1. “Successful city development – importance of
smart planning and co-operation“
Björn Grönholm, UBC Commission on Environment
UBC Environment and Sustainable Development Secretariat / Kirsi-Marja Lonkila / Projektityöntekijä / Kokoomuksen ympäristöverkoston seminaari 29.11.2011

2. UBC activities…
Meetings and workshops
Joint UBC Commission meeting, Halmstad, Tallinn, Kolding, Umeå,
Örebro, Arendal ….
Publications, Bulletins, testing communication technology
Joint UBC Environmental Bulletin
Social media (Facebook, twitter, Adobe Connect Pro, Skype etc).
Policy activities
Sector related statements, EUSBSR, EU and National
Surveys
Good Practise Databases
1998, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2013
www.ubcwheel.eu
Management of development projects

3. UBC EnvCom projects
Climate Change (starting from UBC Resolution at General Conference in Pärnu 2007)
- CHAMP; Integrated Management Systems for Climate Change 2012
- BaltCica; Impact, costs, scenarios on adaptation 2012
- GreenCitizens; Sustainable transport and logistics in Umeå
- Net-Com; Support to cities involved in Covenant of Mayors
- Nordlead; Study and evaluation of success factors in climate work
Maritime policies and development (based on UBC policy statements and memorandum)
- Innoship: Sustainable ports
- Smartcomp (Central Baltic) Smart and sustainable innovations in Maritime industry
- SNOOP; Evaluation and measuring air emissions from ships
Urban wastewaters (based on UBC city proposals)
- PURE; waste water treatment, sludge, Successful investments in Belarus
- PRESTO; waste water treatment, sludge, investments in Belarus
- WaterCluster (BSR Programme)
Finnish-Russian cooperation (based on successful cooperation and contacts)
- NEAT+; awareness raising in St Petersburg
- BSNA; awareness raising, videos and films, mobile applications and games for youth etc
- Gulf of Finland year 2014 preparations
Sustainable Urban Transport (based on UBC city requests)
- Eltis+, Sustainable and efficient transport
- Quest, Sustainable transport and good practises
- Rulla, Transport and mobility planning
- Civitas Dynamo Sustainable transport systems in Europe
- New Bridges, rural urban interaction, quality of life, regional development 2012
- Challenge (IEE Programme)
Totally 65 Work years (40 full time + 50 part time)
6 nationalities in office

4. Policy Liaison and Coordination
HELCOM observer
CBSS Expert group on Sustainable Development
European Sustainble Cities & Towns Conference member of preparation committee
ELTIS+ consortium supporter
EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region commenting and involved in implementation
-
Flagship status PA1 PURE and PRESTO, PA4 BSR Innoship
Coordination involvement PA 5, PA 8.4
HAL / Turku process involvement
Communication with DG Regional Policy, DG Env, EU Interact
Communication with Funding Programmes
CoR Outlook paper EU Budget - Integrating Climate Change for GREEN, SMART and
INCLUSIVE GROWTH via the Committe of the Regions, DG Regional Policy etc.

5. Upcoming UBC EnvCom activities
Coordination of the UBC Sustainability Action Programme 2010 – 2015
Starting up the next UBC Sustainability Action Programme 2016 – 2021
Internal UBC re-organization.
New funding period. New project applications and development projects. New
Concepts. Smart City Concept?
EUSBSR Action Programme Implementation
Evaluations and consultations
Upcoming events in 2014 and 2015 (Gulf of Finland year, BDF + EUSBSR Summit
etc….)

6. The Baltic Sea Region 2013
One of the most active regions in
sustainable development in the world
East – West arena
Enormous changes in a short time!
A region with a similarities and differences
A region with common challenges and problems
A region with common goals

7. Common challenges for all regions
Geographic & Economic concentration
Aging population and Migration
Inefficient Energy consumption and availability
Traffic, transport and accessibility problems
State of the Baltic Sea
Climate change
Financial crisis!
Name/event

8. Local authority responsibility
Economy
& Work
Attractive
Living
Energy
Coexistence of
Generations
Mobility
Education &
Care
Green Areas
in Town
Cultural
Life
Vital Town
Districts
Name/event
Local - Global
Dynamic
Town Centre
A World of
Sports

9. Green Growth – Green economy
Green Growth is growing strongly in the EU already now!
• The EU eco-industry is one of Europe's biggest industrial sectors: annual
turnover of more than 300 billion euro (2,5% of GDP), around 3.4 – 4.0
million directly employed (1,5% of all employed in 2008)
• Venture capital investments in clean technologies in Europe rose
continuously in recent years to around ¼ of total investments ($1.8bn in
2008)

10. Going into Green economy – Green growth
- Behind all kind of development there are always
driving forces- issues making things to happen
- The main driving forces in public sector are ;
- A) policies (often verified by the budget)
- B) legislation (federal and local)
- C) economic tools (taxes, incentives etc)
…………. and
- Market forces creating (private) demand
leading to many kind of development
Esittäjän nimi
10

11. What a city can do to create green jobs/Green
economy?
-
Enforcement of national environmental legislation & local by laws and rules in
green sector (make companies to invest on green technology)
Creating criterias for public (green) procurement
Establisment of municipal enterprizes to work on new sustainability challanges
Areas to focuse on;
-- Improved waste management
- Air quality management and monitoring
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation
- Energy efficiency and saving
- Intelligent heating and electricity networks
- Mobility management
- Water and waste water management
- Nature conservation and biodiversity management
- Awareness raising, education
Esittäjän nimi
11

12. Jobs in the Green sector/Environmental cluster
(indicative /relative figures only)
Research
and
education
Public
administration
(300)
(100)
Private sector
(service &
manufacturing
Public
services
(300)
(2000)
Others
(100)
Turnover 800 million €, some
260 companies

13. BALTIC SEA REGION URBAN FORUM FOR
SMART CITIES
Project overview