Bristol’s status as a laboratory for green ideas will be strengthened when it hosts three sustainable conferences in the space of a week.
The 52nd International Making Cities Liveable (IMCL) conference (June 29 – July 3), the National Sustainable Schools conference (July 2) and the 9th International Fair Trade Towns conference (July 4-5) will put the city on the international map for sustainable living during its year European Green Capital year. 
Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson said: “Half way through 2015 and we are continuing to raise the profile of Bristol as the UK’s most sustainable city, both nationally and internationally.
“I’m delighted we have the opportunity to build on this reputation even further with three leading conferences designed to encourage us all to innovate, grow and improve the quality of life in the UK and worldwide.”
He said Bristol was now playing a vitally important role alongside other cities across the world to provide solutions that will make citizens healthier, more sustainable and resilient to change.
“Our legacy for 2015 comes in many forms – from improvements to our public transport infrastructure to developing a great education programme for all Bristol primary schools that will be made available across the UK,” he said.
“We have a very special responsibility to play an international role leading up to the UN Climate Summit (COP21) in Paris, where we will be inviting other cities across the world to exhibit a transformational action that contributes to tackling climate change.”
Bristol is one of the few places outside North America to host the IMCL Conference, which is part of the city’s Green Capital Summits Programme and through a series of events will look at how the built and natural environment can be designed and managed to increase social and physical health and well-being, to foster ecological, social and economic sustainability.
Bristol 2015 ambassador and Grand Designs television presenter Kevin McCloud is one of the keynote speakers at the conference.
The National Sustainable Schools Conference will provide a one-off opportunity for teachers to share experiences and learn from those who have started teaching sustainability in schools. Bristol 2015 head of education Jo Taylor will talk about how the Green Capital Schools Programme has already reached more than 7,000 primary schoolchildren across the city.
Closing the week is the 9th International Fair Trade Towns Conference with a special emphasis on being green and being fair. The event will feature key leaders in the movement, including a Fair Trade environmental specialist from Nicaragua. It also marks the 10-year anniversary of Bristol as a Fair Trade city.
