Successful Aalborg Commitments implementation process - the importance of cooperation within and between cities Sevilla Mr. Pekka Salminen; City of Turku, Finland

2 Introduction City of Turku, Finland inhabitants City of bio- and ICT technologies 3 academic universities Host city for the Environmental Secretariat of the Union of Baltic Cities Memeber of the Sustainable Cities Campaign Member of WHO’s Healthy Cities Network Member of the Nordic Baltic Aalborg Commitments Network Active cooperation on environmental issues with the City of St. Petersburg

3 AALBORG COMMITMENTS AALBORG COMMITMENTS Nordic Baltic Aalborg Commitments Network Finnish Round Table for Aalborg Commitments Projects as a resource Projects as a resource City Twinning Peer review Networks and Cooperation as a resource Finnish Round Table for Aalborg Commitments

4 Baseline review - Cooperation with National round table members Background and role Established before the Baseline Reviews Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, AC signatory cities AND other interested cities Promoting the Aalborg commitments to get new signatories Meetings after international venues Share experiences and create methods for the implementation

5 Good base for cooperation - Common background and language  Similar problems  Easy and fruitful on concrete level (e.g. Developments of questionnaire for the baseline review) Baseline review - Cooperation with National round table members

6 Target setting through inter-departmental cooperation within the city organisation Sustainable Development Committee (politicians, city directors and experts from different fields of administration) Working gropus of departments Working groups of departments Visits to ensure firm commitment Draft of main targets LA21 programme, Baseline Review, etc. 1st workshop -Targets -Baseline review -Locally important aspects -Group working Working gropus of departments Working groups of departments Home works 2nd workshop -Joint goals to achieve the main targets Follow-up mechanisms

7 Individuals behind cooperation Beliefs affect our actions Politicians don’t understand anything anyway SD only shows in speaches Cooperation gives fresh ideas and better possibilities to succesfull implementation!

8 Conclusions When the projects and cooperation are used as a resource to develope normall functions of the city the results will sustain Best project ideas come from network members – be active! New development ideas and support from cooperation Firm commitment through internal cooperation Be aware of he beliefs which affect your actions!