Implementation of the climate and environment programme of the city of Turku by including SD issues into the city budget

15.00-17.00 (note: no simultaneous interpretation)

City Hall, Lindblom, Aurakatu 2
By foot from the city theatre

The city of Turku is developing its annual budgeting by adding sustainable development issues in order to steer the city’s own organisation to act in a more sustainable manner. The overall goal is the continuous improvement. The actual sustainable development targets for each budgetary year are derived mainly from the city’s Climate and Environment Programme. This praxis describes the progress reached so far and outlines the challenges ahead.

The City of Turku is developing and implementing Sustainable Development budgeting in order to steer its own organisation to act in a more sustainable manner. The overall goal is continuous improvement and the actual targets for each budgetary year are derived mainly from the city’s Climate and Environment Programme. This session will introduce the background and describe the progress reached as well as outline challenges ahead.

The City of Turku is committed to the development and implementation of sustainable development (SD) budget-ing by the decision of City Council. The implementation is taking place gradually during the current electoral pe-riod (2009-2012). SD budgeting is used for steering all parts of the city organisation to act in a more sustainable manner. The overall goal is continuous improvement and the actual targets for each budgetary year are derived mainly from the city’s Climate and Environment Programme 2009-2013.

The City of Turku has a long record of sustainable development activities. The city has had sustainable develop-ment programmes since late 90’s. By the initiative of Turku, the local Agenda 21 co-operation in the region has been developed and encompasses currently 29 municipalities. Turku is signatory of both the Aalborg Charter and Commitments and has actively taken part also in the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign since 1998. Turku completed the Aalborg baseline review in 2006 and is actively developing environmental and sustainability moni-toring and reporting.

In developing its own activities, Turku has drawn from experiences of local authorities in other countries and con-tributed to exchanges through networks such as the Union of the Baltic Cities and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. The Eco-Budgeting experiences of cities such as Växjö in Sweden have been an important source of encouragement. Sustainable development budgeting was discussed in the city among civil servants and politi-cians for some years. Eventually these discussions paved the way for the City Council decisions (2007 and 2009) outlining the way ahead for active development and implementation of this challenging methodology.

Host: City of Turku