The Aalborg Commitments were established in 2004, 10 years after the Aalborg Charter, and is a declaration signed by over 700 cities and towns showing their commitment to a sustainable future. The Commitments were endorsed at the 4th European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns again held in Aalborg (2004). The purpose of the event was to develop a common understanding of sustainability, and to develop a framework to be used at the local level that would better articulate how to embed sustainability across sectors.
Where as the Charter was declaratory, the Commitments signify a more structured and ambitious approach. At the same time, the holistic nature of the Commitments allows decision-makers to adapt them to meet their own local conditions. The commitments encompass a list of qualitative objectives organised into 10 themes:
- Governance
- Local management towards sustainability
- Natural commons goods
- Responsible consumption and lifestyle choices
- Planning and design
- Better mobility, less traffic
- Local action for health
- Vibrant and sustainable local economy
- Social equity and justice
- Local to global
The Aalborg Commitments were agreed on by consensus of the conference participants, including organisations such as Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling (ACRR), Climate Alliance -Klima-Bündnis -Alianza del Climae.V, Council of European Municipalities & Regions (CEMR), Energie Cités, EUROCITIES, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, Medcities, Union of Baltic Cities (UBC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) - Healthy Cities.