From Bristol 24-7 www.bristol247.com
Bristol has been shortlisted for the prestigious European Green Capital award for the second time – a move city council leader Barbara Janke hopes will make the Government “sit up and take notice” of the city’s potential.
Bristol, which missed out to Stockholm in 2010, will now compete against Frankfurt and Copenhagen for the 2014 award. The three cities have been shortlisted from 19 which put themselves forward to claim the title. Cllr Janke described the city’s shortlisting as a “fantastic coup”.
“The green agenda has been a major commitment of our administration and we feel we have put in the investment and commitment. This is a major accolade for the city,” she told Bristol 24-7.
“We feel we are in with a good chance of winning when we make our presentation in June. We have demonstrated real advances through our many partnerships with individuals and community groups, businesses and other public agencies as well as strong economic benefits to the city.”
Bristol’s Green Capital bid highlights a number of projects including:
- An energy efficiency programme which has improved more than 34,000 homes since 2001 through insulation and new energy systems, helping increase the city’s energy efficiency by 30%;
- A reduction in the council’s energy use of 22% since 2003, saving an estimated £430,000 a year in energy bills;
- A drop in the amount of waste sent to landfill to less than 20% against around 80% in 2004 while recycling has reached over 50% in the past few months;
- An improvement in carbon efficiency by 40% between 2005 and 2009, producing 40% more value per tonne of carbon emitted by local businesses;
- The launch of a Community Challenge Fund to help local environmental community groups and organisations which so far has provided grants to more than 20 groups;
- More than 40 miles of new cycle paths added under the Cycling City initiative and a further 140 miles improved. Hundreds of cycle stands have been installed;
- 1,200 trees planted by the council in the past year and a plan that 10,000 will be planted by 2015;
- Some 1,000 green volunteers recruited, who work with community projects across the city, improving neighbourhoods through schemes such as food-growing and energy-saving.
The announcement comes in the wake of Bristol’s failed bid to host the Government’s Green Investment Bank.
Ms Janke said she hoped the Government would now “sit up and take notice” of Bristol’s green strengths.
And, in a nod to the upcoming referendum on an elected mayor for Bristol, she added that the news showed what could be achieved with the present set-up.
“We are telling a real story here and it has nothing to do with the hype of an elected mayor,” she said. “This is what matters to Bristol – not whether we have an elected mayor or not.”
Bristol will submit its vision, action plan and communication strategy on June 8 along with the other two finalists to the jury panel of the European Green Capital Award 2014.
The jury will consist of high-level representatives from the European Parliament, the European Environment Agency, ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability, the European Environmental Bureau, the Covenant of Mayors Office and the Committee of the Regions.
The announcement of the winning city will be made later that month.
For more information on the award, visit: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/19cities/
