Tallinn attends Eurocities conference, discusses sustainable development and aid to Ukraine
Tallinn Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart, together with a five-member delegation, is taking part in the Eurocities conference in Espoo, Finland, from 8-10 June. Mayor Kõlvart will also attend the Eurocities executive committee meeting and annual general meeting.
This year’s conference is titled “An Era of new Beginnings”, and focuses on the complex challenges of cities brought by Covid pandemic, forcing municipalities to rethink their plans for the future. Together, these challenges need to be mapped out and ambitious goals set for a more sustainable and greener future.
“Cities have a significant role to play in tackling Europe’s major challenges, whether it’s achieving carbon neutrality, developing sustainable mobility or bringing more greenery to urban spaces,” said Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart. “As the European Green Capital 2023 and a member of the Eurocities executive committee, Tallinn can be at the forefront of tackling these challenges and ensuring that the goals set for the future are ambitious, innovative and truly achievable.”
The conference will also include a meeting of mayors from the Nordic and Baltic countries on the situation in Ukraine and cooperation between European cities in the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities.
Tallinn, as a lead partner of the European Sustainable Cities Network Global Goals for Cities, in cooperation with the City of Espoo, the Association of Finnish Municipalities and Nordregio, has also drafted a joint statement calling on Eurocities to support cities’ cooperation in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Krista Kampus, Executive Director of the Tallinn Green Capital 2023 and a member of the delegation, said: “Today’s cities have to deal with major challenges – whether it’s climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic or an ageing population. “To deal with them, we need to come out of the silos and work together. This proposal is our first step to launch a broader debate in Europe on the governance of sustainable urban development,” said Kampus.
The SDGs aim to eradicate poverty everywhere and ensure dignity and a good quality of life for all, while taking into account the need to preserve and protect our planet’s natural resources.
Eurocities is Europe’s largest and most influential association of major European cities, with over 200 member cities. Tallinn has been a member of Eurocities since 1998 and in 2021 was elected for the second time to the 12-member executive committee.
Eurocities aims to enhance the quality of life of European cities, promote and facilitate the implementation of practical projects by member cities in Europe, improve the exchange of knowledge, experience and practical results between European city governments, lobby the European institutions and influence the European agenda to ensure that the views of major cities are taken into account in policy development planning.