More than 100 Mayors and elected leaders have committed to making their cities sustainable with the adoption of the “Seoul Declaration,” which was adopted today during the ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) World Congress in the capital city of the Republic of Korea.

The 7-point Seoul Declaration commits signatories to “innovative and transformative sustainable urban development.”

“Clean, efficient and equitable cities can drive global transformation across all three dimensions of sustainable development: social, economic and environmental,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told city mayors attending the Congress in a video message, adding that in an urbanized world, the leadership of local authorities is “more relevant than ever.”

Mr. Ban told the mayors he was counting on them to:

  • Strengthen their networks
  • Support a meaningful universal climate agreements in Paris in December and
  • Help define a new urban agenda for the Habitat III conference taking place in Quito, Ecuador next year

The Congress, which goes on till Saturday, seeks to build ties among city representatives in support and serve as a forum to exchange information, knowledge and solutions to achieve sustainable cities. The Seoul Declaration is one of the major outcomes of the Congress so far.

“The Seoul Declaration is a landmark commitment by our members, our partners and other local and regional governments to build a clear path to a sustainable urban future,” said ICLEI Secretary-General, Gino Van Begin.

“We all recognize that our world is facing a crisis. Our current societies are exploiting the planet in an unsustainable fashion and we are beginning to face the consequences of climate change. As the global population increases, the need for sustainability will become ever greater. That is why our Members are setting out a vision for sustainable cities.”

Among other things, the Declaration commits members to support new cooperation initiatives between cities and small island states on adaptation and resilience, green means of transportation, and green initiatives in schools.

ICLEI President Mayor Park Wonsoon of Seoul remarked: “I am delighted to witness the launch of the Seoul Declaration. Here in Seoul we are pursuing a number of initiatives to radically increase sustainability, including the ‘One Less Nuclear Power Plant’ project, which cuts dependence on fossil fuels. The Seoul Declaration is a major commitment by a huge number of global sustainability leaders to inspire these kinds of initiatives to every city and region, and to work together for a sustainable future.”

Today was also the launch of the new website for the Compact of Mayors, the world’s largest coalition of city leaders addressing climate change. Born out of the UN Climate Summit last year, the Compact aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in cities, tracking mayors’ progress and preparing for the impacts of climate change.

Media contacts:
Katrina Borromeo, ICLEI, Head of Communications, +82 10 5677 2531, media@iclei.org