At the first European conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns in 1994 the Aalborg Charter was launched. With almost 3000 cities signing the Charter, it has been the single most successful European effort in sustainable urban development. In 2004 it was followed by the current Aalborg Commitments which intends to be a strong, local action-oriented tool. Today 600 cities across Europe have signed the Aalborg Commitments, including capitals as Paris, Stockholm, Vienna, Brussels and Madrid.

The Aalborg Commitments are designed to strengthen ongoing local sustainability efforts and have two main objectives:

• They aim to raise awareness and highlight the need for local governments across Europe to act in an integrated way to meet the growing challenges of sustainability.
• The Aalborg Commitments are designed as a practical and flexible tool for local action and achievements.

By signing the Aalborg Charter in 1994 and the Aalborg Commitments in 2004, Aalborg City Council has laid down the political framework for sustainable development in the municipality. The documents constitutes the backbone of all municipal planning for sustainable development with regard to climate, traffic, nature protection, urban development, waste management etc.

In 2024 we are doing it again

The 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns (ESCT) will take place on 1-3 October in Aalborg, Denmark. To mark the occasion, as well as respond to the needs of the ongoing climate emergency, we are setting our highest bar for success yet.

This year we aspire to continue to inspire change and innovation across Europe. In past years, governance tools such as Local Green Deals and Climate City Contracts have been developed to help local and regional governments bring stakeholders together and integrate their ambitions. Aalborg 2024 will look at local experiences with these tools so far and will explore what support is needed from EU decision makers in 2024.

In the end the participating municipalities and regions will sign the Aalborg Conditions, which emphasizes to the EU and the member states just how important it is for local authorities to have the right framework, if they are to effectively drive the green transition.

Read more about how to join us at Aalborg 2024 here.