ecological awareness

The Bee Path was opened in 2015 by the city of Ljubljana (SI), a municipality aware of the importance of pollinators for the sustainability of cities. The path is designed in such a way that visitors can comprehend the importance of bees for our survival and our food safety, discover the necessity of honey in our daily diet, but also find out more about the city's beekeeping culture. Various stakeholders are involved in the initiative: educational, cultural and health institutions, businesses, NGOs, and of course, beekeepers.

The Scottish Isle of Eigg is still not connected to the power distribution grid located on the mainland 16 kilometers away. The approximately 100 inhabitants have been operating their own stand-alone grid since 2008. They successfully converted their power supply, stepping away from diesel and now generate power using virtually 100% renewable energy sources. The SMA hybrid off-grid system equipped with an installed renewable power generation capacity of 166 kilowatts integrates solar, wind power, hydropower and a storage battery.

Salzburg is one of the pioneers in Europe in developing smart energy networks. This is why it was chosen by the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund to be the first Smart Grids Model Region in Austria. Smart Grids Model Region Salzburg is supported by an interdisciplinary team from the energy sector (Salzburg AG, Salzburg Netz GmbH), a property developer (Salzburg Wohnbau), a technology vendor (Siemens), consulting services (Fichtner) and renowned research institutions (Austrian Institute of Technology, Vienna University of Technology, CURE).

The aim of the “Smart Urban Logistics” initiative is to build up an Austrian networking platform to boost and promote intelligent solutions in the field of urban logistics. The intention is to make stakeholders aware of the topic, to create acceptance for innovative technologies, to initiate a communication process, to support further discussions and to be the incentive for the start of pilot projects that help to design future cities.

The Solar Heating and Cooling Programme was established in 1977, one of the first programmes of the International Energy Agency. The Programme's work is unique in that it is accomplished through the international collaborative effort of experts from country members, sponsor members and the European Union. The benefits of this approach are: accelerates the pace of technology development; promotes standardization; enhances national R&D programmes; permits national specialization, and saves time and money.

The Austrian Program on Technologies for Sustainable Development initiative has been developed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT). It initiates and supports trendsetting research and development projects and the implementation of exemplary pilot projects. Objectives: New opportunities for the economy; Economical use of natural resources; Consolidation of Austria's position in the field of technology; Positive effects on the economy and on employment.

The Bulgarian Green Building Council (BGBC) is a non-profit organization with a mission to transform the built environment by changing the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated. As a member of a world-wide network of organizations, we work together to build awareness in the public sector, build capacity through professional education, engage business to measure sustainability in the supply chain and product manufacturing, and aid government in developing sustainable policies.

The Master Plan by Stefano Boeri Architetti for a new green city that fights air pollution is now under construction in China. The Liuzhou Forest City is commissioned by Liuzhou Municipality Urban Planning. A city where offices, houses, hotels, hospitals and schools are entirely covered by plants and trees. Once completed, the new city will host 30,000 people, absorb almost 10,000 tons of CO2 and 57 tons of pollutants per year and produce approximately 900 tons of oxygen.

Sensoneo provides smart enterprise-grade waste management solutions for cities and businesses to cost-efficiently manage the waste lifecycle and improve the environment and well-being of people. The solution includes: sensors, management system, route planning, analytics. Sensoneo company was found in 2014 as a spin-off of a reputable IT company providing senior management of complex IT projects, programs and integrations.

The Greenest City Action Plan is a strategy for staying on the leading edge of urban sustainability. We are working with Council, residents, businesses, other organizations, and all levels of government to implement this plan. Our vision is to create opportunities today, while building: A strong local economy, Vibrant and inclusive neighbourhoods, Internationally recognized city that meets the needs of generations to come. Through a set of measurable and attainable targets, we are putting Vancouver on the path to becoming the greenest city in the world.