EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE CITIES & TOWNS
About the European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns
The European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns (ESCT) is held every three to four years, marking milestones for progress and achievements in local sustainability in Europe.
Since the first ESCT was held in Aalborg (Denmark) in 1994, the conference series has led to remarkable landmarks in local sustainable development. It was at the first ESCT that Mayors of European cities and towns approved the groundbreaking Aalborg Charter.
Ten years later, at the fourth ESCT, the need for a clear reference framework including goal setting and progress measurement was acknowledged and reflected in the Aalborg Commitments.
The eighth ESCT conference, held in the Basque Country (Spain) in 2016, once again led to a seminal document in local sustainability in Europe: the Basque Declaration. The Basque Declaration outlines new pathways for European Cities and Towns to create productive, sustainable and resilient cities for a liveable and inclusive Europe. The declaration and its pathways were acclaimed by the participants of the eighth ESCT as an important step following the Aalborg Commitments. In 2020, the ninth edition took place in Mannheim (Germany), launching the Mannheim Message, a collective local response to the European Green Deal.
In 2024, the 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns returned to Aalborg, Denmark, welcoming nearly 500 participants from 163 cities and 33 countries, including 30 Mayors and Deputy Mayors. The conference resulted in the Aalborg Conditions a call for EU and national policies that foster climate neutrality, competitiveness, and local markets for clean industries and jobs. Building on the legacy of the Aalborg Charter (1994) and the Aalborg Commitments (2004), the Aalborg Conditions call for three key policy shifts: shared governance, integrated finance, and a socially inclusive, cohesive transition. The document reflects on three decades of progress and urges integrated climate and sustainability strategies capable of delivering on global frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and the EU Green Deal.
The Aalborg Charter (1994)
put cities and towns on the map as leaders of sustainability action
created a collective vision of sustainability in 14 consensus declarations
initiated the European Sustainable Cities & Towns campaign
was signed by more than 3,000 local authorities from more than 40 countries
paved the way for local consultation processes and local sustainability action
plans
The Aalborg Commitments (2004)
refined our common understanding and vision of sustainability
built a framework on how to embed sustainability at the local level, across municipality sectors
set qualitative objectives organised into 10 holistic themes
were signed by more than 700 cities and towns
have introduced participatory target setting, time frames for implementation,
monitoring and reporting
The Aalborg Conditions (2024)
are built on the legacy of multiple milestones
are an effort to escape the spiral of inaction
are defining conditions for improving and accelerating local action
affirm the importance of shared governance, integrated finance and a cohesive transition
are open for endorsement