World Environment Day in San Francisco

San Francisco suddenly became the focus of global environmental awareness and protection when it hosted World Environment Day. From 1- 5 June leading figures from the worlds of business, academia and politics assembled in San Francisco to discuss the challenges of articulating an environmental policy for the future. This year's World Environment Day was held under the banner of "Green Cities" and was therefore especially targeted at the political representatives of a number of cities and countries.

Cities have become the dominant institution of our global civilization. For the first time in human history more people now live in cities than in rural areas. Cities already consume 75% of the planet's natural resources.

The goal of World Environment Day was to create awareness of the demographical changes worldwide and to provide leadership and best-practices advice. Mayor Gavin Newsom invited mayors and political leaders from across the globe to come to San Francisco under the umbrella of the United Nations World Environment Day to forge a path towards a sustainable urban future.

At the end of the event, participating cities signed the "Urban Environmental Accords", a compendium of concrete and achievable goals for critical environmental areas. The purpose was to establish universal benchmarks of urban environmental progress and identify the tools needed to achieve these targets.

Zurich is setting the pace in environmentally responsible behaviour
Zurich Mayor Elmar Ledergerber headed a delegation of representatives from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Swiss Re and Novatlantis. The City of Zurich came across as confident with its own refreshing slogans: " Oil drilling in the Alaskan wilderness? You'd be better off looking at energy saving solutions in your sister city Zurich."

As a matter of fact, Zurich is a pioneer in this regard, having won awards, the recent European Energy Award® Gold being a case in point. Consequently, a symposium of energy efficiency solutions conducted by the city of Zurich in conjunction with ETH Zurich and Swiss Re was included in the World Environment Day international programme in San Francisco.

At the symposium the Zurich luminaries showcased leading-edge technologies and the public-private partnerships between the City of Zurich, the ETH Zurich and Swiss Re, all of whom are taking on responsibility for paving the way towards a greener Zurich. This journey - from today's best practices in buildings, energy services and mobility - to the long-term vision of a "2000-watt society" ( 2000 watt/per capita energy consumption rate) underscored urban sustainable development as profitable and ecologically viable, with partnership as the key to success. "Green buildings and technologies have significantly improved tenant comforts, generated more income for owners and developers and, just as importantly, enhanced the benefits to society", stated Andreas Schläpfer, Head of Environmental Management at Swiss Re.

The cooperation between academia, government and business is a premier example of what can be achieved if everyone pulls together in bringing an idea to fruition. New and innovative ideas can become reality thanks to the cooperation of the public and private sectors, which in this particular case is helping to make a difference in furthering environmentally responsible behaviour.