Citation
Leal Filho, W. (2012), "Editorial", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 13 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe.2012.24913aaa.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Editorial
Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Volume 13, Issue 1
Welcome to another issue of International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. This issue presents readers a further, interesting set of papers on sustainability issues, with a strong international focus.
In this editorial, I would like to discuss the search for the “European Green Capital 2014”. The search to find the city that will inherit the prestigious title in 2014 has began and cities have to show how sustainable they are or plan to be in the future. Four European cities – Stockholm, Hamburg, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Nantes – have been awarded the title so far, from 2010 to 2013, respectively. The European Green Capital Award recognizes and rewards cities that are at the forefront of environmentally friendly and sustainable urban living, and which can act as role-models to inspire other cities. The annual award is intended to help European cities become more attractive and healthy places – “fit for life”.
The European Green Capital Award is a powerful incentive to help convince local authorities that sustainable urban development is the key to a successful future, showing how investing in environmental protection can be combined with economic growth and improved wellbeing.
Recently, all cities across Europe with more than 200,000 inhabitants can apply for the title of European Green Capital 2014. The award is open to EU Member States, candidate countries (Turkey, FYROM, Croatia, Montenegro and Iceland) and European economic area countries (Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein). In countries where there is no city with more than 200,000 inhabitants, the largest city is eligible to apply.
I hope the award and the efforts which lead to it, will motivate cities to become more sustainable and that, in making a case for their levels of sustainability, candidate cities may from the expertise many universities already have, in this field.
Enjoy your reading!
Walter Leal Filho