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Read the second edition of the UBC Sustainability eBulletin!

From now on we will keep you up to date with news from the commission and the secretariat, project updates and upcoming events with our quarterly Sustainability eBulletin! The first issue is out now, you can read it here! Happy reading! 

Do you want to improve your knowlegde about Sustainable Urban Mobility PLans (SUMPs)? Or do you face challenges in your mobility planning that you need to overcome? The first two courses are now online and ready for registrations!The CH4LLENGE project develops 5 online learning courses (within 2015)

UBC has recently reorganized their Commissions; the former 12 UBC commissions have been merged into seven Commissions according to new themes. The former UBC Commissions of Environment, Energy and Transport have been joined into one, the UBC Sustainable Cities Commission. The Sustainable Cities Commission and its secretariat will continue to be hosted by the city of Turku as the former EnvCom Secretariat.

Saving the Baltic Sea also creates economic growth According to a new study, the future of the Baltic Sea can be improved through a stronger municipal environmental strategy that would also boost local economies and labor markets. Within the entire Baltic Sea region, 900 000 jobs could be created by 2030, representing almost 2% of the total labor supply.

The dates are set for this year’s leading event on the promotion of a secure, clean and efficient energy for Europe. The EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) will take place from 15 to 19 June 2015 in Brussels and across Europe. The European Commission invites you to be part of it, organising an Energy Day, applying for the Sustainable Energy Europe Awards or attending one of the hundreds of events to take place during the entire month of June 2015.

Current technological development of the wastewater sector in Belarus poses challenges to find suitable ways for building up the knowledge of water professionals. UBC EnvCom led project LearnWater aims to launch the development of Belarusian lifelong-learning concept for wastewater management sector, so that it supports the competence building and sustainability of the investments on new technology.

The workshop targets local authorities, regions and relevant stakeholders in the Nordic region who are interested in the opportunities that the Covenant of Mayors offers in meeting the CO2 emission reduction targets. The event will focus on how the established support structure of the Covenant of Mayors as well as the overall Covenant Community can catalyze the process towards meeting the 2020 targets set by all Nordic Signatories.

The CIVITAS DYN@MO has published two brochures focusing on clean vehicles and participation 2.0. The brochures are the two first ones of a series of four brochures that will focus each on one specific topic.

UBC Commission on Environment took part in the two-day joint event for the Annual Forum of the EUSBSR and the Baltic Development Forum Summit hosted by the City of Turku. The event was part of a larger Turku Baltic Sea Days 2014 week held during the first week of June. UBC EnvCom was also showcasing its activities as an exhibitor in the Networking Village at the joint stand with four other organisations of the Baltic Sea House.

Mr. Björn Grönholm, Head of Secretariat at the Union of the Baltic Cities Commission on Environment, has been awarded with the Europe Foundation’s Baltic Sea Prize 2013. The Europe Foundation is a Finnish foundation that focuses on the protective work done for the Baltic Sea as well as overall co-operation between Finland and Europe. The foundation was established in 2000 and the Baltic Sea Prize was first awarded in 2010.

During 2011-2013 the QUEST project developed a Quality Management Tool to help small and medium-sized cities to set up and further develop their sustainable mobility policies and actions with the assistance of an external expert - the QUEST Auditor. The tool has now been finalised and it is time to take a look at the results and the future of QUEST.