The 2019 « Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards Ceremony » was held in the UN Conference Center in Addis Ababa on September 6th. 26 organizations and individuals from around the world were awarded in various categories.
Vitoria-Gasteiz, member of the International Network of Michelin Cities, hosted the 2nd Conference in March 2019.
Gorka Urtaran, Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz, collected the prize in Addis Abeba (Ethiopia), underlining his city’s commitment to the development of “sustainable cities designed for people. Cities with good quality of life, which are competitive from an economic point of view and that are role models in the field of the Environment. (…) We are a city completely committed to fight the climate change, to urban renewal, energy transition, sustainable mobility and the creation of green and human cities that guarantee the well-being of citizens. This award confirms that the policies that we are developing in our city are correct, aligned with the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN 2030 Agenda. In addition, the award is an incentive to continue working in this line, addressing the challenges we face in the coming years. And, of course, this recognition also represents a source of pride for our city. We show again that we are able to stand out, not only in Europe, but also throughout the world”.
The Forum aims at promoting the UN agenda on sustainable development at the local level to improve the conditions of the cities and the urban settlements.
The committee had to assess Vitoria-Gasteiz application through 85 indicators, classified under:
- 1. sustainability,
- 2. equity,
- 3. idendity,
- 4. security,
- 5. happiness,
- 6. prosperity.
Among these 6 categories of indicators, there are 18 transversal interdisciplinary criteria suche as: sustainable mobility, energy efficiency, smart city, zero waste, public space policy, sustainable use of the territory, water, environment, basic services, sustainable territory development, circular economy, governance, innovation, heritage protection…
2019 was the 14th edition of this ceremony. Previous cities awarded were Vienna (Austria), Vancouver (Canada), Nantes (France), Curitiba (Brazil), Mannheim (Germany), Yokohama (Japan), or Oakland (USA).
Congratulations!
Check the article on Vitoria-Gasteiz website in Spanish: https://blogs.vitoria-gasteiz.org/medios/2019/09/06/vitoria-gasteiz-obtiene-el-premio-global-green-city-award/
