary, ROE will ensure that the UNEP flag is hoisted on the Mont Blanc bridge for a one-week period during WED.

For more information, please contact:
Kristin Ebbesen, Liaison Assistant
UNEP-Regional Office for Europe
11-13, chemin des Anémones
CH-1219 Châtelaine-Genève
Tel: +41 22 917 8279
Fax. +41 22 797 3420

UNITED KINGDOM

Coventry
World Environment Day will see the launch of the Urban Wildlife Network. Main aims are to:

• Promote and increase understanding of the importance and benefits of nature in towns and cities;
• Advance education and awareness and promote public involvement in wildlife and nature conservation in urban areas;
• Encourage, advise and support members of the community, voluntary, private and public sectors involved in conserving, restoring and creating natural and semi-natural habitats and biodiversity in towns and cities;
• Promote a strategic vision of urban living built on sustainable natural systems and enhanced connections between people and nature.

For more information, please contact:
Ms. Michelle Bennett
Senior Urban Ranger (Parks)
Urban Wildlife Network
West Orchard House
28-34 Corporation Street
Coventry CV1 1GF
United Kingdom
Tel: (44 024) 7683 272
E-mail: michelle.Bennett@coventry.gov.uk

London
London Sustainability Weeks (LSW) is a the largest project to date of London 21 Sustainability Network - www.london21.org. This two-week programme celebrates local action for sustainability in Greater London, to coincide with World Environment Day on 5 June. Events are organised by local organisations and London-wide networks: there are 9 supporting partner organisations, who work on issues such as food-growing, recycling, city farms, energy and social inclusion. LSW was first run on a small scale in 2003 (with about 50 events in one week). In 2004, London 21 received financial support for this work and expanded the event from one to two weeks. The partnership of organisations supported over 350 local events across the city. The core idea is that it can be hard for small projects to get publicity and media coverage on their own due to limited resources and staff time. By working together we are able to provide a stronger story for the press and the public.

Preston
Lancashire County Council Environment Directorate is celebrating World Environment Day in a very unique way. On 2 June 2005 they will open the Vertical Composting Unit pilot plant at Tom Benson Way, Preston, which processes putrescible kitchen waste. On 3 June 2005 a 18 hectare land reclamation scheme in Fleetwood, Wyre will be opened, which has transformed a former redundant power station site into the leisure and recreational facility known as Fleetwood Marsh Nature Park.

Manchester
To commemorate WED, the Mersey Basin Campaign is organizing a series of open days across the Northwest of England to allow people to visit interesting places/events that are not normally open to the public. Host organizations are being invited to open all or part of their premises on the weekend of 4-5 June for all or part of one or two days. The open days will provide a unique opportunity for people to see good environmental practice, have a fun day out and be inspired to consider the impact of their everyday lives on the environment.

For more information, please contact:
Ms. Denise Patfield
Mersey Basin Campaign
28th Floor , City Tower
Manchester
United Kingdom
Tel: 44 0161 242 8200
Fax: 44 0161 242 8201
E-mail: denisepatfield@merseybasin.org.uk
Website:www.merseybasin.org.uk

Manchester
To celebrate World Environment Day, United Futures (United Utilities and Groundwork) is arranging five employee volunteering events, which will take place on Groundwork sites. Activities, which will include pond-dipping, planting beds, footpath clearance and vegetation maintenance, are designed to get employees out on site improving their local environment. Up to 120 United Utilities employees from across all businesses will be involved and aim to make it a day to remember! As well as this, a family fun day is being organised with a strong environmental theme and will be held at one of the environmental education centres, and within the surrounding nature reserve.

Merseyside
The Birkenhead Land Registry has adopted a local scout group and they are working with them to create a useable garden and wetland area. The scouts have an area of land behind their scout hut which the Registry hopes to improve in order to attract wildlife with the wetland area and bird and bat boxes. The work will culminate in an event on 5 June where the staff will help the scouts with planting, tidying the area, constructing the wetland area and then having a barbecue. Its a way for all to work together to improve the environment.

Telford
In combination with their own environmental raising awareness campaign held every June, Epson Telford will hold its third competition to celebrate World Environment Day with local primary schools in the Telford area. This year they will ask primary school pupils in the Telford area to enter a poster, which depicts their vision for a green city of the future - in line with the WED theme this year Green cities - Plan for the Planet!. Epson Telford will donatr prizes to a total value of £1000 shared between the three winners.