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A word from the Secretary General
Dear Members and Partners,
Good news: Renowned experts have confirmed that they will join our World Congress in Edmonton, speak to you about urban management under uncertain conditions of the future, and discuss possible solutions.
ICLEI Founder, Jeb Brugmann, will present key facts and messages from his book “Welcome to the Urban Revolution”, which will have just been published, and I hope we can persuade him to be available for a book-signing hour. The Co-Creator of the concept of the Ecological Footprint and Executive Director of the Global Footprint Network, Mathis Wackernagel, will provoke us by explaining that we must face “Peak Everything”. The banker Pavan Sukhdev from the UNEP Finance Initiative will explain why we must act faster and more radically. The head of UN Environment Programme’s communications department, Satinder Bindra, will invite ICLEI to partner on UNEP’s Carbon-Neutral Network. I could go on… The Edmonton Congress “Connecting Leaders” will keep its promise and connect municipal leaders to leaders from the UN, NGOs, academia and business. Registration is open at www.iclei.org/worldcongress2009.
Other developments: On 30 March we will celebrate the opening of our new international program center in Bonn, Germany in the presence of our President David Cadman. The ICLEI Bonn Center, located only a few minutes away from the United Nations Climate Secretariat, houses the new Cities Climate Center and the Secretariat of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change. The Bonn Center also hosts the Secretariat of the Global Alliance for EcoMobility.
The World Secretariat’s host agreement with the City of Toronto, Canada will expire at the end of this year, as was agreed between ICLEI and the City last year. We have many reasons to be grateful for Toronto’s generous hosting of ICLEI’s headquarters for 18 years. I am not aware of any other city that has supported an organization over such a long period. While our executive Committee has a procedure for securing a new hosting arrangement, our Canada Office and an international team will stay in Toronto.
The local media in Toronto have reflected a controversial Council debate about the city’s support to ICLEI, C40 and a climate research project – a reminder that even in progressive cities it cannot be taken for granted that in periods of financial constraint all Councilors are prepared to support climate change actions and actors.
I wish you all the support you deserve for your action towards sustainability
Konrad Otto-Zimmermann
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Dawson Creek, Canada
- Rajshahi, Bangladesh
- Topsham, ME, U.S.A.
- Campbell River, Canada
- Didsbury, Canada
- Halton Hills, Canada
- University City, U.S.A.
- Madurai, India
* ICLEI has now 1073 Members in 67 countries
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ICLEI Members are invited to 
