How to become a European Green Capital

City of Hamburg

Well known for having the second largest port in Europe and the ninth-largest container port worldwide, Hamburg is also a European green capital. As a city that lives on the water, it was only logical to develop modern cosmopolitan living on the waterfront, in buildings built in accordance with the highest possible energy efficiency standards.

Leisure time at the Alster - Hamburg’s inner city lake

The HafenCity – where the port is situated – is a unique opportunity for high quality city centre growth and reverses the trend of development of recent decades which concentrated on peripheral expansion. We are turning former brown fields of the quarter into one of Europe’s largest urban planning projects with a total area of 160 hectares, providing living space for 12,000 people and office space for 20,000 people.

Achieving the coexistence of living and port activities is an enormous challenge. Even though ships are the best means of transport environmentally, today’s maritime emissions constitute a large part of sulphur dioxide air pollution in Hamburg. To reduce emissions from cruise ships, Hamburg is launching a European initiative for an environmentally-friendly land-based energy supply, thereby contributing to a sustainable maritime policy.

Reducing emissions

While working on the local challenges of city development, Hamburg is tackling the global problem of climate change. Local authorities have a key role in mitigating the issue and over half of all greenhouse gas emissions are created in and by cities. Also, 80% of the population lives and works in cities where up to 80% of all energy is consumed. Local governments must therefore become leading actors for implementing sustainable energy policies, and must be recognised and supported in their effort.

Hamburg acknowledges its responsibility in this field. The Hamburg climate action plan was updated by the end of 2008 and comprises more than 300 measures to achieve our overall aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% by 2020. Hamburg was among the first cities in Europe to sign the European Commission’s Covenant of Mayors. The First Mayor of Hamburg, Ole von Beust, was in Brussels on the occasion of the signing ceremony to call for a joint effort of European mayors.

In November, the Hamburg City Climate Conference enabled cities to join forces to agree to share goals and formulate their input for the upcoming conference of nations – in full knowledge of the pivotal role played by cities in the future of our planet. The results will be reported to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

The river Elbe - between the working harbour and city beach

A green and blue city

Hamburg is a remarkably green and blue city. Wherever you go, you will find water, parks and green open spaces. There are 1,700 hectares of “Natura 2000 areas” within the city limits; about 9% of our city area are in nature reserves and farming, forest and parks take up 40% of our area. For a Hamburg citizen, a street without trees is not a proper street – trees shape the city’s look. It is possible now to go through the city in green surroundings, from one park to another, largely undisturbed by road traffic. Hamburg is unique with its “Green Network“, comprising major landscape links, two green belts in the city and numerous parks.

For these and many other reasons Hamburg was awarded the title “European green capital 2011” by the European Commission in Brussels on 23 February 2009. As the European green capital, Hamburg wishes to be a platform for European exchange between experts and citizens on environmental issues, and to involve the whole of the city.

2011 is to be a year full of creativity and ideas for the environment. One example is how Hamburg will launch the ‘train of ideas’ – a train which will demonstrate best practice projects in Europe. Hamburg is inviting other European cities to participate in this mobile exhibition by presenting their own ideas in their own containers. At the end of the year, the train of ideas will arrive back in Hamburg with a whole lot of new approaches.

But first of all, it is for Stockholm to carry the flame of the European green capital as it was awarded the first European green capital in 2010. We will support them in every possible way and we will be happy and proud to take over the flame in 2011.

City of Hamburg
W: www.bsu.hamburg.de
W: www.hamburg.de/green-capital