19 November 2014, Glasgow, Scotland - Glasgow was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and helped transform the world through its engineering skills and innovation. Now the city is striving to reinvent itself and position itself as one of the greenest cities in Europe within the next 20 years.
To mark the city's journey from ‘Steam to Green’ Glasgow City Council has launched in November the Glasgow Green Year 2015. In the occasion, Bailie Liz Cameron, Chair of Green Year, received the baton for sustainability from “the greenest ever Commonwealth Games” which, among other things, saw the creation of 700 energy efficient homes at the Athletes Village in the East End.
Building on this commitment, the city will hold a year of events and projects aimed at encouraging citizens from businesses to schools and community groups to get involved in Glasgow’s ‘Steam to Green’ revolution. Supported by UNITAR and its affiliated training centre CIFAL Scotland, each month of 2015 will have a green theme such as improving energy efficiency, using water wisely or creating quality open spaces.
Bailey Liz Cameron stated in the opening ceremony: “Glasgow’s Green Year 2015 will build on the momentum created by the Commonwealth Games and showcase how people and partnerships are at the heart of our ongoing engagement with sustainable development”.
Alex Mejia, head of the CIFAL Global Network, complemented: "From the UN perspective, 2015 will be a momentous year. The coming months will see concentrated efforts in negotiation of the Post-2015 strategic vision on how the world will look in 2030. Glasgow Green Year will be timely aligned with the critical international debates and will showcase the city's approach to green innovation, carbon emissions reduction and climate change adaptation. We are proud to be associated with the Green Year 2015 through our affiliated centre CIFAL Scotland."
May East, CIFAL Scotland Director, added: “Urban centres are where the battle for sustainable development will be won or lost. Glasgow ‘Steam to Green’ efforts could inspire hundreds of cities that have similar legacy of the industrial revolution, signaling to the potential triumph”.
The Green Year celebrations will mark the strides Glasgow has made so far towards a greener future and the various sustainability projects which are in place such as the creation of a network of electric vehicle charging points, the wind turbine at Cathkin Braes, scoping of vacant and derelict land in the city for mini solar farms, the national roll of our Stalled Spaces initiative and the introduction of the popular Next Bike hire scheme.
Picture: May East, Bailie Liz Cameron, Alex Mejia holding the Green Year Baton