The 8th European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns was hosted by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the Basque Government, Bizkaia County Council and Bilbao City Council, with the involvement of Udalsarea 21 - Basque Network of Municipalities for Sustainability, and the support of Araba County Council, Gipuzkoa County Council, Donostia/San Sebastián City Council and Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council.

The conference saw 1,000 participants discuss the major challenges facing Europe: the economic and financial crisis, the massive influx of refugees, and the rise of anti- European sentiment. One prominent  conclusion  was the need for greater participation  from  civil society in tackling these issues, ensuring that the people partner with local governments to exchange ideas and solutions.

European cities and towns acclaimed the Basque Declaration, the new roadmap to address challenges facing urban societies. The Basque Declaration highlights the necessity and desire of local leaders to think outside the box and find  innovative  ways to  economically and socially engage  with  civil  society  in  order to meet economic,  environmental  and  social  challenges,  and  at  the  same  time  marks  the  importance  of finding sustainable solutions that increase economic value for the benefit of the local population.

Visit the Conference website

Download the Conference report